How to avoid blackheads?

Blackheads are one of the main problems of our skin. Find in this article my advice to avoid the appearance of blackheads.

If there's one thing we all face, it's blackheads. Well present on the face, the "hunt" for blackheads, or comedones, is generally part of our beauty routine. Whether it is brutally, by hand (and which generally leaves traces and which can also infect the skin) or via a facial scrub , see a detour dear to the beautician. Why ? Blackheads give the feeling of having bad skin, especially if they are visible, it does not look very clear. It can also be synonymous, in the eyes of others, of a person who does not take care of his skin.

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What is a blackhead?

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What is a blackhead made of?

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Blackheads occur because the pores of the skin can no longer close. They are indeed blocked by an excess of sebum and dead cells. The sebum is thus present in the open air and, due to oxygenation in contact with the air, it turns black. The blackhead is therefore the result of a completely natural phenomenon, which will mainly affect people with oily skin. Which is normal and logical, because these people have excess sebum on their skin, which will clog the pores.

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Where are the blackheads?

Blackheads are found on all parts of the body where there are hair follicles, therefore hairs, and sebaceous glands. You should know that the sebaceous glands, responsible for the production of sebum, are found in greater quantities in certain areas of the body. This is the reason why we have more often blackheads on certain areas of the body, more than on others. Thus, we mainly find blackheads on the following parts:

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• blackheads on the forehead,

• blackheads on the nose,

• blackheads on the chin,

• blackheads on the ears,

• blackheads on the back,

• blackheads on the legs,

• blackheads on arms,

• blackheads on the chest.

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As you can see, blackheads are mostly found on the famous T-zone, the area formed by the forehead, nose and chin. It is indeed on these parts that the production of sebum is the most important. But during adolescence, when the production of sebum is very important on the whole face, it is then the whole face that is concerned, such as the forehead and the cheeks, as well as the back and the shoulders.

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​ How do blackheads appear?

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The arrival of blackheads on the body can come from different reasons.

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Blackheads on oily or mixed skin

Some people are more likely to have blackheads on their face or body than others depending on their skin type. Not only is it important to know your skin type to know what beauty products for men to use, but also to know if blackheads are really related to your skin type and not to one of the other reasons that I will explain below. Oily skin and combination skin are more prone to blackheads because these skins have more dilated pores and produce more sebum. On the other hand, dry skin, which precisely does not produce enough sebum, is relatively spared from blackheads.

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Blackheads due to hormonal imbalance

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If the body produces an excessive number of blackheads in adulthood, usually accompanied by acne-like pimples, it may be due to a hormonal imbalance. Indeed, when the hormones no longer function normally, then the sebaceous glands will produce sebum in very large quantities and clog the hair follicles.

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Blackheads can also occur at certain times of our lives, when hormones go into all their states: puberty, taking the pill in women, pregnancy, menopause, andropause...

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Blackheads due to poor hygiene

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Of course blackheads can appear due to poor hygiene. Don't forget that blackheads happen because the sebum takes place in the pores of the skin, which can no longer be tightened. And to tighten the pores of the skin , it will be necessary to have a perfectly clear skin surface, without dead cells and other impurities.

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Blackheads following the use of care products

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Blackheads can occur with the use of certain beauty products for men, such as day creams, night creams, body milks. These products can indeed be too greasy for the pores of the skin, which will clog them. The pores will no longer tighten and the sebum will be able to take its place. This will create blackheads. If this happens to you, you should select beauty products that are non-comedogenic.

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Blackheads after using make-up

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Makeup is very bad for the health of the skin, especially if used in the form of powder. This is also the reason why men are more strongly affected by blackheads on the face because they tend more and more to use make- up products for men , including foundation for men or even BB creams. for men. Make-up will thus clog the pores of the skin and, as with the use of certain beauty products, avoid tightening them and thus promote the appearance of blackheads. It is therefore very important to remove make-up at night.

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Blackheads from sun exposure

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The sun is very bad for the skin, we all know that. Not only is it responsible for sunburn, the appearance of dark spots as you age, but also for an overproduction of sebum!

Indeed, when you expose yourself to the sun, the superficial layer of your skin will thicken to protect itself, and therefore the sebum will accumulate there.

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Blackheads due to poor diet

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To prevent the sebaceous glands from producing too much sebum, you will have to avoid certain foods! And yes, we know that our diet has a very big impact not only on our body but also on our skin. Thus, blackheads can occur if we consume certain foods, foods that have a high blood sugar level. So, the foods that will promote the appearance of blackheads are fatty and sugary foods. To fight against blackheads, it will be necessary to remove all fatty industrial products such as prepared meals, pizza, hamburgers, etc. and turn to a lighter diet.

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Blackheads following an unhealthy lifestyle

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Blackheads can also occur due to our lifestyle, which may not be healthy. I'm not going to pass judgment! You should know that alcohol and tobacco are elements that can promote the production of sebum by the sebaceous glands.

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Tips to avoid blackheads?

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As we saw above, apart from poor diet and hormonal imbalance, blackheads are mainly due to:

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• one of the dilated pores that will have to be tightened,

• excess sebum on the skin,

• the use of certain beauty products,

• to the use of make-up.

So to avoid the appearance of blackheads, it will be necessary to put in place certain actions:

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Have impeccable beauty hygiene to avoid blackheads

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It is very easy to get rid of blackheads by implementing a few actions that won't take much time.

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Cleanse your skin well to avoid blackheads

The objective will be to have perfectly clear skin, without excess sebum or dead cells, to allow the pores to function properly and tighten. This is all the more important if you have oily or combination skin. It will therefore be necessary to set up a routine specially adapted to oily and combination skin. Above all, do not use products for dry skin which, on the contrary, will prevent you from drinking excess sebum on your skin. Do not hesitate to use a tonic lotion every morning which will act as a mini daily scrub.

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Cleanse your skin to avoid blackheads

If you use makeup for men, remember to remove the makeup in the evening, when you no longer have the need to show your best side. It is during the night that our sebaceous glands produce the most sebum. Your skin at bedtime must therefore be perfectly clear.

Exfoliate weekly to fight blackheads

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The exfoliation will be the most effective beauty gesture to deeply cleanse your skin. The benefits of the facial scrub will indeed cleanse the skin of the face in depth, remove excess sebum and remove all dead cells and other impurities from your skin. If you have oily skin, you can do this twice a week. It is advisable to insist on the T zone. Do not forget to exfoliate your body, especially on the upper back. The blackheads on the back are indeed very present.

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Make a face mask to avoid blackheads

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Do not hesitate either to make a facial mask to avoid blackheads on the T zone. In particular, favor a mask with green clay whose benefits are known to absorb, like a blotter, excess sebum. And in addition it will relax you during the 15 to 20 minutes of break time.

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You can also make homemade blackhead mask recipes using a few ingredients you find in your kitchen cupboards.

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Article to read: anti-blackhead masks: my 7 homemade recipes

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Use gentle products to avoid blackheads

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Do not use products that are too greasy, which will clog the pores of the skin, nor products that will dry out your skin, such as certain soaps or alcohol-based products. If your skin becomes dry, then sebum production will be increased.

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Avoid sun exposure to fight blackheads

Similarly, you will have to avoid exposure to the sun: this will dry out your skin (nice for pimples, which will go away quickly at first), but it will increase sebum production and promote the appearance of new pimples. and blackheads afterwards.

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How to extract blackheads?

There are different ways to extract blackheads, such as using a blackhead aspirator or a blackhead remover. You can find my article how to extract blackheads in which I give you my advice.

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