Your skin's condition can reveal a lot about how you treat it. Moreover, your skin tends to reveal your health and general well- being as well. According to Dr Jillian Macdonald, the condition of your skin could be a sign of an underlying health condition. For instance, chronically dry and itchy skin could mean that you have Eczema. However, there is a particular skin condition that affects millions of American citizens: blackheads. Blackheads are a type of acne that often appear on the face, chest, back and so forth. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, over 49 million American citizens are affected by acne. More specifically, most Americans are affected by blackheads. Research confirms that a huge percentage of the American population is willing to pay premium prices to remove them. This epidemic has led to the development and production of numerous blackhead removal masks. This, then begs the question, what causes blackheads? Let us take a look.

Causes of Blackheads
As previously mentioned, blackheads are a milder form of acne. According to Cynthia Cobb, APRN, blackheads are dark lesions and bumps that are often small in size. They tend to not only appear on the face and neck but chest, back and shoulders just to name a few. The skin often has certain openings of hair follicles known as pores. Blackheads tend to occur when the pores of the skin are plugged by certain substances. These certain substances include dead skin cells and sebum. Once these substances clog the pores, the air exposure causes them to darken. Hence, the term blackheads.

Risk Factors To Developing Blackheads 
There are certain factors that increase the chances of developing blackheads. They include: Individuals with overly oily skin are likely to develop blackheads
Hormonal changes or imbalances
An unhealthy skin care routine
The use of certain drugs for medication
Exposure to bacteria
Irritation due to over scrubbing

How To Avoid The Development of Blackheads 
There are numerous ways of treating and preventing blackheads without having to spend a lot of money. All you need is a proper skin care routine and a good skin care product. Below are a few tips on how to take care of your skin and prevent blackheads.

Oil-free Products
When purchasing a skin care product, stay away from ones that will only increase blackheads. Read the ingredients of the product prior to purchasing it. Most blackhead removal masks are oil-free products. Just do your research first.

Exfoliate
Exfoliating your skin helps remove the dead skin cells that clog our pores. You can do this by using a scrub or by using a blackhead removal mask. Blackhead removal masks not only remove the blackheads and dead skin, they also remove excess oil from the skin.

Eat Right
What we eat can adversely affect the health of our skin. This means that you'll have to cut out unhealthy foods that contain saturated fats. Instead, color your plate with fruits and vegetables. Moreover, do not forget to stay hydrated. This is one way of ensuring that your skin stays moisturized as well. It won't be long before you notice your skin glowing and looking healthy.

In conclusion, our skin's condition is a reflection of how we take care of our skin. It can also be an indication of an underlying condition. Regardless, we ought to take care of our skin. Use the right skin care products and eat right.