black heads

LegacyUser

Not sure where to post this, definatley a personal issue,
guy here, ive been getting alot of black heads on my upper cheek area [above shaving region], theyre really small but the nose/pore strips do not work, its like theres a really thin film of skin and i need to squeeze them, which in turn damages my skin and i get really harsh sun burn, not nice at all.
I use neutrigina gentle exfoliating wash , it has the little scrubby particles but no use really, plus the black head one from neutrigina made it worse.
I wash my face twice a day, morning and evening/night, have a seperate towel for my face and i dont even let my gf touch my face with her hands !!!
any solutions !!?

dudara

Moved to Fashion & Appearance - you might get more suitable answers there.

dudara

IrishPhoenix

Try a scrub with charcoal in it.

lizzyvera

Any cream for acne clears them. Scrubbing too much is a waste of time, they start deeper in the skin than anything can clean out. Benzoyl peroxide (in Quinoderm etc) is what you're looking for. People use it on red spots but actually it's most effective on blackheads. Only use it at night time for a while cos it makes your skin red and peely, then use it morning and night.

It's always handy to have, even for people with clear skin.

Oryx

Taking omega 3 oils can help control oil production in your skin, strange as that may sound. (My source for this info is my local pharmacist )

If you must squeeze them, use a tissue on your fingers and dont use your nails! Ive seen beauty therapists remove them this way. And exfoliating is the correct thing to do, but perhaps get a different exfoliating mask, a very gentle one, and dont use it every day. Really your best bet is to ask a beauty therapist for advice, they deal with this all the time and can assess your skin.

Esel

You can buy a little metal tool for expressing blackheads in most chemists. Keeps your fingers away from the area, and shouldn't damage your skin.

Newaglish

ugh wrote:

Not sure where to post this, definatley a personal issue,
guy here, ive been getting alot of black heads on my upper cheek area [above shaving region], theyre really small but the nose/pore strips do not work, its like theres a really thin film of skin and i need to squeeze them, which in turn damages my skin and i get really harsh sun burn, not nice at all.
I use neutrigina gentle exfoliating wash , it has the little scrubby particles but no use really, plus the black head one from neutrigina made it worse.
I wash my face twice a day, morning and evening/night, have a seperate towel for my face and i dont even let my gf touch my face with her hands !!!
any solutions !!?

Just shave that area as well, works better than any kind of "exfoliating cream" or whatnot - what gets rid of dirt and dead skin better than dragging a sharp blade across your face?!

lizzyvera

You need to prevent them not just extract them. You can't extract the whole thing anyway, they go very deep into your skin and you'll ultimately damage your surrounding skin. Even scrubs can be very harsh, you're not trying to PUNISH your skin here, just unclog the pores.

The important thing to remember is that black heads aren't dirt so excessive cleaning won't help them. Wash twice a day and scrub three times a week (depending on your skin type). Don't touch the area and use the cream because it dries the skin out.

Look up acne and blackheads on wikipedia.

lizzyvera

"Exfoliating the skin

This can be done either mechanically, using an abrasive cloth or a liquid scrub, or chemically. Common chemical exfoliating agents include salicylic acid and glycolic acid, which encourage the peeling of the top layer of skin to prevent a build-up of dead skin cells which combine with skin oil to block pores. It also helps to unblock already clogged pores. Note that the word "peeling" is not meant in the visible sense of shedding, but rather as the destruction of the top layer of skin cells at the microscopic level. Depending on the type of exfoliation used, some visible flaking is possible. Moisturizers and anti-acne topicals containing chemical exfoliating agents are commonly available over-the-counter. Mechanical exfoliation is less commonly used as many benefits derived from the exfoliation are negated by the act of mechanically rubbing and irritating the skin."

"Preferred treatments by types of acne vulgaris

* Comedonal (non-inflammatory) acne: local treatment with azelaic acid, salicylic acid, topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide."

xzanti

Get a professional facial.. they will extract them for you...

Papillon87

xzanti wrote:

Get a professional facial.. they will extract them for you...

Yup tis the best way. Getting one tomorrow myself woohoo!

tinkerbell

Who does these kind of facials (ie getting a pro to extract em for you)?

I've only ever got one facial before but they did nothing like that!

xzanti

I had a deep cleanse Clarins facial in a beauticians in the Swan Centre in Rathmines a couple of months ago and they did it for me.. bit sore but worth it to get rid of the baxtards..

tinkerbell

Hey xzanti, cool and are they all gone now or did they come back?

Papillon87

tinkerbell wrote:

Hey xzanti, cool and are they all gone now or did they come back?

Hi tinkerbell, the place I go to (my regular salon...it's local and I just really like it), the first time I got a facial there the girl just started extracting them during the process...it was probably because I usually get a facial which is fairly deep cleansing and steaming opens the pores, so she basically says may as well take em out while we can! I would recommend enquiring in whatever salon you frequent about whether they do them/would do them during a facial.