Ways to Remove Annoying Blackheads

When people see my face, they often see it as smooth and unblemished. That is, until they get close. Then they’ll find numerous blackheads on or near my nose. Many are disappointed with the revelation. I feel like they think I lied to them. It’s not a good feeling.

Blackheads are caused by an excess of oil produced by the oil glands. Technically, blackheads appear when a blocked pore is filled with dead skin cells and oil that’s been oxidized. The color turns black because of contact with the air through a microscopic opening in the skin (compare it to whiteheads, which is the exact same thing except there was no opening to oxidize the mixture in the pore). Sometimes, blackheads aren’t acne. The black dots could be the result of enlarged pores filled with a bit of oil. These “blackheads” can appear in lighter colors, like gray, instead of black. Blackheads appear in many areas of the body, but our noses are magnets for them. It’s the oiliest part of our face. More oil glands are concentrated on our nose than any other area of our body. 

Blackheads may not look as bad as pimples or other forms of acne, but it’s still an awkward problem for many of us. Acne is embarrassing in whatever form it takes. The search for an effective blackhead treatment often consumes our thoughts.

Here are some that I have found

Steam. Open your pores and loosen the blackheads by steaming your face. Do this every time you apply any paste, scrub or the other treatments listed below to make it easier to remove blackheads. To steam, pour hot water in a bowl, and set your face in the direction of the steam. You can also use a warm and damp face towel. Position it on your face for a few seconds and repeat this several times.

Nose Strips. Cut the nose strips to fit your nose. Don’t include the cheeks. Wet your nose just a little to make them stick. Apply them onto your nose and smooth it over. Make sure that there are no bubbles. Lightly blot the nose strip with a warm wet face towel. Don’t wriggle your nose. Let it stay for at least 10 minutes. Wash your face with a mild facial wash.

Glue. Make sure that your nose is dry. Apply a layer of all-purpose white glue over your nose. Cover the blackheads entirely. Let the glue dry for 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t wriggle your nose or touch the glue. When it’s completely dry, peel it off from the bottom. Make sure it doesn’t tear. Wash your face with a mild facial wash.

Honey. Dab honey on your skin. Let it dry for 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t disturb it. Peel it off after it dries_. Use a cold face towel to remove the excess honey.

Lemon. Many parts of the lemon can be used to remove blackheads. You can rub a lemon peel over the blackheads. You can also rub lemon juice 2 to 3 times a day.

Baking Soda. Mix half a cup of water and a few tablespoons of baking soda in order to make a paste. Massage the mixture over your blackheads and surrounding areas. Rinse it off after 10 minutes. You can also try mixing the same amounts of water and baking soda. Apply it on your face. Leave it on for 3 to 15 minutes. Rinse it off with warm water.

Rice. Soak a cup of rice overnight. Grind the rice and make a paste. Add a dash of turmeric powder and mix completely. Massage it on your blackheads. Rinse it off with water after it dries. You can also try soaking the rice in milk for five hours before grinding it.

Castor Oil. Dilute Castor oil with Sunflower Seed oil. Try a mixture with 80% Sunflower Seed oil and 20% Castor oil. (This changes depending on your skin type. Add more Castor oil for oilier skin. Decrease the amount of Castor oil for drier skin). Massage the oils onto your face. Soak a towel with warm water. Cover your face with the towel and let it stay there for a few minutes. Wipe your face gently and rinse the towel. Repeat as needed until the oil is removed. Don’t scrub your face.

I hope this helps!

While most of the ways to remove blackheads written before are based on liquids which you massage on your face, there is another way of removing blackheads. A mechanical tool exists to remove blackheads.These small tools are thin strips of metal with a little ring at the end. The blackhead remover is pressed on the skin with the ring surrounding the blackhead. Apply more and more pressure until it squeezes the blackhead out of the pore. People with sensitive skin or low tolerance for pain might find this painful. If you have lots of blackheads, your face could get really sore. It's not a bad way to remove an occasional pimple but it's too troublesome to use it for a lot of blackheads at once.