\n<div class='\"css-1avyp1d\"'>\n<div>\n<div>\n<h3 class='\"LC20lb' mbeuo dkv0md>Blackheads: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments\n</h3><p class='\"css-w2pt6r\"'>Blackheads are small bumps that appear on your skin due to clogged hair follicles. These bumps are called blackheads because the surface looks dark or black. Blackheads can usually be treated with over-the-counter acne products.\n</p><div class='\"code-block' code-block-2>\n<div data-type='\"_mgwidget\"' data-widget-id='\"1692882\"' data-uid='\"11b47\"'>\n<div id='\"mgw1692882_11b47\"'>\n<div>\n<div class='\"mgbox' card-media>\n<div id='\"296ce4a8-dfdc-11ef-ae69-c4cbe1e3eca4\"' class='\"mgline' teaser-23953a39-83bd-4554-84ac-acf582e81c2f0 dsp type-w extd data-i='\"lQbMAvEOYFN-UAztFXU4oL0TO-V30KFqVjbPzTpvsMRzQiEsJaLeTkrwsoSgogopYyhxDx9AJaFLrR4SLV0dqJze0kfEVNMYn-CStGSNXmo*\"' data-cat='\"IAB22-3\"' data-observing-start='\"0\"' data-observing-time='\"0\"'>\n<div class='\"mgline-inner\"'>\n<div class='\"mgbottom_media\"'>\n<div class='\"mgmedia__metrics-value\"'>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<figure id='\"attachment_18583\"' class='\"wp-caption' alignnone aria-describedby='\"caption-attachment-18583\"'><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' class='\"size-full' wp-image-18583 src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/thefactsusa.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/2024%5C/12%5C/7pGmLOsg6s4-HD.jpg%5C%22" sizes='\"auto,' srcset='\"https:\/\/thefactsusa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/7pGmLOsg6s4-HD.jpg' https: alt='\"Blackheads:' causes symptoms and treatments width='\"1280\"' height='\"720\"'><figcaption id='\"caption-attachment-18583\"' class='\"wp-caption-text\"'>Blackheads: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments\n\n\n<div>\n<p>Blackheads are a mild type of\u00a0acne\u00a0that usually form on the face, but they can also appear on the following body parts:\n\n</p><div>\n<ul>\n<li>back\n</li><li>chest\n</li><li>neck\n</li><li>arms\n</li><li>shoulders\n\n\n<div>\n<p>Acne affects nearly 50 million Americans and is the most common skin disorder in the United States, according to the\u00a0American Academy of Dermatology.\n\n\n</p><div class='\"css-1avyp1d\"'>\n<div>\n<div><a class='\"chartbeat-section\"' name="%5C%22picture%5C%22">What do blackheads look like?\n\n<div>\n<div>\n<figure class='\"css-yhe8zq\"'><span class='\"css-rwmw5v\"'><span class='\"css-mjp0j9\"'><picture class='\"css-16pk1is\"'><source srcset='\"\/\/i0.wp.com\/images-prod.healthline.com\/hlcmsresource\/images\/topic_centers\/BeautyandSkinCare\/793-Blackheads-1296x728-body.jpg?w=1575' media='\"(min-width:'></source><source srcset='\"\/\/i0.wp.com\/images-prod.healthline.com\/hlcmsresource\/images\/topic_centers\/BeautyandSkinCare\/793-Blackheads-1296x728-body.jpg?w=1575' media='\"(min-width:'></source><source srcset='\"\/\/i0.wp.com\/images-prod.healthline.com\/hlcmsresource\/images\/topic_centers\/BeautyandSkinCare\/793-Blackheads-1296x728-body.jpg?w=1845' media='\"(min-width:'></source><img decoding='\"async\"' class='\"css-1jytyml\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/i0.wp.com%5C/images-prod.healthline.com%5C/hlcmsresource%5C/images%5C/topic_centers%5C/BeautyandSkinCare%5C/793-Blackheads-1296x728-body.jpg?w=1155&h=1528%5C%22" alt='\"\"'>\n\n\n\n<div class='\"css-1avyp1d\"'>\n<div>\n<div><a class='\"chartbeat-section\"' name="%5C%22causes%5C%22">What causes blackheads?\n\n<div>\n<p>Blackheads\u00a0form when a clog or plug develops in the opening of hair follicles in your skin. Each follicle contains one hair and a\u00a0sebaceous gland\u00a0that produces oil. This oil, called\u00a0sebum, helps keep your skin soft.\n\n</p><div>\n<p>Dead skin cells and oils collect in the opening to the skin follicle, producing a bump called a comedo. If the skin over the bump stays closed, the bump is called a\u00a0whitehead. When the skin over the bump opens, exposure to the air causes it to look black and a blackhead forms.\n\n</p><div>\n<p>Some factors can increase your chances of developing acne and blackheads, including:\n\n</p><div>\n<ul>\n<li>producing too much body oil\n</li><li>the buildup of the\u00a0<em>Propionibacterium acnes\u00a0bacteria on the skin\n<li>irritation of the hair follicles when dead skins cells don\u2019t shed on a regular basis\n</li><li>undergoing\u00a0hormonal changes\u00a0that cause an increase in oil production during the teen years, during\u00a0menstruation, or while taking\u00a0birth control pills\n</li><li>taking certain drugs, such as\u00a0corticosteroids, lithium, or androgens\n\n\n<div>\n<p>Some people believe that what you eat or drink can affect\u00a0acne.\u00a0Dairy products\u00a0and foods that increase\u00a0blood sugar levels, such as\u00a0carbohydrates, may play a part in triggering acne, but researchers aren\u2019t convinced that there\u2019s a strong connection.\n\n\n</p><div class='\"css-1avyp1d\"'>\n<div>\n<div><a class='\"chartbeat-section\"' name="%5C%22symptoms%5C%22">What are symptoms of blackheads?\n\n<div>\n<p>Because of their dark color, blackheads are easy to spot on the skin. They\u2019re slightly raised, although they aren\u2019t painful because they aren\u2019t inflamed like\u00a0pimples. Pimples form when bacteria invade the blockage in the hair follicle, causing\u00a0redness\u00a0and inflammation.\n\n\n</p><div class='\"css-1avyp1d\"'>\n<div>\n<div><a class='\"chartbeat-section\"' name="%5C%22treatment%5C%22">How are blackheads treated?\n\n<div>\n<h3>Over-the-counter (OTC) treatments\n\n<div>\n<p>Many\u00a0acne medications\u00a0are available at drug and grocery stores and\u00a0online\u00a0without a prescription. These medications are available in cream, gel, and pad form and are put directly on your skin. The drugs contain ingredients such as salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and resorcinol. They work by killing bacteria, drying excess oil, and forcing the skin to shed dead skin cells.\n\n</p><div>\n<h3>Prescription medications\n\n<div>\n<p>If OTC treatment doesn\u2019t improve your acne, your doctor may suggest that you use stronger prescription medications. Medications that contain vitamin A keep plugs from forming in the hair follicles and promote more rapid turnover of skin cells. These medications are applied directly to your skin and can include tretinoin, tazarotene, or adapalene.\n\n</p><div>\n<p>Your doctor may also prescribe another type of topical medication that contains benzoyl peroxide and antibiotics. If you have pimples or\u00a0acne cysts\u00a0in addition to your blackheads, this type of medication may be particularly helpful.\n\n</p><div>\n<h3>Manual removal\n\n<div>\n<p>Dermatologists or specially trained skin care professionals use a special instrument called a round loop extractor to remove the plug causing the blackhead. After a small opening is made in the plug, the doctor applies pressure with the extractor to remove the clog.\n\n</p><div>\n<p>The\u00a0Healthline FindCare tool\u00a0can provide options in your area if you don\u2019t already have a dermatologist.\n\n</p><div>\n<h3>Microdermabrasion\n\n<div>\n<p>During\u00a0microdermabrasion, a doctor or skin care professional uses a special instrument that contains a rough surface to sand the top layers of your skin. Sanding the skin removes clogs that cause blackheads.\n\n</p><div>\n<h3>Chemical peels\n\n<div>\n<p>Chemical peels also remove clogs and get rid of the dead skins cells that contribute to blackheads. During a peel, a strong chemical solution is applied to the skin. Over time, the top layers of the skin peel off, revealing smoother skin underneath.\u00a0Mild peels\u00a0are available over the counter, while stronger peels are performed by dermatologists or other skincare professionals.\n\n</p><div>\n<h3>Laser and light therapy\n\n<div>\n<p>Laser and\u00a0light therapies use tiny beams of intense light to decrease oil production or kill bacteria. Both lasers and light beams reach below the surface of the skin to treat blackheads and acne without damaging the top layers of the skin.\n\n\n</p><div class='\"css-1avyp1d\"'>\n<div>\n<div><a class='\"chartbeat-section\"' name="%5C%22prevention%5C%22">How can blackheads be prevented?\n\n<div>\n<p>You can prevent blackheads without spending a lot of money by trying a few of the following ideas:\n\n</p><div>\n<h3>Wash regularly\n\n<div>\n<p>Wash your face when you wake up and before you go to bed to remove oil buildup. Washing more than twice each day can irritate your skin and make your acne worse. Use a gentle cleanser that doesn\u2019t make your skin\u00a0red\u00a0or irritated. Some acne cleansing products have antibacterial ingredients that kill\u00a0<em>P. acnes\u00a0bacteria.\n\n<div>\n<p>Consider\u00a0washing your hair\u00a0every day, too, particularly if it\u2019s oily. Hair oils can contribute to clogged pores. It\u2019s also important to wash your face after you eat oily foods such as pizza, because oil from these foods can clog pores.\n\n</p><div>\n<h3>Use oil-free products\n\n<div>\n<p>Any product that contains oil can contribute to new blackheads. Choose oil-free or\u00a0noncomedogenic makeup,\u00a0lotions, and\u00a0sunscreens\u00a0to avoid making your problem worse.\n\n</p><div>\n<h3>Try an exfoliating product\n\n<div>\n<p>Exfoliating scrubs\u00a0and\u00a0masks\u00a0remove dead skin cells from your face and can help reduce blackheads. Look for products that don\u2019t irritate your skin.\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"</p><p>Blackheads: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments Blackheads are small bumps that appear on your skin due to clogged hair follicles. These bumps are called blackheads because the surface looks dark or black. Blackheads can usually be treated with over-the-counter acne products. Blackheads: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments Blackheads are a mild type of\u00a0acne\u00a0that usually form on the […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7981,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7980"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7982,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7980\/revisions\/7982"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}</p></div></h3></div></div></h3></div></div></em></p></div></h3></div></div></a></div></div></div></div></h3></div></div></h3></div></div></h3></div></div></div></h3></div></div></div></h3></div></div></h3></div></a></div></div></div></div></a></div></div></div></div></li></em></li></ul></div></div></div></div></a></div></div></div></picture></span></span></figure></div></div></a></div></div></div></div></li></ul></div></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>