How to Treat Blemishes & Black Spots
During your teen years, acne can often be the most difficult part of your beauty and skin care routine. As you age, acne lessens in severity but many people just can't seem to rid themselves of it completely. Blemishes like bright red pimples, black spots known as blackheads, and whiteheads can all be difficult to treat. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Wash your face religiously. Blackheads are caused when excess skin oil, known as sebum, and dead skin cells become clogged in a hair follicle. They turn black when this mixture of dirt, skin and oil is exposed to the air. The best way to treat blackheads is to prevent their major causes from developing, so wash your face twice daily. Try using Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser. This cleansing wash has been a dermatologist favorite for years since it can gently clean out your pores without irritating skin or over-drying.
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Exfoliate. Too many people skip this all-important step. Exfoliants are important to keep your skin clear since they help remove dead skin cells and encourage new cell production.You don't want to over-do it though; every other day is enough to keep your skin healthy without over-drying it. Try the old standard, St. Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub, available at drug stores. Or, for a DIY version, bring some sand back with you next time you head to the beach. Keep a jar of it near your bathroom sink and add a pinch to your regular face wash a few times a week.
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Use a spot treatment. Salicylic acid, a chemical present in many facial cleansers, is a great treatment option for mild acne. It comes over the counter in concentrations up to 2 percent and is available in either a gel or a cream. Apply it directly to blemishes once or twice a day. For more difficult blemishes, especially blackheads, you may want to try benzoyl peroxide. This chemical is available over the counter in concentrations up to 10 percent. It works by filling your pores with oxygen, which kills bacteria and removes any lingering skin cell debris. Choose one of these medications, but don't use the two in conjunction with one another.
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Invest in a blemish extractor. You can find these at just about any beauty or drug store. This nifty tool has two metal loops- one on each end- for removing blackheads and whiteheads. Use your blemish extractor after a shower or after washing your face with warm water, since your pores will be more open due to the steam. Place one of the loops over the blemish and press down firmly until the blackhead or whitehead comes out. This is much safer, and much more effective, than trying to get them out with your fingers.
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Start gentle, then work your way up. For example, if you're going to start using benzoyl peroxide, start with the 2.5 percent concentration. Test it out for a few weeks and if you think you need something stronger, work your way up. If you begin by using a 10 percent concentration, you could see some serious side effects even worse than your blemishes such as severe redness, drying and flaky skin. In addition, if you use a cleanser or chemical that is too harsh and drying, it will prompt your skin to produce even more sebum, which in turn can cause more blackheads.
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References
- Photo Credit woman washing her face image by Jarek Miarka from Fotolia.com
