Comedones: 4 Common Causes Of Blackheads And Whiteheads + Is An Acne Needle Effective?

Comedones are a major skincare concern for many women. Though small, they can easily develop into acne and cause long-term skin issues like acne scars, blemishes, and uneven skin texture. The most common type is the blackhead, which often appears prominently on the nose and can be quite unsightly. Closed comedones (whiteheads), another subtype, can make skin appear bumpy and uneven.

So how can you dissolve blackheads effectively? When pores become clogged with excessive sebum, bacteria, and impurities, it disrupts normal keratin turnover. This can make the debris in pores hard to expel and enlarge the pores over time, forming blackheads, whiteheads, and closed comedones. These blemishes affect facial appearance—especially blackheads, which can cluster around the nose and resemble a “strawberry nose.”

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What Causes Comedones?

Comedones form primarily due to an accumulation of dead skin cells and excess sebum, which clog the pores and prevent waste from being expelled. This stretches the pores and makes them appear larger.

Common causes of excessive dead skin buildup and sebum overproduction include:

Cause 1: Eating Spicy and Greasy Foods

Many women love spicy food, but such meals can stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more oil. This sebum can get trapped in the pores, stretching them and leading to the development of blackheads and whiteheads.

Cause 2: Incomplete Makeup Removal

For women who wear makeup daily, thorough cleansing is essential. If chemical residues from cosmetics are not removed properly, they can accumulate in the pores, leading to clogged pores and comedone formation over time.

Cause 3: Lack of Regular Exfoliation

Cleansing is a critical part of skincare. Without proper exfoliation, dead skin builds up, preventing the absorption of other skincare products and promoting comedones. Our skin renews itself roughly every month, but factors like stress and poor lifestyle can slow this process. Regular exfoliation helps remove dead skin and keeps pores clear.

Cause 4: Dehydrated Skin

Even dry skin types can develop comedones. Hydration is key to skin balance. When skin lacks moisture, sebaceous glands compensate by producing more oil. This excess oil can clog pores, even for women with dry skin who still experience oily shine during the day.

2

What Are Whiteheads?

All comedones are caused by clogged pores filled with oil and debris. Whiteheads form when oil becomes trapped inside a pore, causing it to enlarge. As the oil accumulates, some may rise to the surface, appearing yellowish or whitish.

Despite the name, whiteheads are not purely white—they’re often pale yellow or grayish. From the outside, the clogged oil is clearly visible. Whiteheads are a form of open comedones, meaning the pore remains open. However, if cleansing is not done properly, dead skin may seal the pore, transforming them into closed comedones.

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What Are Blackheads?

Blackheads are essentially oxidized whiteheads. Since the pore is open, the trapped oil is exposed to air and oxidizes over time, turning dark. This causes blackheads to appear as rough, dark spots on the skin surface.

Blackheads are also open comedones and can often be removed or prevented through consistent cleansing and exfoliation.

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What Does the Location of Comedones Reveal About Your Skin?

Comedones indicate clogged pores due to poor cleansing, but their location can also reveal specific skincare habits or problems. If you're dealing with blackheads or whiteheads, check where they form—you might discover what habits are damaging your skin.

Forehead

The forehead has more active sebaceous glands, making it a common area for all kinds of comedones, particularly closed comedones. Having bangs or using hair products with silicone can transfer oils to the forehead, worsening the issue.

Nose

“Strawberry nose” refers to a nose covered in blackheads and whiteheads. This often results from excessive sebum production and a lack of regular exfoliation.

Chin

Chin comedones are often linked to long-term mask-wearing. The high-heat, humid environment under a mask stimulates sebum production. Combined with unremoved sweat, this fosters bacterial growth and comedone formation.

Cheeks

Though pores on the cheeks are generally smaller, they can still develop closed comedones. Incomplete makeup removal or over-cleansing that damages the skin barrier can trigger breakouts in this area.

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Natural Ways to Remove Blackheads and Whiteheads

Since comedones can lead to more severe acne, it’s important to deal with them early. While many products are available, more women are opting for gentler, natural solutions to avoid irritating their skin. Here are a few natural methods to try:

Natural Method 1: Reduce Dairy and Eggs

Dairy and eggs can act as low-level allergens that trigger chronic inflammation—acne and comedones included. These foods also contain hormones that may stimulate sebum production. Cutting back may reduce blackhead and whitehead formation.

Natural Method 2: Cut Down on Sugar

Sugary foods spike your blood sugar, prompting more sebum production. Sweets like cakes, candies, chocolate, and bubble tea can all increase the risk of comedones. Reducing intake can help improve skin.

Natural Method 3: Improve Your Lifestyle

Staying up late doesn’t just cause dark circles—it can also lead to breakouts. Poor habits like lack of sleep, frequent takeout, or erratic schedules disrupt skin metabolism and hormone balance, increasing oil production. Healthy eating, good sleep, and regular exercise can all help detoxify the skin and prevent comedones.

Natural Method 4: Exfoliate Regularly

Exfoliation is key to preventing clogged pores. If you prefer natural alternatives to chemical exfoliants, try mixing honey, sugar, and olive oil, and gently massage it on comedone-prone areas. Regular exfoliation removes dead skin and prevents buildup that leads to blackheads and whiteheads.

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What to Watch Out for When Removing Comedones

To prevent and eliminate comedones, your skincare routine needs extra attention. Follow these tips:

Tip 1: Remove Makeup Thoroughly

Makeup is full of synthetic ingredients that can clog pores and accelerate skin aging if not properly removed. Choose a suitable cleanser—micellar water for oily skin, cleansing oils for dry skin—and ensure it’s effective enough to fully dissolve makeup and impurities.

Tip 2: Deep Clean Regularly

Exfoliation alone isn’t enough. If you don’t clear out debris within the pores, they’ll continue to stretch and increase your risk of acne. After exfoliating, always follow up with a deep-cleansing step to keep pores clean.

Tip 3: Don’t Squeeze Comedones

It’s tempting to extract blackheads or whiteheads by hand, but this can damage the skin and enlarge pores over time. Larger pores trap more debris and become even harder to clean, leading to a vicious cycle.

Tip 4: Hydrate the Skin to Remove Comedones

While removing excess facial oil is important, focusing only on oil control can deprive the skin of moisture and ironically trigger even more oil production. To reduce and balance oil-water secretion on your face, hydration is key. Providing your skin with adequate moisture is one of the essential steps in effectively clearing comedones. Don’t just aim to de-oil—nourishing the skin properly is crucial.

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Can Acne Needles and Blackhead Masks Help Reduce Comedones?

Many women immediately reach for an acne needle the moment a comedone appears. Needle extraction is a common procedure in professional beauty salons. However, acne needles have become easily accessible in recent years, making DIY extractions at home increasingly popular.

The method seems straightforward: use the sharp end to puncture a small hole in the pore, then apply pressure around the pore using the looped end to push out sebum and achieve blackhead and comedone removal. However, this technique can easily damage your skin if done incorrectly!

If your technique is off or the acne needle hasn’t been properly sterilized, you risk bacterial infections or inflammation in the sebaceous glands, leading to acne. Excessive force can even injure deeper skin layers, resulting in scars after healing. Therefore, needle extraction carries inherent risks. It’s best to seek help from a professional beautician for safe and hygienic treatment.

There are also blackhead-removal masks on the market that claim to deeply cleanse and exfoliate the skin, helping to clear out sebum from the pores. These masks often include ingredients such as activated charcoal, volcanic clay, and propolis for deep cleansing.

Most of these masks only need to be left on the skin for 5 to 10 minutes before rinsing off, during which sebum and dirt are removed. While convenient, the inclusion of various chemical ingredients can be too harsh for sensitive skin and may cause irritation. It’s recommended to do a patch test on a small area before applying these masks to the whole face.

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Must-Have for Comedone Removal: Perfect Medical Acne Treatment!

Although there are many DIY solutions circulating online—like acne needles, comedone lotions, and acne creams—their effectiveness varies from person to person. In some cases, these methods can injure the skin, introducing bacteria and resulting in acne scars, marks, or even pitted acne.

For a safe, painless, and effective way to remove comedones, try the Perfect Medical Acne Treatment.

This treatment uses dual-directional spiral suction drainage technology. On one hand, vacuum dermabrasion gently and painlessly exfoliates dead skin cells and impurities from deep within the skin. On the other hand, a medical-grade purifying essence is infused into the skin to promote collagen regeneration and accelerate repair, achieving deep anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects. It helps dissolve blackheads and comedones, balance sebum production, and improve oily skin.

The Perfect Medical Acne Treatment is a safe and painless method for comedone removal. The process leaves no wounds, causes no pain, and gently unclogs pores, removes comedones, and prevents acne formation. It’s truly a must-have remedy for clear skin.