Blackheads are unsightly blemishes that commonly have an impact on everyone’s skin during teenage years. But what exactly are blackheads, how do they form, and how can they be treated? Continue reading below to learn more about blackheads and what you can do to clear up your skin today!

What are Blackheads?

A blackhead forms when a hair follicle, or pore, in the skin becomes clogged with oil and keratin. Clinically known as “comedo”, a blackhead can actually form on the skin with or without the presence of acne. Blackhead blemishes generally appear on the face, neck, chest, back and shoulders.

How to Treat Blackheads

Luckily for those battling blackheads, there are many different treatment options available. The best way to combat blackheads is to simply wash your face and body on a regular basis using mild soap or cleansers without oil. These products are preferred over regular soap because they will cause less skin irritation.

Nearly every major company that makes acne treatment products has a line of blackhead treatment options, including:

• Olay
• Neutrogena
• Clean & Clear
• Noxzema
• St. Ives
• Proactiv
• Avon
• Murad

All of the aforementioned companies have their own scrubs and cleansers designed to clear up existing blackheads and prevent outbreaks in the future. Each person’s skin is unique, so what works to remove blackheads for one may not work at all for another.

In addition to the cleansers, a variety of blackhead removal tools and extractors are available. These tools are used to forcefully remove the blackhead from the skin. While they will certainly remove the blackheads, these tools can also do damage to skin. Often times, blackhead removers are used in conjunction with soft soaps.

While OTC products are generally safe to use, it’s always best to consult a physician or dermatologist before beginning any treatment for blackheads.

Cystic acne is different from the regular outbreaks that many people experience from time to time, especially during puberty, as an acne cyst penetrates into deep layers of the skin causing inflammation and infection that can eventually lead to scarring.

This type of acne is considered a medical condition, especially when it is present into adulthood. The effects of an acne cyst are not just cosmetic but they may cause emotional trauma and greatly decrease the quality of life.

Luckily advances in dermatology have provided relief for sufferers with many new techniques and medications that can help combat and acne cyst from forming, or eradicate the problem all together. Please continue reading to learn more.

Treatment for an Acne Cyst

The most well known oral medication for treating severe cases of acne and cystic acne is known as Accutane. This type of drug is an extremely high dose of vitamin A that permanently shrinks oil producing glands.

Usually this medication is used for a duration of 6 months without successive treatment being necessary. This treatment requires a prescription and the care of a dermatologist as there are significant health risks.

A quick way to treat an acne cyst is to make an appointment with your doctor to receive a cortisone shot. The dermatologist injects cortisone directly into the acne cyst causing it to shrink and disappear. This is not a convenient treatment for severe cases but is a helpful emergency treatment for occasional cysts.

For all over treatment the requires no medication, blue light therapy is a leader in non-invasive topical treatments. A trained aesthetician applies a topical medication to the skin before exposing it to an intense blue pulse light that shrinks oil glands and kills acne causing bacteria.

As with anything pertaining to health, a physician should always be consulted before trying a new treatment for an acne cyst.

An acne scar can be embarrassing to have and frustrating to get rid of. Below, you will find some tips that will help you eliminate the scar for good.

Tips for Treating an Acne Scar

The first thing you have to do is figure out what kind of acne scar you have. There are four different kinds. You could have icepick scars, rolling scars, boxcar scars, or keloid scars. Look online and you will get pictures to compare the different kinds.

Once you know what acne scar you have, you can begin the other processes. There are different treatments for acne scars. These acne scar treatments include Retinoic acid, Vitamin C, and Alpha-Hydroxy Acid. These products will probably be sold over the counter, but make sure you are buying products with good reviews so that you do not do any further damage to your skin.

Some scars are harder to remove. For these scars, microdermabrasion is a great option. This is a process that buffs down your skin around the scar area. As a result, the pits and shadows of the scar are less noticeable.

A chemical peel is terrific for the skin, as it can help the skin regenerate. Just make sure you talk to your doctor about this so that you get the chemical peel that works best with your skin.

Laser treatments are also a possibility when it comes to getting rid of the acne scar. These treatments are best in treating the atrophic acne scar. The skin is buffed down and this makes the scar very much unnoticeable. Just talk to a doctor so that you know you are undergoing a safe procedure.

The last thing you must do is never create any new scars. Too many people scratch off pimples and then keep plugging away at that area. This will only make it worse. If you get a scar, do not touch it and you will have a much better chance at getting rid of it for the long term.

Everyone experiences at least some acne during their lifetime, but not all acne is the same. Minor acne such as blackheads, whiteheads and pimples, is easy to treat with over the counter skin treatments. The more painful form of acne is nodular acne.

What Causes Acne?

Acne has three main contributing causes: the body’s overproduction of sebum, the shedding of dead skin cells, and a build-up of bacteria.

Sebum is an oil your body naturally produces to moisturize your hair and skin. Teenagers have more of problem with acne because an increase in their hormones causes their bodies to produce too much sebum.

Your body is constantly shedding dead skin cells, but occasionally the hair follicle, that is supposed to release the sebum, becomes clogged with dead skin cells. This forms a plug that traps the sebum in your skin.

With the sebum stuck in the follicle bacteria gather and feed on the sebum. Once it becomes inflamed it causes a pimple.

What is Nodular Acne?

Nodular acne is different than mild acne. Acne nodules appear on the skin as big, hard bumps that can be very painful when touched. The same process that forms mild acne is taking place, but the blockage is deep underneath the skin rather than on the surface. With nodular acne, there is a greater chance of lifelong scarring because it is deeper in the skin. Without proper treatment, nodular acne can takes weeks to heal.

What Should You Do About Nodular Acne?

You should seek treatment immediately from a dermatologist. Since nodular acne forms deep in the skin, over the counter acne treatments will not work because they are designed to only treat the surface of the skin. A dermatologist can prescribe you the proper medication for your skin to get rid of your acne for good.