First, wash your face, not vigorously but gently.  You can if you wish use a soap but its not necessary.

Then soak a cloth in water as hot as you can bear.  Wring the cloth so that it is still pretty wet but not dripping.  Place it on your face (or wherever you have the blackheads) and leave it there for at least five minutes, ten is better.  The heat in the cloth allows your pores to open and prepares the blackheads for their eviction.

Remove the cloth and place a clean dry tissue on your face (to catch the blackheads) Using both hands, put your fingers, not your nails,  on each side of the affected area, and SQUEEZE.  If you inspect the tissue you will find the now homeless blackheads.  Repeat the process in the other affected areas.  If the blackheads do not pop out, don’t force too much.  Accept they are not ready and leave, but repeat the process the following day.

Don’t forget to dispose of the tissue

Blackheads are those pesky black spots on your nose, ears, chin or back. They occur in clusters and are unsightly, and unfortunately like to re-occur .

Do Blackheads cause acne? Well, blackheads are a form of acne. However, they are non inflammatory acne and may be a cause to other severe form of acne which are inflammatory in nature.

So how do you get Blackheads? Our skin contains hundreds of tiny pores. Blackheads occur in partially blocked pores. When dead cells in the bod drain slowly to the surface of the skin, the colour in the skin turn black when it meets the air outside.

Inside a blackhead consists of keratin and sebum- which is the oily substance that comes out from sebaceous glands.

To get rid of blackheads it is important that you realize what is causing blackheads to you. Getting new blackheads frequently indicates a greater problem inside you. The possible factors that cause blackheads are:

Lack of water in the body.

Excess dead cells blocking the opening to the pore.

Excess facial oil.

Poor cleansing routine wherein the facial oil may not be getting removed.

Excessive scrubbing of the skin.

Use of products/makeup that may contain too much of oil.

 For very mild scarring you can try a few at home procedures to help reduce the appearance of the scars. At home dermabrasion and chemical peels can help reduce some scarring especially if you also use retinol or alpha hydroxyl acid lotions or creams. For sensitive skin you may not want to use these products right after dermabrasion or peels because it can cause irritation and/or redness. Other products you can try are scar reducing creams like Mederma or Rosehip seed oil which is said to be great at reducing scar tissue. Aloe Vera juice and gels and lavender oils are also said to work well on reducing scars.

 Professional treatments for scarring include Laser Resurfacing which involves the use of a laser to remove skin so new skin can form in its place. Laser resurfacing can cause uneven skin tones in people with darker skin. It is a relatively new treatment, and is still being studied but shows a lot of promise. After treatment you may experience redness and swelling which may last for several weeks.

 Dermabrasion has been around for decades. Can you belive sandpaper was used to remove damaged skin. Now a machine rotates to remove the damaged skin, the skin is numbed or frozen first. After the procedure your skin is raw and scabs will form. After the scabs heal your skin will be reddish for several weeks.

 Augmentation is a procedure where material like collagen or your own fat will be injected under the scar to bring it to the surface. The treatments last for about six months but they are working on more permanent solutions.

 Subcision is a technique that detaches the scar from deeper tissue and allows a pool of blood to form under the scar. The blood clots and helps form connective tissue under the scar to level it with the rest of the skin surface. Subcision is usually combined with either dermabrasion or laser resurfacing.

There was such a sense of satisfaction when you popped that tiny pimple in the most awkward of places.  You know like that little crevice between your nose and your upper lip.  The tiniest little pimple head would appear, and there lay the challenge. 

How many of you have been there, in front of the mirror, trying to pull your face into all sorts of funny expressions, and tilting your head one way or the other, as if that was going to make a difference.  the easy way was to let this thing grow, let it mature into a large pimple, and hey, popping that baby would be simple.  But you prefer the challenge, and like me, didn’t stop til the job was done.

It’s odd the things that make you feel young.  Zit popping did it for me.

If you are attending a dermatologist, you will find that he or she will have a cupboard full of free samples and depending on how broadly you smile or how cheeky you are you could even up with enough sampples to cover you for a couple of weeks.

And then there is the Internet.  you just have to look around you and offfers will literally jump off the page.  Bear in mind some wil want for you to pay for the postage, but if it is a brand that has beeen recommended or one you simply must try, it is much better than shelling out on a whole bottle, only to find it doesn’t suit you.

And then the best of the free cures – Mother Nature.  Oh yes, long before we had pharmaceuticals, we had acne, and there are lots of home made remedies to try.  Such as orange peel or lemon juice, garlic, an egg white mask, coconut water or green tea all of which have their claims.  And I know some who have experimented by spreading yogurt or olive oil over the affected areas with alleged positive results.

What I do know for sure is that the best treatment is preventitive, and by keeping a healthy diet and drinking plently of spring water, you skkin will look revitalised and refreshed.  It may be hard work, but it’s more pleasant than zit popping.

Of course, it is puberty that has all your hormones in overdrive, and your body is taking many changes, one of which is hair growth.  It is hair follicles which are the root of acne problems, which become blocked, and result in spots and pimples, normally on the face, neck and back, although pimples can be anywhere over the body.  If they remain under the skin, these whiteheads can hardly be seen, but if they appear above the skin, can look black, hence the term blackheads.  If the spots become inflamed, the can look yellow and we know these as a pimple or zit.

So how do you get rid of blackheads and zits?  My best advice is to use an over the counter cleanser twice a day.  Washing more often than this can irritate pores and actually aggravate the problem, so best to wash gently with your bare hands, every more and at night.  There are no overnight treatments for acne, and it will take a couple of weeks to see results, but persist.

If you do need to get rid of a large pimple in a hurry, you can resort to zit popping.  Gently place you fingers either side of the pimple and then move them closer together, squeezing the zit til it pops.  So,what comes out of pimples when you pop them?  Well it’s not an aphrodisiac and should be disposed of carefully.  It’s simply old blood cells which have accumulated in the area infected.  Popping your pimples will reduce the appearance of them but will not make them totally disappear, so you may want to consider a cosmetic solution.

Many of you have asked what home remedies are out there to cure acne and to be honest I can’t recommend these, as they would have to be strenuously tested.  Some ideas of acne treatment that have been put to me include using toothpaste to get rid of pimples, or spreading yogurt or olive oil on the affected area.  I feel these are effective as the other myth of eating nothing but apples for three days to clear acne.

Dirty skin is not the cause of acne.  Nor for that matter is it chocolate, greasy foods, stress, sex, and a litany of other fables and myths.  Bacteria is responsible for acne.  By cleaning your skin and opening your pores once or twice a day you can help keep a healthy and clear skin.

But first it is important to understand which type of skin you have – there is no point in using a skin cream or moisturizer for oily skin if you have the opposite.  There are 5 basic face skin skin types, Dry Skin, Oily Skin, Sensitive Skin, Normal Skin, and most complicated of all, Combination Skin. The last can be tricky and will mean using different facial products on different areas of the face.

A good skin care routine should fall into your daily habits just like brushing your teeth. Taking a few moments each day to look after yourself will help maintain a healthy glowing skin.  After cleansing, use a toner which prepares the skin for moisturizer. A daytime moisturizer may contain a sunscreen but all your products should contain as many natural ingredients as possible

Every week or so, try to exfoliate with a facial scrub or cream. this removes dead skin and unclogs your pores and reveals new shiny skin beneath. For those who suffer with acne, pimples, or just oily skin, exfoliating on a more regular basis will reduce and help eliminate these problems.

Sensitive skin is one that is easily irritated by the product ingredients, such as perfumes and dyes, so again look for product with as many natural ingredients as possible.

If you suspect you have ezcema, please consult with your doctor or dermatologist. Recurring dryness or rashes will need to be checked.

Or course its not just what you put on your skin that counts. You are what you eat, and a healthy diet will improve skin tone. Drinking plenty of water, eating fresh fruit and vegetables, and more fish and less red meat, will not only have you feeling better, but looking younger.

And finally, for the gentlemen. More and more men are now taking care of their looks and often have just as much product in the bathroom as their girlfriend or wife. These poor men have the discomfort of having to shave their face every day, but the best advice is if you can go every other day betweem shaves, do, as this will allow your face some time to recover. Daily cleansing and toning instead of shaving will further help reduce irritation, give an easier shave, and keep you looking good.

There are dozens upon dozens of anti-aging skin creams available, but rememeber also the practable advice. Avoid the sun, wear sunscreen and sunglasses. Stop smoking, reduce your alcohol intake and keep a healthy diet. There is much more to looking younger than applying some cream.