Blackheads form when your hair follicles become partially clogged by excess sebum, an oil produced by your sebaceous glands
While there are plenty of pharmaceutical products sold today that may help remove blackheads, they may contain substances that may harm your health
You may have experienced having blackheads during your teenage years, and some people continue to get them into adulthood. These dark-colored dots are typically found on the nasal and forehead area, though they may appear in other areas of your skin as well. But what exactly causes blackheads to appear?

Blackheads are comedones, the clinical term for skin-colored small bumps.1 They form when your hair follicles become partially clogged by excess sebum, an oil produced by your sebaceous glands.to read more visit www.silvialozie.com

Your sebaceous glands help keep your skin lubricated and reduce its susceptibility of getting cuts, but if they produce excess sebum, blackheads may most likely appear. The three-step process below describes how blackheads form:2

The sebaceous glands produce excess sebum.
The excess sebum combines with dead skin cells, blocking the hair follicle.
The opening exposes the sebum to air, causing it to oxidize and change color.
Contrary to popular belief, the dark color of blackheads is not created by dirt latching on to the sebum. Rather, it is the oxidation of melanin, a pigment found in sebum, that creates the distinctive appearance of blackheads. In contrast, whiteheads are completely clogged, allowing the sebum to retain its color.3

If left untreated, both blackheads and whiteheads may become inflamed due to the influx of skin bacteria to the clogged hair follicles. As a result, they turn into pimples.4

These Factors Can Predispose You to Blackheads

The causes of blackheads vary depending on the person, but it is mostly a combination of hormone production, heredity and the growth of skin bacteria:5

• Hormones

Puberty causes your body to produce more androgen-type hormones. In turn, this causes your sebaceous glands to enlarge and produce more sebum. This condition tends to happen more commonly in men than in women.

• Heredity

Your genes may play a role in the size and oil production of your sebaceous glands. If you inherit large sebaceous glands, you may have a higher risk of developing blackheads.

• Bacteria

Skin bacteria may act on sebum, which causes a blockage. In time, it may form into a pimple, resulting in a pus-filled inflammation that is painful to the touch.

Factors That May Increase Your Risk of Blackheads

Several factors have been linked to the increase of blackheads and acne problems in general. One of them is cigarette smoking, especially among women.

In a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology, researchers interviewed 1,000 women between the ages 25 to 50 years old. They discovered that 42 percent of those who smoked had acne, but among non-smokers, only 10 percent experienced this skin condition.6

The researchers went on to conclude that smokers who developed acne problems during their youth were four times more likely to develop acne as they get older, compared to non-smokers in their teenage years.7

In addition, smoking causes your skin to age faster, becoming dry and coarse.8 Other factors that may increase your risk for blackheads include:9

Wearing tight-fitting clothes, such as sweat headbands and turtlenecks.
Using a cosmetic product that may clog your hair follicles (commonly known as comedogenic makeup).
Going to areas with excess humidity.
The onset of stress may cause an outbreak of acne