Blackheads and whiteheads are both forms of acne that occur when pores become clogged. The clogged pore can be open to the air, leading to chemical reactions of the blockage with the oxygen in the air to turn black, causing a blackhead. The blocked pore can also become closed off to the air, forming a whitehead. Understanding the causes of blackheads and whiteheads will help you learn how to prevent the formation of future lesions, as well as help you treat existing blackheads and whiteheads.
Build-Up of Oil
Your skin produces natural oil, called sebum, which is secreted by the sebaceous glands and lubricates and moisturizes your skin. If your skin is oily, you may be producing too much sebum, which leads to clogs of oil within your pores that can lead to blackheads. Preventing this build-up will prevent the formation of new blackheads and whiteheads. If you have naturally oily skin, ensure you are following a consistent cleansing routine, using products formulated for your skin type to remove oil efficiently. If you are prone to blackheads and whiteheads, ensure that you are not using any oil-containing products, as these can contribute to blocking your pores.
Build-Up of Skin Cells
Your skin cells are generated deep within your skin and migrate upward over the course of their lifespan, until they die and eventually get sloughed off at the surface of the skin. A 2006 report published by The University of Chicago on managing acne explains that pores become clogged when skin cells are not properly shed and collect within the pore, forming a blockage. If you do not follow a consistent routine of exfoliating your skin, you are likely not sloughing off the dead skin cells, and the cells build up on the surface of your skin, where they can clog pores. The dead skin cells mix with sebum within the pore to form a blockage, which develops into a blackhead or whitehead. If you suffer from multiple blackheads and whiteheads, try exfoliating your skin with a scrub at least four times a week to clean away dead skin cells to prevent pore blockages.
Hormones
Your hormones can play a role in the development of blackheads and whiteheads. Androgenic steroid hormones within your body contribute to the development of blackheads and whiteheads by stimulating sebum production within the pore. In a 2006 report published in "Clinics in Dermatology," P.A. Essah, M.D., discussed the role of testosterone in oil production. Essah reported that testosterone within the body signals to the sebaceous glands to expand and to produce more sebum. Those with very acne-prone skin may have follicles that are hyper-sensitive to testosterone, leading to overproduction of oil, or they may have higher levels of testosterone in the body, which signals to create more oil.
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