How to Get Rid of Blackheads in Oily Skin

One thing that can really plague those of us with oily skin is blackheads. Blackheads can have the appearance of enlarged pores (another thing oily skin types often notice) but they are actually pores that are filled with oil, also known as sebum, and other debris from our environment, such as dead skin cells. 

Blackheads are open comedones, unlike whiteheads which are closed comedones. This means that the oil in your pore is exposed (open) to the air. As the sebum in a blackhead is exposed to the air it oxidises and turns black. You may have noticed if you’ve ever squeezed a blackhead that the sebum that comes out is sometimes dark on the top and white/cream coloured below? This is because the sebum that’s deeper down in your pore has not been exposed to the air and therefore not oxidised. 

Before I go any further, I realise I’ve been talking a lot about pores, but you may be thinking ‘what are pores?’, so let me briefly explain. Pores are the tiny openings in your skin, that look like small holes, which release oil and sweat. Some may also have hair growing out of them. 

Although they may be small, pores have very important roles! The sweat pores assist us in regulating our body temperature. The pores that house your oil-producing glands allow oil to travel up to the surface of your skin and work to keep your skin moisturised and healthy. As you can imagine, oil is important for our skin but occasionally we produce too much of which can result in blackheads and spots. 

What can be done to get rid of blackheads? Rather than talk about ways of picking and squeezing blackheads out (which can cause skin damage and scarring), at our skin clinic we want to tackle the cause of your blackheads to help stop them forming altogether; in this case, your oil. 

There are a number of skin treatments and acne treatments (persistent blackheads are a form of acne) that help this skin concern greatly; you can read about some of our favourites here. However, when it comes to oily skin suffering from blackheads, there’s a chemical peel that is incredible for reducing oil production… 

*drum roll*

Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid is derived from willow bark. Fun fact- so is aspirin. Both came from the discovery of salicin found in willow bark, which is a wonderful anti-inflammatory. 

The anti-inflammatory properties of salicylic acid are superb at reducing angry, painful whiteheads. Salicylic acid is oil soluble which makes it a far more useful ingredient for very oily skins than glycolic acid, for example, although glycolic acid can be useful for treating blackheads in other skin types. This oil-soluble property means that salicylic acid can penetrate deep into your clogged pores to break down the debris and remove the excess oil that is clogging them. Good day to you, blackheads! 

A side bonus, if you will, of salicylic acid is that it exfoliates dead skin cells which not only helps to reduce whiteheads and blackheads, but it can also brighten skin and improve skin texture.

At our skin clinic, we use salicylic acid chemical peels to offer a powerful treatment that helps to combat blackheads, skin inflammation from acne, oiliness, and whiteheads.     

Most people notice improvements, sometimes significant ones, after one chemical peel; how many chemical peels you should have depends on your unique concerns and the severity of your blackheads and/or spots. This will be discussed in your skin consultation and a treatment plan will be made for your personal acne treatment. 

The takeaway: resist picking and squeezing those blackheads please, you can cause damage, and treat the causes of blackheads instead; if you have oily skin, salicylic acid chemical peels may be an ideal option to remove blackheads and whiteheads, control oil, and reduce acne-related inflammation. 

If you would like to learn more about acne treatments and chemical peel (Hertfordshire), our medical practitioners would love to tell you more during a skin consultation at our St. Alban’s skin clinic.  

Disclaimer: This blog is not to be used for diagnostic purposes. We are all unique which means that our results, recovery and suitability for any type of treatment will vary. Always seek the advice of a professional should you have any health or cosmetic concerns or to discuss treatments specifically for you.