Comedones with open dark heads can appear in the most unexpected places, for example, in the ears. If uninvited guests have settled on your earlobe, it is not difficult to notice them. But pimples that are behind or inside the ear are usually discovered by accident. Blackheads in the ears are very difficult to remove, and access to them is limited. It is also impossible to come to terms with them. In addition to being an aesthetic problem, acne can become inflamed and cause otitis media.
Open comedones with black heads
Open comedones are the openings of hair follicles clogged with sebum. In addition to sebum, dust, residues of cosmetic products, and dead skin cells accumulate in the follicles. As all this debris accumulates, it stretches the edges of the follicle. The open part of the cork oxidizes under the influence of oxygen and turns black. It takes on the appearance of a black dot on the skin.
The top of the sebaceous plug is not always black. Its color can vary from dirty yellow and gray to dark brown. The diameter of the eel is usually no more than 2 mm. The thicker the sebum, the more enlarged the pore is. In small eels, the contents are more liquid.
The absence of inflammation and a small number of acne are considered normal. But an open comedone can become infected. In this case, inflammation will develop in place of the small dark spot and an abscess will form. Improper care can cause the infection to spread from the source of inflammation to a larger area of the skin.
Reasons for appearance
The development of acne always begins with clogged pores. This creates a breeding ground for various bacteria. Pathogenic microflora accumulates and provokes inflammation. The product of such inflammation is purulent comedones.
The reasons that cause clogged pores are:
- Hormonal imbalance. This condition of the body provokes increased activity of the sebaceous glands and changes in the properties of sebum. All those areas on the body where the sebaceous glands are located can be affected. Sometimes the lesion dominates in one area.
- Poor quality cosmetic products. Numerous skin care products, including those labeled as anti-acne, contain harmful chemicals. They clog pores and increase irritation. And masking the problem with decorative cosmetics only aggravates the situation.
- Immune system disorder. Numerous pathogenic microorganisms live on the skin of healthy people and rarely cause acne. If the immune system malfunctions, the bactericidal properties of sebum decrease and microbes begin to multiply intensively.
- Poor nutrition. Eating fast food, baked goods and sweets increases insulin levels, which stimulates the body to produce more testosterone. And this hormone enhances the work of the sebaceous glands, which leads to clogged pores. Dairy products have the same property, as they contain impurities of growth hormone and sex hormones.
- Lack of vitamins. It has been found that patients with acne have lower levels of vitamin E and A. This is why dermatologists recommend taking vitamin complexes for people suffering from acne.
- Use of medications. Numerous medications can cause acne. Most often, this effect is exerted by: steroid hormones, antituberculosis drugs, antidepressants, immunomodulators, antiepileptic drugs.
- Heredity. Skin type, activity of the sebaceous glands and their sensitivity to the effects of sex hormones are determined genetically.
Option 5: milk mask
How to remove blackheads in ears? Prepare the product according to this recipe. When making this composition, you will need to mix 1 tablespoon of warm milk with a tablespoon of gelatin powder.
After the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, you need to heat the mixture in the microwave for a couple of minutes. The resulting solution should be quickly applied to problem areas and left for twenty minutes. The frozen mixture forms a thin film, which, when removed, removes all dirt from the pores.
If desired, you can add half a tablet of activated carbon to the composition, which also helps remove the rash.
Getting rid of blackheads
It is necessary to get rid of comedones correctly.
Dermatologists' patients want to know whether they can squeeze blackheads. This can only be done as a last resort, adhering to the rules of asepsis. Illiterate actions can lead to the fact that the pus does not come out completely. Some of it may go deeper into the skin. An infection will get into the wound, and in place of an inconspicuous black dot, a huge boil will appear, which will seriously threaten your health.
You should not remove comedones in hard-to-reach places yourself. It is better to entrust this process to a competent cosmetologist. If this is not possible, ask someone close to you for help. Before getting rid of blackheads in the ears by squeezing, you must try to draw out the purulent plug with medications.
Traditional methods
In beauty salons, large comedones are removed using mechanical cleaning.
Most often, a special tool is used for this - a Uno spoon. Smaller lesions can be eliminated using ultrasound or laser. At home, it is almost impossible to independently squeeze out the black plug, which is located deep in the auricle. It is difficult to see the eel, and there is no room for your fingers to fit in the small area. In addition, if there are many pimples, then it is impossible to remove one without injuring the other.
Many foreign specialists refuse mechanical removal of acne on the face or body, as well as acne in the ears. The cause of the disease is not eliminated along with the sebaceous plug. This means that inflammation may develop in the injured area, and the problem will worsen. Even if the patient is lucky and the infection does not get into the wound, a new one may soon appear in place of the old comedon.
Effective treatment is impossible without eliminating the root cause of the disease. The patient needs to visit a therapist, gastroenterologist, dermatologist, endocrinologist, and for women, a gynecologist. Once the diagnosis is made, treatment of the underlying disease can be combined with the fight against blackheads.
A large accumulation of acne on a small area of the skin makes it unkempt and dirty in appearance. You can fight blackness in the ears with the help of medications that help remove the sebaceous plug naturally without damaging the skin:
- Vishnevsky ointment. Apply the product to a cotton swab and apply it to the blackhead. Cover the top with a piece of gauze and a plaster. Leave the compress overnight, in the morning rinse the ear with a product for problem skin and lubricate it with an antiseptic. Continue the procedure until the pus comes out of the pore.
- Ichthyol ointment. Make compresses in the same way as with Vishnevsky ointment.
- Salicylic ointment. It dissolves sebum very well and can cope even with huge plugs. Salicylic ointment is not visible on the skin, but can give an oily sheen. In the morning and evening, wash the affected area with gel for oily skin, wipe with chlorhexidine and lubricate with salicylic ointment. The ointment can be used daily for two weeks. Then the product must be changed.
- Zinc ointment. This product leaves a white cast on the skin, so it is best to apply it at night. You can treat the skin with zinc ointment for as long as necessary.
- Levomekol ointment. This remedy is best used if inflammation begins to develop. Levomekol can be applied to the affected area four times a day.
- Zenerite. This remedy is especially recommended for teenagers. The drug is applied to the affected areas twice a day. The main active ingredients are zinc and erythromycin. Zenerite can be used to treat ordinary open comedones and already inflamed pustules.
- Retinoic ointment. It is able to dissolve sebaceous plugs, exfoliate dead cells and have an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin.
- Dimexide. The drug is mixed with boiled water in a ratio of 1 to 5. A small piece of cotton wool is soaked in the resulting liquid and applied to the eel. Cover the top with polyethylene and secure with adhesive tape. The cotton wool with dimexide is left until it is completely dry.
Mechanical acne removal
It is unlikely that you will be able to squeeze out acne in your ears with your hands.
Black fat dots can be removed this way:
- Steam the skin of the ears and around the auricle by applying a cotton pad dipped in hot water.
- Disinfect hands and tools with alcohol.
- Also wipe the problem area with medical alcohol, massaging the area with blackheads.
- Press on the blackheads with a special tool, then the steamed comedones will quickly come out.
- Apply alcohol to the problem area.
To prevent acne from appearing again, lubricate the treated area with tea tree oil. Its antibacterial properties will help destroy dangerous microorganisms and speed up healing. The oil is too concentrated, so it is diluted with water 1:9.
Acne prevention
A complete medical examination allows you to understand where acne comes from and eliminate the cause of its appearance. In the event that no pathologies were found in the body’s functioning, it is necessary to pay attention to nutrition and the quality of cosmetics. Proper prevention will help prevent clogged pores.
Basic preventive measures:
- it is important to improve nutrition. The diet should consist of whole grains, vegetables and fruits. It is necessary to avoid salty, fatty, smoked, spicy and sweet foods;
- quit smoking and alcohol;
- avoid stress, monitor the quality of sleep;
- Keep your hats clean and regularly wipe your headphones with alcohol;
- wash the skin twice a day with high-quality cosmetics, wipe with an antiseptic;
- twice a week, additionally cleanse the skin with scrubs and do not forget about masks;
- Keep the pillowcase clean and do not touch your face or ears with dirty hands.
Treatment of sebaceous plugs does not require large financial costs. They can be dealt with at home. Most pharmaceutical products are affordable, and homemade recipes are even cheaper. The most important thing that will be required during treatment is the regular implementation of all procedures.
Subcutaneous (internal, painful) pimples in the ear
After puncturing the lobe, a painful, internal pimple may form under the skin.
Reasons for appearance
Insufficient hygiene is often the cause of such problems, as well as:
- the instruments and the lobe were not sufficiently disinfected before the puncture;
- unclean cloth of the headdress;
- long hair that has not been washed for a long time;
- poorly washed pillowcase;
- cold;
- problems with the gastrointestinal tract;
- allergy;
- hormonal surge.
Symptoms
A pimple that appears in the subcutaneous layer of one area of the ear can be a sign of a serious illness:
- atheromas are neoplasms that gradually grow and can reach large sizes;
- epidermoid cyst, the appearance of which is caused by abnormal division of epidermal cells;
- colloidal scar - a seal resembling internal pimples, which appears as a result of tissue injury, often after a puncture of the earlobe;
- dermatitis - small rash, redness, accompanied by itching.
What tests to take
An otolaryngologist, using special instruments and mirrors, can clearly examine the growths and prescribe tests:
- general blood and urine, to detect inflammation;
- for hormones;
- for blood sugar;
- allergic reaction;
- if there is a suspicion that it is a neoplasm, a histology examination is performed.
How to get rid of it quickly
If, as a result of examination and diagnosis, it is determined that the pimple does not require surgical intervention, then the doctor prescribes conservative treatment.
This usually involves treating the affected area with an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory agent.
In case of allergies, a person is prescribed antihistamines. To prevent the problem from recurring, you should remove the allergen from use.
If a pimple turns out to be a tumor, you should make sure it is benign. Neoplasms must be surgically removed followed by a course of antibiotic therapy.
