The are plenty of articles online telling us how to get rid of acne and spots, but not so many telling us how to get rid of blackheads. Although not as apparent as acne, sufferers can feel very self conscious about blackheads and find them distressing. Hopefully you will find this guide comprehensive enough to answer any possible questions you may have on how to get rid of blackheads. So read on.

Knowing how to get rid of blackheads in a non-abrasive and gentle manner is a key-factor to consider when it comes to maintaining healthy glowing skin. If you are too harsh or aggressive when trying to get rid of blackheads then you could end up leaving your fragile skin damaged, sore, and looking worse than it did before.

It's important to understand the causes of blackheads if we want to combat them effectively. Blackheads can develop at any stage of a persons life, but generally start from the teenage years onwards. This is because our hormones are going crazy during our teens. We start producing high levels of androgen and other oil producing hormones. These oils (known as Sebum), along with a few dead skin cells collect in our skins pores where they become exposed to oxygen which turns them black and solid. Particularly oily areas of the skin such as the nose, chin and cheeks are usually affected by blackheads the most. Sometime they can appear in clusters across an area of the skin (this is often the case on the nose) and sometimes as large individual blackheads.

So that's what blackheads are, but what can we do about them?

Preventing Blackheads

Well first off, prevention is better than cure. Keeping on top of your skincare regime will help stop blackheads from forming before they even develop. It doesn't have to be an extensive and time consuming regime, it just has to be regular. At least twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening, use a warm damp flannel to open up your pores before washing your face with a little mild anti-bacterial soap. Soap infused with tea tree oil has became a popular choice for people looking for a natural anti-bacterial option.

If you wear make-up make sure you remove it all completely before you go to bed at night. Make-up is a big cause of blackheads because it blocks up the pores in your skin and is often greasy. Greasy and clogged up pores are a recipe for disaster as far as blackheads are concerned so get yourself into the habit of thoroughly removing your make-up.

If you don't do it already, you may want to consider using an exfoliate or face scrub about once a week. This will help remove dead skin cells from your pores and prevent them getting blocked. Anyone who already suffers with acne should probably give exfoliates and face scrubs a miss, as they will only further agitate and damage inflamed skin.

Diet is an important part of preventing the formation of blackheads, and of maintaining healthy glowing skin in general. Drinking plenty of water daily will hydrate the skin and allow it to naturally exfoliate clogged up pores of oil and dead cell debris. Eating a well balanced and healthy diet will really improve your skins overall appearance, giving it a real natural glow. Avoid greasy foods such as burgers and pizza's etc if possible, as they will just make matters worse.

So that's the prevention out of the way, but what can you do right now to get rid of any blackheads that have already developed?

How to get rid of Blackheads

There are a few approaches we can take when trying to get rid of blackheads. Some more effective than others. The most obvious one is to squeeze them out, but you've got to make sure you do it right, and, as we mentioned earlier, not damage your skin in the process. So start off with the more gentle methods first.

The Steaming Method

Firstly, we need to encourage those clogged pores to open up a bit and make it easier to remove the blackhead. You should do the following process first before embarking on any sort of blackhead removal attempt.

Fill a bowl up with hot water (hot but not boiling), place you head above the water so that your face can take advantage of the steam. You may want to drape a towel over the back of you head so that it traps the steam in, giving you the full benefit. Stay like this for about 5 minutes until you face is wet with perspiration and condensation. Your pores should be opened up now, ready to safely get rid of those pesky blackheads.

There is a wide selection of products available online or from your local pharmacy which are especially made for easier, more effective face steaming, it might be worth checking them out too.

Have a cotton ball or cotton make-up pad handy and dip it into the hot water, squeeze off any excess water then run it over the affected areas of your skin. Rinse the pad off in the water and repeat the process two or three times, ensure the pad remains hot. This should remove any dislodged blackheads that had became loose during the facial steaming. You may want to cleanse after using this steaming method.

Exfoliates and Face Scrubs

As we mentioned earlier on in this article, using a good quality face scrub or exfoliate will not only help prevent blackheads by removing dead skin cells, but it will also help remove any blackheads which have all ready formed. It's important not to overdo it when it comes to scrubs. Once a week will be plenty.

Blackhead Removal Tools

There's a wide range of blackhead remover tools available on the market. If you are going to use a removal tool, then it's best to reserve it for the more stubborn and larger blackheads that the steaming process may have failed to get rid of. The standard blackhead remover tool basically works by applying pressure the skin around a blackhead, forcing it to pop out. As with the other techniques described, make sure you use the steaming method beforehand.

Another tool similar to the Blackhead Remover is the Blackhead Vacuum/Extractor which basically sucks the little fellas straight out of the pores.

Pore Strips

With Pore Strips you simply apply the strip to the affected area, leave it for 10-15 minutes, then remove. The strip should take with it the top of the blackhead, reducing their appearance. The effectiveness of pore strips will vary from person to person and some people find them a little too abrasive. They won't prevent blackheads or acne, but they can help you reduce their appearance. Again, this process will be made a lot easier and gentler if you steam you face first.

Another product which works on a similar basis to the Pore Strip is the Salicylic Acid Gel Peel. Although Salicylic Acid Peels are primarily for acne treatment, many people have had great results using it for blackheads too.

Waxing

Next time you're at the beauticians, ask her to wax your nose. It may sound funny but beauticians are used to doing this sort of thing. It works in a similar way to the Pore Strips.

Fingers

It's not really recommended you do this, but if you have to go down the route of squeezing blackheads out with your fingers, make sure you have opened your pores first by steaming your face. Wrap you fingers with soft tissue paper as this will protect you skin from being damaged by your fingernails. Slowly squeeze and manipulate the skin around the blackhead until in works itself out. Make sure you wash you face afterwards with a mild anti-bacterial soap.