The difference between blackheads and acne

Some people are prone to blackheads on their faces, while others are prone to acne. The difference between blackheads and acne seems to be very big. In fact, blackheads are also a type of acne, but the blackheads exposed outside are oxidized when in contact with the air and turn black. To solve the problem of blackheads, you should also base it on your actual situation. On the basis of cleansing your skin, using some targeted skin care products is also a good choice.

There is a difference between blackheads and blackhead acne. You will know how to deal with them after reading this.

Many people are troubled by blackheads, so blackhead-removing nose patches were once popular. However, many people found that after using them, they did not solve the fundamental problem, but instead made the tip of their nose redder and redder. If blackheads are simply oxidized oil and dust, they can be completely removed using this type of cleaning method. But that is not the case. Some people confuse blackheads and blackhead comedones, but in fact, the two are very different in structure and appearance.

Today I will talk about some practical methods for these situations.

1. Observation of the morphology of blackheads and blackhead comedones

1.1 Characteristics and morphology of blackheads

Blackheads are mainly distributed on the tip of the nose. They are small and soft, have a high oil content, and rarely develop into acne. The picture below is the most common type: the pores appear relatively large, and there is a small keratin plug in the middle of the pore (some people may call it a fat cyst).

The most common blackheads

But in fact, it is not black itself. This category actually accounts for a considerable proportion. Some have one hair inside, some have no hair, and occasionally there are two hairs.

Blackheads that are not black

The contents inside are not black, so why do we see blackheads? The blackness is caused by the optical properties of the enlarged pores. To illustrate this problem, let us ask a white steamed bun to sacrifice his ego. The white, plump and smooth steamed bun had a small hole poked in it with a toothpick. Now, there was nothing in the hole. The air was transparent, but it was black.

Optical effect of a small hole: a hole is made in a steamed bun, and the white part turns black

This type of blackhead is generally easier to treat because the pores do not form organic enlargement, atrophy or depression changes. If we can control oil secretion and pay attention to moderate cleansing, the situation can actually get better. The blackheads will decrease or even disappear. When the small "oil particles" inside are no longer produced, the pores will naturally shrink because they are originally expanded, not due to the shrinkage of the dermal matrix. Of course, there should also be microbial factors involved to avoid infection caused by excessive stimulation.

Another type of blackhead has been mentioned before. Its essence is spinulose hair disease. It is generally very small in size, with a slightly lower oil content. There are many vellus hairs inside, with as few as a dozen and as many as dozens. Pull it off and it looks like this:

If under the microscope it is a black head keratin plug containing multiple vellus hairs.

It is black, and black is actually the color of velvet hair. This type of blackhead can be converted into the "black" head without vellus hair. Some people may have both types of blackheads on their nose at the same time.

2.2 Blackheads

Blackheads are also known as open comedones. It is generally believed that closed comedones turn into open comedones after developing to a certain stage. In fact, I don't think it is very accurate, because if you use a dermatoscope or microscope to look at it, there is no absolute boundary between open comedones and closed comedones under the microscope. Maybe this description is only based on naked eye observation. From what we have observed, they are mostly distributed on the forehead and V-zone, but not very common on the nose and sides of the nose (there are some, but not many). Its appearance is shown in the picture:

Blackheads are not simply caused by the optical effect of a sunken pit, and there are not many vellus hairs inside. Instead, they are a huge keratin plug, which is composed of at least keratinocytes, microorganisms, and lipids. At its top, it's really black. I know you will ask: Is the black color caused by grease oxidation and dust? That is only one factor, and there are still many uncertainties.

2. Suggestions

Small blackheads without vellus hair: focus on cleaning while controlling sebum secretion, which generally achieves good results. In general, I don’t recommend using blackhead patches frequently for any type of blackheads, because while it removes blackheads, it also peels off the stratum corneum of normal skin through the sticker, and frequent use will cause damage to normal skin.

Exfoliate regularly, massage and cleanse your face every morning and evening. Pearl powder and nose stickers are also a good choice. I have written about these tips before, so you can contact me if you need them. Don't overuse them.

Treatment of blackheads with vellus hair

The easiest way to do this is to pull it out. You can use these precision tweezers and look in the mirror to solve it.

If you want to solve the problem once and for all, you can use laser hair removal. Yes, you read that right, laser hair removal.

2.3 Blackheads

Blackheads are huge (the small black dots seen on the surface are just the tip of the iceberg). If left unchecked, they may eventually cause larger areas of inflammatory papules or even pustules, which are painful, and may also cause scars due to tissue damage. Because it is related to excessive keratinization, "acid peeling" is often recommended. In terms of its structure and properties, I think salicylic acid should be better than fruit acid, because fruit acid is hydrophilic, while salicylic acid is lipophilic. The water content in blackheads is relatively low, which is not conducive to the penetration of fruit acid.

Since it is unlikely to be discharged automatically and there are a large number of microorganisms in it, it is recommended to clear it out if someone can help you. In fact, if you are skilled in the technique (as I am), removing blackheads is basically painless and causes almost no damage to the surrounding skin. The acne needle used is one with a circular ring, which is very easy to use. I sincerely hope you won't squeeze it cruelly with your fingernails.

Acne needle with ring and needle tip

As a senior and skilled tester, I hope you know the following:

1) Don’t just use two rings to squeeze the dough out, it will be very difficult to squeeze it out;

2) You deserve to have both. First, press the pimple with a circular ring to make it bulge slightly in the center;

2) At the same time, use the tip of another acne needle to gently separate the blackheads along the wall around the pores.

3) Use two rings to push against each other and the blackheads will come out;

4) Please apply some anti-inflammatory and disinfectant before and after squeezing, and disinfect the equipment as well;

5) Do not squeeze pustules like this, especially in the triangle area. This has resulted in deaths and is not an exaggeration.

~Detailed steps~Watch it!

1. Soak a cotton pad with makeup remover and apply it on your nose for about 1 minute.

2. After removing the cotton pad, use makeup remover to massage in circles, from inside to outside and from bottom to top, gently massage for 1-2 minutes. Be careful to use cleansing oil instead of water-oil mixture or cleansing water!

3. Use warm water to wet a cotton pad and wipe off the makeup remover oil. You can wash it directly with water at home. At this time, we can see some dirt coming out! These white particles are whiteheads, so we quickly clean them up.

4. Use facial cleanser to rub foam in the palm of your hand and then clean the tip of your nose.

5. Massage your face with a facial brush for 30 seconds and then wash it off with warm water.

6. After disinfecting the acne needle with alcohol, use the circular part to gently pick the tip of your nose.

Look! A lot of oil can be picked out from the circle. After wiping it clean with a cotton pad, we can continue to pick it out. Attention! Do not use the acne needle if it is rusted, and make sure to disinfect it. Once it gets infected, it’s over!

7. After picking your nose, wash it with water.

8. Soak a cotton pad with pore-tightening water and apply it on the nose for 2-3 minutes to tighten the pores and calm the skin.

9. Don’t forget to apply toner at the end, and then apply lotion to moisturize!

Then, how exactly does acne occur? There are many factors. We found that the microorganisms in acne are actually quite complex and diverse, including bacteria and fungi, and fungi account for a considerable proportion. We speculate that its production may be closely related to microorganisms. If it is a fungal infection, the inflammation will be obvious. So the advice is: check and then deal with it accordingly. Fungi are easier to deal with, but the types of bacteria are very complex. It is found that different microorganisms react very differently to different drugs. For serious cases, please consult a dermatologist directly.