Blackheads

Blackheads are one of the primary acne lesions.  Acne blackheads result when a pore or follicle is only partially blocked, allowing some of the trapped sebum (oil), bacteria, and dead skin cells (scale) to slowly move to the surface.

The dark color of the blackhead is not caused by dirt.  The color develops when the sebum oil reacts (oxidizes) with the oxygen in the air.  They tend to be stable structures, and often take a long time to clear, making blackhead removal problematic.  Blackheads usually occur on the face, where the greatest number of oil-producing "sebaceous" glands exist, but the back, chest and shoulders can also be affected.  Blackhead removal can be particularly difficult because of the hard oil plug that makes up a blackhead, but daily exfoliation with topical skin care products can help prevent occurrence of blackheads.

Acne Blackheads