Blackheads vs. Sebaceous Filaments
To understand what causes blackheads, you must first learn about sebaceous filaments.
What are sebaceous filaments?
Most people think those little black dots you can see around your nose and T-zone area are blackheads or clogged pores, but many times they're actually sebaceous filaments.
Sebaceous filaments are tube-like structures that line the hair follicle and help guide the flow of oil along the skin to help moisturize the skin–so they're good! These are permanent, and look like beige or grey dots. Sebaceous filaments help keep the skin naturally moisturized, but too much oil in the pores can cause them to look more noticeable.
What are blackheads?
When excess oil in the pores gets mixed with dead skin skin cells, dirt and bacteria, blackheads form. The surface usually looks dark or black. Here's some examples:
Basically, sebaceous filaments plus oil, dirt and bacteria equals blackheads.
How do you treat blackheads?
Now that you know the difference, let's talk about how to treat them!
The good news is that the same treatment that helps to treat blackheads also helps to minimize the appearance of sebaceous filaments.
The best daily treatment for blackheads are Toning Pads II. The unique combination of acids exfoliate and cleanse the pores of impurities. Daily nighttime use of RetinAL Skin Therapy will increase cellular turnover, preventing build-up in the pores.
A few times a week, use Glow Peel Pads in place of Toning Pads II for added exfoliation to loosen dead skin cells and help remove debris from the pores.
