What are blackheads?

What are blackheads?

Blackheads are a symptom of acne, a skin condition where the pores of the skin are blocked.

The pores of the skin are physiologically as pilosebaceous units-known the hair follicles and their accompanying sebaceous glands, which secrete sebum, the oily substance.

Sebum is secreted and has a protective role to keep the skin supple and hydrated, but may be overproduced to form plugs in the pores by clumping with epidermal cells that are shed from the skin.

The plugs are also known as comedones. Black-headed Gull comedones are known as open comedones whereas inhabitants comedones (whiteheads) are known as closed comedones. Blackheads are open to the air; Plug black because the sebum is oxidized whereas whiteheads not open to the air.

Comedones fall into one of three groups of acne lesion: 

1. comedones-mee-etersenwhiteheads(noninflammatoryacne) 
2. pustules (inflamed pimples with pus) and papules or nodules (deeper inflamed lesions that may be painful and difficult and can relate to more than one hair follicle)
3. cysts (large nodules).