Blackheads and clogged pores: what really shifts them
Why they come back, why squeezing them makes things worse, and what else can be done.
· Hajar Atila, registered nurse
A blackhead is sebum and dead cells, oxidised in contact with the air. It is a mixture of sebum and dead cells blocking the opening of a follicle; in contact with the air, that mixture oxidises and turns black. That is why it comes back even on skin that is washed often, and why the result comes from softening rather than from friction.
Why they always come back in the same place
The nose, the sides of the nose, the chin and the upper back carry more sebaceous glands than the rest of the body. Those areas produce more sebum, so they block faster. It is a matter of gland density, specific to each skin and stable over time.
What does change, on the other hand, is the speed at which dead cells build up at the surface. Skin that renews itself poorly — through age, through the sun, through over-aggressive cleansing that has put it on the defensive — blocks faster.
The three habits that make it worse
- Squeezing.The pressure breaks the follicle wall under the skin. The contents go into the dermis instead of coming out: that is what turns a blackhead into an inflammatory spot, and then sometimes into a mark that stays for months.
- Stripping it back.Very foaming gels and scrubs with abrasive grains remove the hydrolipidic film. The skin answers by producing more sebum. You get the opposite of what you were after.
- Peel-off strips.They take out the most superficial plug and leave the rest. The pore itself stays enlarged.
What really works
Two things, and they go together.
Soften before extracting.A softened plug comes out on its own: it is the softening that does all the work. That is what a deep cleanse at the practice does: you open first, you aspirate next, without crushing. The difference from an extraction at home lies in the order of the steps.
Regulate renewal.A keratolytic active — salicylic acid, fruit enzymes depending on tolerance — keeps the build-up from coming back within two weeks. It is this second half that makes the result last.
How often
For skin that blocks quickly: a deep cleanse every four to six weeks for the first few months, then quarterly maintenance. That spacing gives the skin time to rebuild its barrier, and it is what gives the best result.
When to see a doctor
Painful, deep lesions that leave hollows or lasting red marks call for a dermatologist's opinion, and sometimes a systemic treatment. The same goes if the spots appeared suddenly in adulthood, or if they come with irregular periods or new hair growth.
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