blackheads

Probably one of the most misunderstood forms of acne, blackheads are not a result of dirt clogging up your pores.  You can see them in the mirror, they’re as black as night, and they’re pretty obvious to people who see you up closely.  They seem so impossible to get rid of too.

As long as I’ve gotten abscesses and whiteheads, I’ve had a blackhead problem.  Mostly, this form of acne resides on my nose and is often a very visible, deep pore full of black gunk.

The formal definition of a blackhead is the incomplete blockage of the hair follicle that results in a semisolid, black plug in a pore.  Our noses usually are full of these pores and this area seems to be the worst problem for mostly guys but some girls as well.  Blackheads also can form around the mouth and cheek areas as well.

Having become a new semi-regular reader of the forums at acne.org, I found a really interesting method that I am going to try for the next few days.  A girl named Jessica Stuart found an interesting technique of using exfoliation on the face using a synthetic, soft bristled brush.  This even includes the Oral B electric toothbrush that can be found at your local drugstore.

Basically, you take a couple of minutes with this brush and go around your face to get rid of dead skin, oil and other bacteria that lives around your face.  This technique, nicknamed Jessfoliation in honor of Jessica, should be performed gently across your nose and other problem areas.  In just a few days you should begin to see immediate results as your skin produces less oil and the bacterial areas don’t have the resource to cause any other problems.

I started this morning and hope this technique produces awesome results because blackheads, although a minor problem, are still pretty annoying to know they exist!  Already, after having taken a shower not too long ago, I can see less blackheads on my nose and my skin is already a little smoother!