Blackheads are those tiny black bumps that you usually see on your chin, nose and forehead. They are annoying, stubborn, and you just can’t get rid of them easily. There are many solutions that you can do to make them disappear. Picking blackheads, however, is not one of them.

I know you can’t help but touch your face and pinch those pesky black bumps. I know how that feels like to be obsessed about removing those awful little stressors. Take it from me. Doing this is extremely bad for your skin. Why? Reason number one is that touching your face alone spreads bacteria. Bacteria, when combined with oil and dirt, instantly cause acne and other skin problems.

Reason number two is that erroneous squeezing of blackheads causes scar. Sure, the scars are easy to conceal but pinching affects the pores surrounding the area you squeezed. This makes more blackheads appear on the other areas. Wait! There are more reasons to scrap the picking idea.

Reason number three is that your blood vessels might be damaged if you squeeze or pinch your blackheads. Unfortunately, only a pricey laser treatment can remove or restore the damages made in your skin. Still not convinced why you should not pick your blackheads?

Reason number four is that picking blackheads creates more problems than when you started. If you happen to pick them incorrectly, the clog in your pores may be pushed further away from the top layer of the skin. This causes a lump and can only be removed by your dermatologist. However, it will create a large hole in your face once removed. To top that, it is very difficult to cover up a big and deep hole on your face. So do you still want to pick your blackheads?

Instead of picking your blackheads, why not start clean? You can cleanse your face every day to avoid the formation of the black bumps. The daily cleansing unclogs your pores and removes the oil and dirt accumulated all throughout the day. If the blackheads are already in your face, you can remove them by using pore strips. In addition, stay away from smoking, alcohol, spicy, fried and unhealthy food.

Drink about eight glasses of water daily to hydrate your skin. If you want, you can look for natural homemade remedies to use on your face. One sample remedy you can use is tomato. Slice your tomatoes and then put them inside a container (or preferably a zip lock bag). Place this container inside the freezer and let the tomatoes freeze. Gently massage them to your face once they are frozen. You may find it uncomfortable but tomatoes are really good in exfoliating your skin and removing the blemishes. If you are not too comfortable with this remedy, there are more recipes online that you can do at home without the hefty price tag.

Picking blackheads is not safe. Even the lightest or the friendliest pinch will still cause more trouble than you had before. Instead of picking, why not cleanse your face daily or do homemade remedies for them? I bet they are more effective.

Mick J Jones is a health and beauty enthusiast who wishes to help those who have skin problems. You can read more about it when you go to Picking Blackheads

In 1st trimester, and I have it worst on my chest and back. Does anyone have experience dealing with acne during pregnancy? What did your dermatologist recommend?

As teenagers, pimples and acne are high up on the list of things that cause great distress to them. Unfortunately, acne during puberty is something that some have to face – no thanks to the changing hormones in their developing body. Though there are others that are spared the headache of getting acne during puberty, the majority must go through this ordeal. Many teenagers try to deal with their acne problems by applying acne creams, while some go to the extreme by using tanning booths as a method of acne alternative treatment. The latter, however, is absolutely not recommended.

Trends come and go. While it was fashionable years ago to look pale, nowadays having a tan is the way to go for women. Tans have become increasingly popular in the last few decades and it helped trigger the mushrooming of tanning booths in the country. Some teenagers feel that they could hide their acne by getting a tan.

While this sounds silly, it does have some science backing. When the skin is exposed to sunlight, the melanin in the skin will trigger the color that resembles a tan. The production of melanin will temporary cancel out oil glands, which have been known to be the culprit behind acne. Also, blemishes and scars caused by acne would seem to disappear under a dark tan.

However, be warned that this treatment is not at all safe. Though having a tan might look fashionable, repeated usage of tanning booths and exposure to UV rays can result in greater problems than acne. Teenagers who are overexposed to tanning booths and UV rays will get more than just a tan – they could end up having orange complexion. This is a sign of damage to the epidermal layers of the skin. When you decide to have a tan to hide your acne, understand that you are not dealing with the core problem. The acne will still be there once the effect of the tan disappears.

Sometimes the acne problem would be so severe that no amount of tanning can hide it. Teenagers that are faced with this problem would usually end up with a lot of freckles and puffiness in the eye area. The multiple visits to the tanning booths could also increase the chance of getting skin cancer.

To conclude, understand that going to the tanning booths will not solve your acne problem — as it may even cause far greater problems. Instead, consult with your dermatologist to get the best available treatment that is safe.

Helen Tanady has been writing articles, online and offline, for more than 4 years. This author often writes on health and fitness, dating, weight loss and fat loss related. Read her latest articles at hunter hepatech which explain and review about filtrete air filters.