Your Blackheads May Not Be Blackheads (and Other Skin Conditions)
Most of us deal with acne in one form or another, and blackheads can be especially annoying because they are so visible. However SciShow explains that sometimes these blackheads are not actually blackheads and you probably shouldn’t mess with them.
Blackheads are clogged pores that are clogged with oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. They take on a dark color because, unlike other pimples, they are exposed to air – there is no layer of skin on them, so they oxidize.
However, the tiny spots on the nose that you think are blackheads are probably just tiny hair follicles doing what they are supposed to do, as SciShow’s Hank Green points out. He says:
… if blackheads are caused by a build-up of oily debris, what happens to those tiny spots on your nose that you shouldn’t worry about? These spots are completely normal features of your skin called sebaceous fibers. And these filaments are simply clumps of oil and dead skin that accumulate around tiny hair follicles … unlike blackheads, which represent clogged pores, these filaments are natural products of sebum production, not an infection.
This is why, if you try to squeeze them out, these black dots will come back. In general, it’s best to just let your skin do its thing and resist the urge to squeeze so you don’t experience inflammation and scarring. Watch the full video for more details.
Are these really blackheads? | SciShow (YouTube)