Factors Affecting Blackhead Formation (Helping You Control Blackheads)​

Blackheads are related to facial sebum secretion, which means that as long as a person is alive, the face will produce oil, and blackheads will keep recurring. Therefore, blackheads cannot be completely eradicated.

Factors affecting sebaceous gland secretion = Factors influencing the speed of blackhead formation

1. Excessive Sun Exposure: Prolonged exposure to the sun can disrupt the metabolism of skin epidermal cells, causing significant moisture loss and leading to cell death. The remnants are then engulfed, forming blackheads. So, the first step to controlling blackhead recurrence is sun protection! Sunscreen!! Sun protection!!!
2. Over-Cleansing or Under-Cleansing: In hot summers, some people wash their face with cleanser or soap every hour or two. Over-cleansing can make the skin tight, dry, and flaky, severely damaging the skin barrier. You might think your face is squeaky clean, but over-cleansing actually promotes blackhead formation. On the other hand, under-cleansing—like some guys who can’t even be bothered to use soap—leads to dirt buildup, which is just… wow.
3. High-Temperature Environments: When the ambient temperature rises, sebaceous gland secretion increases, producing more oil and making blackheads more likely. So, it’s important to cleanse and control oil—but not over-cleanse, or blackheads will still appear! Ugh, life is hard…
4. Hormonal Imbalance: Staying up late, stress, emotional ups and downs… these behaviors can cause hormonal imbalances. When hormones are out of whack, sebaceous gland secretion is affected, leading to increased oil production and, consequently, blackhead formation.
5. Poor Diet: People who eat too much greasy food are prone to acne because excessive oil intake boosts sebaceous gland activity, increasing facial oiliness and promoting blackheads.
6. Medications: Taking hormonal drugs can disrupt endocrine function, affecting sebaceous gland secretion and contributing to blackheads.
7. Improper Cosmetic Use: (Pay attention!) Primarily foundation and cleansing oils—these can increase sebaceous gland secretion and clog pores. If makeup isn’t removed properly, residue can block pores, leading to blackheads, closed comedones, and other skin issues! So, always remove makeup thoroughly!!
8. Genetics: Everyone’s pore size is different, and the extent to which pores can be improved varies. Those with naturally poor skin conditions are more prone to blackheads. This is something we can’t control—it’s given by our parents… Those lucky “porcelain dolls” with flawless, poreless skin really make me jealous!

Among these eight factors, only genetics and environment are beyond our control. The rest can be managed—meaning these are the areas we should focus on to prevent blackhead recurrence:

—Control Oil!

• Develop good lifestyle habits: Eat a light diet (low oil, salt, and sugar), avoid staying up late, smoking, or drinking, and exercise regularly to sweat out toxins.
• Choose skincare and cosmetics suited to your skin type. For daily care, opt for lightweight, oil-control, and hydrating products.

Avoid oily, anti-aging, or essential oil-based products whenever possible!

Always use sunscreen—UV rays penetrate deeply, stimulating excessive sebum and melanin production. This not only triggers blackhead formation but also leads to tanning and premature skin aging. Never skip sunscreen!