Blackheads
(comedones) develop when the sebaceous glands produce too much sebum and
mutilate the hair follicles at the same time. The excess sebum can not reach
the skin surface through the increasing keratinization through the sebaceous
gland ducts. This causes the sebaceous gland to slowly increase. Gradually, a
real horn plug, which is composed of horny cells, hair remains and sebum - a
blackhead has arisen. Most are in the graft also bacteria, often of the species
Propionibacterium acne.
Skin care routine
The
congested sebaceous gland is getting bigger. Sometimes, the wall of the
sebaceous gland breaks open and the contents pour into the surrounding tissue,
which can result in inflammation with pus formation. It can also happen that
bacteria release inflammatory substances, which can also lead to an
inflammatory reaction. This can cause painful nodules or pustules.
Blackheads
are often associated with acne and may also indicate an onset of acne. In
particular, in the so-called acne comedonica, a mild form of acne, which
usually occurs at the beginning of puberty (acne vulgaris), the sufferers
mainly suffer from many comedones. There is a reason why adolescents are
affected by blackheads and acne: puberty is a phase of life that is associated
with severe hormonal changes. For example, the body increasingly produces male
sex hormones (androgen). Among other things, they stimulate the production of
sebum so that the hair follicles can easily clog and form blackheads. But even
with bad or oily skin, blackheads are common. It does not (necessarily) have to
be acne.
Anyone
who has discovered a blackhead often has the impulse to remove it as quickly as
possible. But beware: Under no circumstances should you press around on a
blackhead without preparation - certainly not on an inflamed. If you try to
remove a blackhead just like that, the skin usually looks even worse: with a
bit of bad luck, the sebum in the blackhead does not reach the outside when pressed,
but is squeezed into the skin's surroundings. The organism fights the graft, if
it is outside a gland, like a foreign body - unpleasant inflammations can
result, which can cause scars or a browning of the skin. You should never
remove blackheads improperly! Otherwise, infections can be the result, which
can lead to inflammation and scarring. Leave the removal to a professional! Or
you can get yourself a blackhead removal tool and remember never use
your hands to squeeze any of them!