How to care for skin with comedones to get rid of them

Comedones - open or closed - are treated with proper nutrition, peeling and skin cleansing. The main thing is to choose the right course!

Comedones

called pimples with a black dot in the center, they are a clot of material produced by the sebaceous glands of the skin, dead epithelium and microbes localized in the hair follicle.

To explain simply: this is a sebaceous plug that does not allow the pore to breathe and function normally. This cosmetic defect is relevant for almost every person, regardless of age and gender.

Reasons for the formation of comedones

A cosmetic defect may appear as a result of:

• genetic predisposition;
• insufficient facial skin care;
• hormonal disorders;
• allergic reactions to cosmetic and household products, food;
• body reactions to medications;
• frequent stress.

This cosmetic defect is classified depending on its location - comedones on the face (nose, cheeks, forehead, chin), on the back; regarding the nature of acne - there are open ones

(white pimples) and
closed comedones
(blackheads).

It is believed that it is better not to touch such pimples, because if bacteria gets into the pimple, it will become inflamed and can infect healthy tissue in the neighborhood. But walking around with white pimples or blackheads is also a bad option. What to do in this case and is it possible to treat comedones?

How to care for skin with closed comedones

Skin care for comedones necessarily includes professional removal and accompanying home care.

The correction scheme includes 3 stages that allow you to eliminate the problem forever.

1. Mechanical skin cleaning

A widely known and not always popular procedure. In the case of white comedones, it is irreplaceable.

• Resorption or dissolution of closed comedones with external means is impossible. Only mechanical intervention can remove existing blockages.
• The disadvantage of this method is that the effect is temporary. New elements will appear later, because... the skin functions as before.

What should you do: constantly extract closed comedones using a needle?

No, the procedure is carried out at least once a month until the white comedones completely disappear, which is only possible with concomitant external therapy aimed at normalizing sebum production and exfoliating dead cells.

1. Daily skin care

The drugs of choice for closed comedones are retinoids.

Retinoids are a well-studied group of substances derived from vitamin A, used in dermatology to treat problem skin with acne, and in cosmetology to correct age-related changes and hyperpigmentation. ⠀

How retinoids work:

• They penetrate the hair follicle and exfoliate the sebaceous gland duct. Naturally influence the processes of keratinization and exfoliation of skin cells - eliminate hyperkeratosis. Thus, the outflow of the pore contents is ensured.
• They reduce the activity of sebocytes, reducing the production of sebum and reduce the density of sebum, facilitating its secretion.
• They relieve the inflammatory reaction around the gland (remove the pink halo around closed comedones), preventing further development of the process into inflamed acne.

In accordance with the Federal Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Acne, 2015, retinoids are the first-line drugs for acne correction, including the initial stages.

Benefits of Retinoids

Why else are retinoids attractive in terms of choice for eliminating white comedones:

• physiological – they are a substance familiar to the skin, because the body itself supplies vitamin A to the skin in low concentrations;
• do not have a toxic effect;
• penetrate well into the skin, reaching the necessary layers;

FAQ (frequently asked question) Can retinol be recommended in the summer?

Previously, there was an opinion that retinol should not be used in the summer. It has now been proven that retinol does not increase skin photosensitivity!

Yes, retinol thins the stratum corneum, eliminating stratum corneum, but at the same time, by stimulating cell division, it thickens the epidermis as a whole.

Summary: The sun is not a contraindication for the use of retinol.

It is recommended to use preparations containing 0.3 - 0.5% retinol, or more gentle forms. This allows you to use retinoids regularly, every evening, without getting confused in complex application regimens. And without provoking skin irritation and peeling.

Example:

Renewing cream with Retinaldehyde DermaQuest is a godsend for daily saturation of the skin with retinoids without unwanted consequences.

Benefits of the cream:

Contains a new form of retinol – retinaldehyde at a concentration of 0.05%;

The composition is enhanced with a Vitamin A simulator - Bakuchiol - increasing the effectiveness of retinaldehyde;

Contains antioxidants and moisturizing complexes - powerful prevention of inflammation and irritation of the skin, preservation of its barriers;

The difference between retinaldehyde and retinol:

• 10 times more active than retinol!
• does not cause retinoic dermatitis
• used daily
• stable to oxidation
• comfort and safety of use for sensitive skin

Application:

Apply the cream daily in the evening to clean skin.

Another type of product that is mandatory for use for closed comedones is Sunscreen with SPF based on mineral photo filters. (link to an article on the selection and use of sunscreen for oily and problem skin here .)

The sun's rays activate the sebaceous glands, which increases the number of blockages. The choice should be made in favor of physical photo filters - a mineral screen.

Chemical photo filters are contraindicated. Their operating principle is based on converting the energy of UV rays into heat, which additionally activates the work of the sebaceous glands.

Example:

Mineral cream SPF 30 with zinc DermaQuest based on micronized zinc oxide 18.6% is a universal sunscreen for all family members!

• Does not penetrate deep into the skin and does not cause blockages
• Safe and hypoallergenic
• Blocks up to 97% of sun rays
• In 2022, the composition is enriched with BlueLight filters against blue light

The advantages of modern creams with SPF are not only photoprotection, but complete care products that do not require the application of additional creams in the morning.

Closed comedones: treatment

Treatment of comedones on the face requires special care and caution. There are several methods for removing comedones:

1. Mechanical facial cleansing

   from a professional cosmetologist. This cosmetic procedure involves sterile squeezing out pimples after first steaming the face and treating damaged areas of the skin with an antiseptic solution. This is an effective method for removing comedones, but requires periodic repetition.

2. Atraumatic facial cleansing

   . This is the most gentle method of getting rid of blackheads. Skin cleansing occurs by applying masks with fruit acid of varying concentrations to the skin, which first open the pores, then heat and dissolve sebaceous plugs and, finally, close the pores. The entire procedure takes about 40 minutes and is very effective in combating comedones.

3. Use of special peelings

   against blackheads. The peeling agent may contain anti-inflammatory, keratolytic, and antiseborrheic components. The procedure allows you to cleanse the skin of superficial comedones and lift deep ones in order to subsequently perform mechanical cleansing of the face.

4. Ultrasonic facial cleansing is a modern and very effective method of getting rid of comedones. Cleansing the face of blackheads occurs thanks to ultrasonic waves, which cause skin cells to vibrate and push out unnecessary things, that is, sebaceous plugs, after which the pores narrow, which allows you to forget about comedones for a long time. Ultrasonic cleaning does not have a recovery period, unlike mechanical cleaning; after the procedure, you can immediately return to your usual social life.

How to get rid of comedones?

In case of comedonal acne, facial cleansing can be performed. The most primitive is the mechanical one, when a specialist removes comedones with his hands or an instrument. But this is a traumatic procedure, which is better replaced by an ultrasound, atraumatic technique. Peels can also be carried out with fruit acids; they act as a means to “dissolve” comedones. But only a specialist should carry out the procedures in a clinical setting.

Acne can be treated at home. For mild to moderate acne, Azelik® gel, which contains azelaic acid, can be used for this purpose.5

An effective remedy against acne is considered to be one that affects several parts of its pathogenesis. The main ones include: inflammation, follicular hyperkeratosis, increased colonization of propionibacteria, increased sebum production. For mild acne, as a rule, the use of topical medications is sufficient; for moderate and severe acne, systemic medications are added to them.

Treatment of open comedones

This type is white pimples formed for the same reasons as closed comedones. You can get rid of a cosmetic defect using the methods described above.

But unlike the previous type of pimples, these can be squeezed out yourself, just be sure to do it in sterile conditions with antibacterial skin treatment after the procedure.

Also, in order to get rid of the hated blackheads on the face and body, you should reconsider your diet - reduce the consumption of fatty, salty, sweet and spicy foods, eat more fresh vegetables and fruits.

More about procedures

Facial peeling

Fractional photothermolysis

Ultrasonic cleaning

What are comedones?

Comedones are a form of acne that occurs as a result of blockage at the mouth of the pilosebaceous follicle. In the comedonal form of acne, there is no inflammation. After resolution of such elements, scars and spots of hyperpigmentation do not remain, but this does not mean that they can be treated with disdain.31

Comedones can be open or closed. The first ones are also called black dots. They occur when pores become clogged with cosmetic residues, dust particles, and sebum. The top of such a “plug” oxidizes, acquiring a characteristic black tint. 31

Closed comedones are small white rashes31. Many girls think that the easiest way to get rid of it is by squeezing it out. But such manipulations can lead to the formation of scars, worsening of the rash, and the appearance of inflammatory elements.

How not to crush blackheads?

When you wake up in the morning and see acne on your face, you shouldn’t try to get rid of them right away. Even though you slept, your face is not completely clean, and neither are your hands. Squeezing out blackheads can cause infection. But this is not the only harm that you can cause to your skin; there are other consequences of improper comedone extraction:

• scars;
• stagnant spots of red or bluish color;
• post-traumatic pigmentation.

Here's what can happen if you decide to squeeze out comedones yourself:

• Injury to blood vessels and capillaries. This is why stagnant spots appear; they become especially visible in cold seasons.
• Skin trauma. When freeing the comedone from its contents, you have to push the pus through a small hole. The rod practically tears the skin, the pimple disappears, and in its place a small atrophic scar appears in the form of a hole.
• Spreading infection all over the face. Since the vessels are injured during squeezing, the pus contained in the comedones not only comes out, but can enter the blood and spread through the vessels with the bloodstream.
• Dark spots. Self-comedone extraction increases the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

When to contact a cosmetologist

The appearance of blackheads or white “nodules” on the skin is a sufficient reason to contact a cosmetologist. These areas of the skin are most susceptible to inflammatory and infectious processes, the development of which is only a matter of time.

Treatment of closed comedones (white formations) or open comedones (black pores) is important not only from an aesthetic point of view, but also to prevent the development of dermatological diseases.

Be sure to consult a cosmetologist if signs of inflammation or infection appear around comedones or in the area of ​​their greatest accumulation:

• redness;
• thickening of the skin;
• peeling;
• pigmentation;
• physical symptoms (pain, discomfort when pressed or touched, itching, etc.).

The Freesia beauty salon uses all the means available to modern cosmetology to solve the problem of comedones. You can visit a cosmetologist-dermatologist in the Moscow and Krasnoselsky districts of St. Petersburg.