Comedones

Blackheads or Comedones (the medical term),
appear mainly on facial skin, causing many of us to become frustrated mainly because of the unaesthetic appearance of the skin. They appear mainly during adolescence especially on oily skin.

Comedones (blackheads)

Blackheads or Comedones (the medical term), appear mainly on facial skin, causing many of us to become frustrated mainly because of the unaesthetic appearance of the skin. They appear mainly during adolescence especially on oily skin. They usually appear on the nose and cheeks and are difficult to remove even by “squeezing hard”. In fact, “squeezing hard” has exactly the opposite effect to what Alona Shechter recommends to keep your facial skin beautiful and aesthetic looking over time. Removing blackheads by “squeezing hard” may leave permanent scars on the skin.

So what can you do?

To answer this question and give you the tools to deal with this condition, you need to understand what happens to our skin when blackheads appear.

The Sebaceous glands in our skin regularly secrete oil onto the skin surface. Oil lubricates the skin and also contains substances that protect it from the invasion of bacteria and other harmful factors. Sebaceous glands are situated adjacent to the hair follicle.

During adolescence and influenced by sexual hormones, a greater amount of natural oil is secreted through the Sebaceous glands. Incidentally, this can happen at any age during stressful situations. Normally, the oil secretes without difficulty through the pores and spreads to the skin, but in adolescence, due to hormonal changes, normal secretion becomes more difficult.

Firstly, the accumulation of dead skin cells block the hair follicle making it narrower, often so narrow that it becomes totally blocked and prevents the natural drainage of the oil. In addition, for some unknown reason, the shape of the oil gland during puberty often becomes distorted which, in turn, makes effective drainage difficult.

All this causes a blockage and the accumulation of oil in the follicle canal. This causes the oil to oxidize (to turn black) which is commonly known as Blackheads (Comedo). When this oil is not exposed to air but covered in a thin layer of skin cells, is does not oxidize nor does it turns black but remains white. In certain cases white spots appear on the surface of the skin. The professional name for this is Milium (whiteheads).

Alona Shechter recommends the following to reduce the phenomenon of comedones:

A. Reduce the amount of oil in the skin by secretion. How?

There are some ingredients in cosmetics that can greatly help to reduce the amount of oil in the skin by secretion, for example, components such as: Sulfur and Retinoic Acid (Retin A).

Alona Shechter Company’s products can be found in a number of preparations containing retinol, which is actually vitamin A. The body then modifies the vitamin A into Retinoic Acid. This process also reduces the secretion of oil in the skin, and also has positive effects on the shape of the pore. This allows better drainage of oil.

In addition, wash your skin no more than twice a day with a mild cleanser suitable for your skin. Achilleas soapless soap by Alona Shechter Company will do an excellent job.

B. How to effectively drain oil through the follicle?

Firstly, it is important to stop using toner that contains alcohol. It is better to use an absorbent cleansing product that absorbs the oil through the pores while, at the same time, removes the blackheads.

We also recommend that you use a water based moisturizer.

Be careful not to over cleanse (not more than twice a day) as over cleansing tends to create too much natural oil in the skin which, when secreted, creates additional blackheads.

Do you use makeup? Use only makeup with ingredients that do not block the pores (we recommend you consult a professional beautician). It is better to use oil-absorbing powder products.

C. How do I exfoliate and remove dead skin cells that block the pore opening?

Use products that remove dead skin cells, from both external skin surface and inside the pore. The products should contain acid groups of alpha and beta hydroxy. These acids exfoliate the skin and remove dead skin cells effectively. In addition, they enable a more efficient drainage of the oil glands.

D. How do I remove the excess oil from the skin?

Absorb excess oil with suitable products without irritating the skin. If your skin is naturally dry, this treatment is not necessary, because there is no excess oil on the skin surface.

E. Which type of makeup should I use?

Do not use makeup with ingredients that may block the pores. It is recommended to consult a certified cosmetologist. Oily skin looks better than dry skin. Avoid using too much makeup.