Blackheads are tiny bumps that usually affect the skin of your face or nose due to clogged hair follicles. They occur on your face or nose when different types of impurities like dirt and pollutants trap inside your skin pores. Natural oil under your skin gets more rigid and make your facial and nasal skin dark. These tiny black, dots are very tough to remove. Some people find exfoliation as an effective way to remove blackheads. However, if you want to remove them immediately, duct tape for blackheads can be the best bet.
In this guide, we will address everything about blackheads and duct tape. Is it safe to use duct tape for your skin? Is duct tape a useful blackheads removal trick? Are there some other alternatives? And more. But before talking in detail about duct tape, let’s talk about some crucial aspects of blackheads first.
What Causes Blackheads?
Sometimes, blackheads are confused with other skin conditions like acne, follicles, staph, and rosacea etc. But to ensure correct blackheadsremoval, you have to identify them correctly.
Blackheads are formed due to the development of a clog or plug in the hair follicles’ opening of your skin. Each follicle homes one hair and an oil-producing sebaceous gland. The oil, known as “sebum” is vital to keep your skin soft and supple. Your skin follicles regularly collect the dead skin cells and oils, and produce a very common facial or nasal bump known as “comedo”. When the skin covering this bump is closed, it is known as “whiteheads”. On the other hand, it is called as “blackheads” when the bump is opened and exposed to the air and other foreign particles.
Some factors that are known for increasing the chances of developing blackheads are:
- Excessive production of oil under your skin.
- A constant build-up of the Propionibacterium acnes bacteria on your facial or nasal skin.
- Excessive oil production due to various hormonal changes. Your body may undergo hormonal surge during different conditions, including teen years, menstruation, pregnancy, among others. Birth control pills are also responsible for rapid hormonal fluctuations.
- Certain drugs like androgens, corticosteroids, and lithium etc. also cause different skin appearances, including blackheads.
- When the dead skin cells don’t leave your skin for a long time, your skin may get irritated and develop blackheads.
Are there Blackheads Symptoms?
Spotting or identifying blackheads is very easy, as they look dark in color with very tiny, dotted bumps. There is no specific symptom of blackhead, as they don’t cause any inflammation or pain on the affected skin. Rarely, when different bacteria invade the hair follicles’ blockages, you may notice inflammation and redness of the skin.
There can be a wide range of options when we talk about treatment for blackheads. And various researches back duct tape as an effective way to remove blackheads. Duct tape is not something Alien – it’s a simple adhesive tape placed on the skin surface and removed after a while. Using duct tape is not only safe but very easy as well. And the best thing is, you can use it without any assistance from your family or friend.
Is it Possible to Remove Blackheads Using Duct Tape?
A lot of people don’t give much attention to duct tape as an effective blackhead remover. But if you go through some researches, you will find that it is more than just possible to remove blackheads with the help of duct tape. As we said earlier, duct tape is not something alien; it is a simple, skin-friendly adhesive tape that is placed on the skin affected with blackheads and removed after sometime to remove blackheads with it. Here is how you can use duct tape for blackheads.
How to Remove Blackheads with duct tape?
Many people are still not aware of black tape as a very effective blackhead remover. But you will be surprised by the results. Here is a simple yet result-oriented technique you should know to finally get rid of blackheads without going through complicated and painful procedures.
- Wash your face with clean, cold water.
- Use a gentle, chemical-free face wash containing at least 3% of salicylic acid.
- Apply the face wash properly on your face, focusing mainly on blackheads.
- Now, massage the blackheads-affected area for a few minutes, working on the tiny pores, ensuring the face wash can properly get inside the pores.
- Dab your face dry with a washed, soft cloth – cotton cloth will be the best option.
- Avoid rubbing your face harshly.
- Now, cut the duct tape according to your requirement.
- Place the duct tape very gently using your fingers for proper, correct placement.
- Start removing the tape after five odd minutes. Ensure pulling the tape very quickly to avoid prolonged suffering.
- Using duct tape for blackheads can be a bit painful. But with promising results, it worth giving a try.
Using Duct Tape for Blackheads Does Not Cause Capillary Breakage
There is a big misconception about duct tape that it breaks down the blood capillaries. But it’s far from the truth because you can remove the duct tape very quickly without causing any damage to your skin or tissues.
Duct Tape Doesn’t Even Increase Your Nasal Pores
If you are hesitant before using duct tape thinking that it may increase the size of pores, you should not be. Because there is nothing like that with duct tape at all, if you feel some discomfort, some other conditions may be responsible. You should not blame duct tape for it.
When Should You Not Use Duct Tape for Blackheads?
Duct tape is usually safe for your skin, but you should not use it if blackheads are accompanied by some other skin conditions such as:
- Acne: Acne commonly affects your face, chest, neck, shoulders, and upper back. At times, acne can be a condition in which you may get blackhead, whiteheads, deep and painful cysts, pimples or nodules etc. If acne is left untreated, may leave dark skin or scars for a very long time.
- Rosacea: Rosacea is a chronic skin disease with symptoms like red, raised bumps, facial redness, skin sensitivity, facial flushing, and skin dryness etc. It goes through various cycles of fading and relapse and is usually triggered by alcoholic beverages, stress, spicy foods, sunlight, and Helicobacter Pylori bacteria.
- Cold Sore: Sometimes, a cold sore is also mistaken for blackheads. Cold sore may cause similar-looking fluid-filled blisters around lips and mouth. But cold sore is usually accompanied by other symptoms like low fever, swollen lymph nodes, body pain etc.
- Hives: Raised, itchy welts usually caused due to an exposure to allergens. Hives are warm, pinkish-red, and are painful to touch. They can be of varied sizes and shapes but are usually round, and ring-shaped.
- Actinic Keratosis: They are usually of size less than 2 cm, form crusty, scaly, and thick patches. Usually pink in color, but may appear gray, brown or tan etc.
- Measles: Red rashes affecting the face as well as other parts of the body. Symptoms may include cough, runny nose, loss of appetite, sore throat, and watery eyes etc.
- Lupus: Characterized by ring-shaped, red, scaly patches commonly affecting the face, neck, forearms, shoulders, and upper torso. Other symptoms may include headaches, fever, fatigue, and painful joints etc.
- Seborrheic Eczema: Skin under mustaches is commonly affected by seborrheic eczema, characterized by scaly, white, flaky patches. The skin may get red, oily, greasy, or itchy. Rashes may cause loss of hair if left untreated.
These skin conditions are sometimes mistaken for blackheads. If you are planning to use duct tape to remove blackheads, or for any other treatment, identifying them correctly is very important.
Some Other Tips to Remove Blackheads
Although duct tape is a useful option to get rid of blackheads, some people may find it intimidating as peeling; it indeed can cause a bit of pain. If you are also one of them, we have some other blackheads best treatment for you.
Exfoliate Your Skin
If you haven’t exfoliated your skin yet, it might be the best time to give it a try. Removing the dead skin cells from under your skin should be the ultimate goal to remove blackheads finally. And exfoliating your skin with a suitable natural rub can be immensely helpful. We recommend you to exfoliate your skin once a week to use it as a blackhead remover.
Facials
Regular facials can also help get rid of blackheads. But you have to ensure using the right product. We recommend using only non-comedogenic products which are mainly made for not clogging the pores.
Baking Soda
Baking soda can be perfect for blackheads below eyes. Compose a paste with water and baking soda, and apply evenly on the areas affected with blackheads. Scrub the paste on the skin for a few minutes before washing off. Repeat baking soda treatment twice a week for best results.
Egg White Mask
Thanks to the skin tightening qualities, egg whites can be proved as a decent blackheads’ remover ingredient. Egg whites can shrink your pores when you apply them directly and can force the blackheads out without any harsh effect on the skin. As they are rich in nutrients, egg whites can improve skin texture and remove excessive oil.
Lemon, Honey and Salt
Lemon is known for its astringent qualities. On the other hand, fine granules of salt make it an excellent, non-abrasive skin scrubber. And honey will maintain the much-needed moisture of the skin as well as, it will also keep the harmful germs away.
- Add these natural ingredients to prepare a paste.
- Apply on blackheads and scrub gently in a circular motion for a minute or so.
- Now, wear the mixture for about five minutes before washing with warm water.
- Repeat a week thrice regularly to see the difference.
Steaming
Steaming is not only known for removing the blackheads effectively, but it can also be surprisingly useful to avoid blackheads formation in the future. When you steam your face, your face starts removing toxins thanks to an increase in sweating. Steaming also starts softening your facial and nasal pores and removes blackheads easily.
Tomato
Tomatoes are a notable source of vitamin A and C and are also packed with skin brightening, pore shrinking, and oil-absorbing properties. Tomatoes can be beneficial for oily skin, as the tomato pulp can remove the extra grease without any harsh effect.
- Cut a medium-sized tomato into thin, round slices.
- Rub one slice on blackheads-affected skin.
- Alternatively, try using tomato pulp to rub the area gently.
- Leave for a few minutes before splashing with freshwater.
How to Avoid Blackheads
If you have successfully used duct tape for blackheads or removed them with a natural treatment, you would love to avoid a recurrence. Following are some tricks to ensure they don’t scare you again in the future.
- Never try to pup the blackheads out as it may leave a deep scar on your skin.
- Don’t use tweezers or any other pointed object as blackheads remover. Doing this can cause severe tissue injury to your face or nose.
- An exfoliation is undoubtedly a good option, but always avoid using harsh chemicals or other beauty products.
- Wash your face regularly to avoid the accumulation of dirt or any other impurity.
- Always apply a gentle moisturizer to avoid dryness of the skin. We recommend using only non-comedogenic moisturizers for good results.
- Try using skin products containing salicylic acid. It is a common chemical used in acne and pimple creams and can help you to prevent blackheads.
If you are planning to use duct tape for blackheads, we will suggest you go ahead. There is almost no drawback except potential pain while removing it. And if you want to avoid that, we have helped you with some other effective alternatives as well. Hopefully, we have busted all the myths related to duct tape, and you are now well assured of using it to remove those annoyingly unattractive tiny dots finally. If you have successfully removed blackheads with some other tricks, hit the comments section to share with our readers.
References
https://www.healthline.com/health/blackheads#treatment
https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/skin-conditions-look-like-acne.html
https://www.femina.in/beauty/skin/get-rid-of-blackheads-naturally-69949.html