Comedones are openings of a hair follicle on the skin surface filled with keratinous content. They are formed as a result of the accumulation of excess sebum, dirt, dead cells in the skin pores.
Understanding Comedones and the Importance of Facial Cleansing
Comedones can be open (blackheads) or closed (whiteheads). Blackheads have a dark appearance because of the surface pigment. Whiteheads, on the other hand, have closed surface and look like small white or flesh-colored dots. Generally, each face has more or less comedones, and they often appear on the nose, forehead, chin. If they are predominate on the face, they are considered to be the mildest form of acne. If they are left untreated, over time they can lead to the inflammatory processes on the face.
Comedones on the face might be predominantly caused by genetics. The function of the sebaceous glands in the sebaceous regions is genetically predisposed with hormonal status as a contributing factor. If there are high levels of androgens, male hormones, the skin will be more oily and prone to the formation of comedones.
Wrong skincare routine may contribute to the appearance of comedones. One needs to use products labeled as non-comedogenic, which means that they don’t clog pores and they assist with breaking down excess oils.
Comedones develop most often during adolescence, equally in male and female population.
Hygenic facial treatment
Comedones can be treated by a dermatologist or a beautician. It is ideal to combine dermatologic therapy with hygienic facial treatment (comedo extraction).
Comedones removal is necessary because they are causing the channels where they are located to expand increasing the risk of inflammation.
Before facial cleansing, the dermatologist will assess whether the dermatologic therapy is necessary. Pre-treatment therapy allows for the closed comedones to open using chemical peels so the treatment is not unpleasant, especially for adolescents.
The hygienic facial treatment is performed in several steps.
The first is the enzyme peel. Very mild acids are applied to the skin that remove impurities and mildly exfoliate the skin.
This is followed by skin steaming with warm masks or plant extracts in order for the pores to open and prepare the face for cleansing.
The next step is comedo-extraction. Comedo-extraction is a method of comedones removal with special sterile instruments that allow for their accurate removal without damaging the surrounding skin.
It is a must that the facial cleansing is performed by trained personnel in order to avoid scarring or additional inflammation on the face.
After cleansing, the face is disinfected with ozone and various masks are applied to disinfect and calm the skin.
The choice of masks depends on the skin type.
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