Blackheads - The What, Whys and Hows?

Hello buddies! What's up? Hope you all are doing awesome!

Today's write-up is about blackheads. I know I have been writing a lot about skin care. But that's what I comes to my mind when it wants to blog! It's summers and I too have been taking a lot of care of my skin. So, I feel like talking about skin-care.

Do blackheads make you go bonkers?

Do you have tiny and stubborn blackheads on your nose and chin that just won't go away! They are like the tenants that occupy the area on your face and don't even pay rent! (ˆ▽ˆ) Just kidding!

So, let us take a look at what blackhead really are, why you get them and how to get rid of them.

What are Blackheads?

Blackheads are very tiny dots that appear on facial skin, especially on nose and chin. They appear black/gray in color. These are actually the skin pores that have been accumulating dead skin cells and dirt, which combine with the natural oil (sebum) that the skin secretes. This blocks the pores and appear as small dots on the skins.

What Causes Blackheads?

There are simple reasons why one gets blackheads, explained below.

Neglecting to Wash Your Face

Cleansing your face is of utmost importance. Some people fail to realize this simple fact that an unclean skin is the hot bed for bacteria. You can get acne or any other skin infection. The dirt and grime your collect on your face all day long needs to go down the drain. Otherwise, it will block the skin pores and give rise to blackheads.

Watch What You Eat

Sometimes, its the food we eat tends to cause blackheads. Sounds weird, right? But it's true. Foods that are high in starch and fats can give rise to blackheads. So, next time you hog on fries or chocolates, you might want to eat less.

Do You Drink Often?

If you are addicted to coffee or alcohol, odds are that you might be having nasty blackheads. These drinks mess up our sleep pattern and also affects the skin. Cut back on your caffeine or alcohol, or just cry over your dull skin.

Sleeping with Makeup On

Ladies, if you don't remove your makeup before going to bed, then you are total nuts! Sleeping with makeup still on is like the cardinal sin of skin care! The chemical crud blocks your pores and make way for blackheads.

Now, let me tell you how you can get rid of these nasty little bumps.

Scrubbing

Scrubbing is a great way for getting rid of blackheads. It works just right for me. I had tried so many things in the past to get rid of blackheads. But they just won't go away. They were like a permanent residents of my face! So, instead of scrubbing once or twice a week, I do it every day. Use a walnut scrub and massage it onto your skin in gentle circular motions. You might want to do it for two to three minutes. If you think your skin is fine with daily scrubbing, go for it.

Rigorous scrubbing is not suitable for people with oily skin. But gentle exfoliation will do the trick.

Use a Toner

Using a toner post cleansing is good, especially for people who have large skin pores. I don't use toner though. It shrinks your skin pores overtime, which is a nice way to prevent getting blackheads. Toner also helps maintain the pH balance of your skin.

If you are interested in home remedies to remove blackheads, take a look at this amazing YouTube video.

Moisturize 

Summers had taken a toll on my skin. Until last week my face felt like an old wall whose plaster is coming off. My skin was peeling and irritated. Scrubbing helped me get rid of dead cells but it also rendered my skin a little stretchy. A friend suggested that I should try Nivea's cold cream. It's non-sticky and does magic to the skin. I must say, of all the brands I have used, Nivea is by far the best cream for summers. If you don't like cold creams, you can always go for water based moisturizers.

Cover it Up

If possible, cover your face with a soft scarf. In my city, most college-goings girl, including me, and most working women have a collection of prettiest scarves. We use them to cover our face and head. It proves to be the best way to protect our skin from sunlight, pollution and dust.

This is all for today. I hope you enjoyed reading this write-up and will take good care of your skin. I will see you again with some more interesting stuff to read. Till then, bye! Have a nice week! J