1. Blackheads form when pores become clogged with dead skin cells and excess oil. Gentle exfoliation and products containing salicylic acid or retinoids can help unclog pores and prevent future blackheads by increasing cell turnover. 2. Long-term strategies for preventing blackheads include choosing oil-free products, avoiding blocking pores, managing stress, and watching dairy and high-glycemic food intake as these can increase oil production. 3. In-office procedures like chemical peels, microdermabrasion, or extractions can provide faster results for treating existing blackheads but require at-home skin care afterwards for maintenance.

1. 14 FITNESSRX JUNE 2015 www.fitnessrxwomen.com
● BEAUTY INFO-BITS
● BY LISA STEUER
AD
What's the best way
to beat blackheads?
I feel like I've tried
everything, and sure
enough, they always
come back!
Blackheads are such a common and
challenging issue. Understanding the
causes and adjusting your skin care
regimen for the long term is the best
remedy for clearing your skin.
Blackheads (“open comedones”) form
when a pore becomes clogged with
dead skin cells. Normally, dead skin
cells shed, but when the body makes
excess oil (sebum), cells can stick
together inside the pore and become
trapped. This sebum-skin cell combo
turns black when it oxidizes on
exposure to air. It has nothing to do
with dirt, and scrubbing your face
uncontrollably will just make your skin
inflamed and aggravated.
Causes: 1. Excess oil, often caused by
an increase in hormones, especially
testosterone or cortisol, and
2. Adherent dead skin cells
Anything that addresses these two
causes will help reduce the number and
severity of blackheads. Gentle
exfoliation is the simplest thing to do to
remove the dead skin cells and oil
trapped in your pores.
Salicylic acid wash and toner:
Salicylic acid is attracted to oil and is
excellent at lifting off the excess skin
cells from the pores. If you are really
oily and your skin can handle it, use
both a cleanser and toner twice a day.
Keep the cleanser in contact with the
skin for two minutes before rinsing. For
those with sensitive or combination
skin, I recommend a cleanser at night
and a toner in the morning only. Use the
exfoliating cotton rounds with your
toner for an enhanced effect. My
favorite: Derivations Purifying
Cleansing Fluid and Toner.
Manual exfoliation: The Clarisonic
brush uses sonic technology to gently
vibrate and loosen the plugged pores.
Most other imitation brushes will be too
abrasive and aggravate the skin. Despite
the initial investment, the brush should
last many years and only needs a
replacement brush head every three to
six months. Use two minutes twice a
day with your cleanser.
Topical Vitamin A: Prescription-
strength vitamin A derivatives (tretinoin,
Retin-A, Atralin, Differin or Tazorac) are
the most potent. These products
enhance cell turnover so the dead skin
cells don’t have the chance to adhere
and get stuck in the pores to develop
into blackheads. This will make the
pores also appear smaller. Products
containing retinol over the counter are
less potent but still work. These vitamin
A derivatives also help smooth the
complexion, reduce brown spots and
build collagen. The challenge with these
products is that if too much is used or
it is used too frequently, the skin may
actually look worse— with excessive
peeling, redness and burning. I
recommend a gradual approach,
choosing over-the-counter retinol
nightly for a month and graduating
slowly to a prescription-strength
product under professional guidance.
Using an oil-free moisturizer over it,
once dry, is acceptable. It can take
three to six months to see really good
results, but when you get there, your
skin is on autopilot! My personal belief,
since these products have so many
benefits, is to start in your 20s and
continue forever, except avoid use in
pregnancy.
1. Choose oil-free, non-comedogenic
products— look for hair products,
makeup, lotions and sunscreens labeled
as such. Completely remove makeup at
the end of the day.
2. Avoid blocking your pores with
items that touch your face— cell
phones, helmets, hats, hair bands or
even leaning your hand against your
face. The occlusion of these items
against your skin can manually force
the cells into the pores.
3. Control stress to avoid release of
cortisol from your adrenal glands, which
will increase the production of oil and
worsen blackheads.
4. Dairy products (including excess
whey protein) and high-glycemic foods
will raise insulin levels and increase oil
production.
At-home treatment takes six to eight
weeks to initially see improvement. If
you don’t want to wait this long, I
recommend an in-office procedure,
such as a chemical peel,
microdermabrasion, or extraction to
expedite the resolution of your
blackheads. Then use the skin care
regimen as maintenance for prevention
of further blackheads from forming. n
Have a skin-related question for Dr.
Haley? Email your question to editor@
fitnessrxwomen.com and you could see
it answered in the next issue!
Dr. Jennifer Haley is a board-certified
dermatologist with a degree in Nutri-
tion Science from Cornell University.
She has been an NPC bikini competitor,
consultant to the US Capitol, and is the
co-founder of the skin care line, Deriva-
tions— which offers complimentary skin
consultations. She enjoys an active
lifestyle in Scottsdale, AZ and Montrose,
CO with her husband and three boys.
BEAUTY QUESTION
OF THE MONTH
with Dr. Jennifer Haley
FitRxWarmUP

2. ● BEAUTY INFO-BITS
n A Nielsen survey found that
beauty products that are labeled
“all natural” sell the best,
according to the Chicago Tribune.
The poll involved more than 1,000
adults, 46 percent of whom said
they would be willing to pay for a
beauty product that promises to
be all natural. Other top
contenders were beauty
products that contain SPF, are
said to be anti-aging or have anti-
wrinkle or have skin-firming or
skin-lifting properties. However,
labeling a beauty product as “all
natural” does not mean
it is, according to the
Chicago Tribune. The
Food and Drug
Administration requires
that cosmetic labels be
truthful, but it has not
defined what “natural” is
and does not regulate
the use of the word in
marketing beauty
products.
(Beauty products that
claim to be “all natural” sell
best,” http://my.
chicagotribune.com).
16 FITNESSRX JUNE 2015 www.fitnessrxwomen.com
n Here a few simple beauty hacks that are easy, helpful, and really work:
smudge. The saliva reacts with the polish to soften the surface.
to the lips’ surface. (“15 Life-Changing Beauty Hacks,” http://www.huffingtonpost.ca) n
n It’s possible in the future that technology will help combat acne. Researchers have
developed a targeted therapy that uses a combination of low-frequency ultrasound,
and gold-covered particles and lasers that may be able to decrease the frequency and
intensity of breakouts. The idea is that ultrasound pushes the gold-coated silica particles
through the follicle into the sebaceous glands. Once the particles are deposited, lasers
are aimed at them and the light becomes heat. The heated particles deactivate the seba-
ceous glands, which is a key in treating acne. This is the first time that ultrasound has been
used to deliver particles into humans. (“Acne Spot Treatment: Latest in Nanotechnology,
Transdermal Drug Delivery To Take On An Old Problem,” www.sciencedaily.com)
USING TECHNOLOGYTO FIGHTACNE
ANEWFACE for Selfies
“ALL-NATURAL”
BEAUTYSells Best
n Did you know that experts say that it’s more effective to apply your antiperspirant at night before
bed, as opposed to the morning? At night, you sweat less. When you apply antiperspirant at night, more
of the product’s active ingredients are pulled into the sweat ducts, effectively plugging the pores. This
signals the sweat glands to reduce or stop sweating, and this lasts about 24 hours or possibly longer,
even after bathing in the morning. If you’re concerned with perspiration as the weather starts to warm
up, give this a try! (“Apply Antiperspirant at Night and Sleep Tight,” www.consumerreports.org)
EASYAND UNIQUE BEAUTY HACK
APPLY ANTIPERSPIRANT ATNIGHT
n Samsung users can now utilize the preloaded “Beauty Face”
setting on their phone before taking selfies. This mode works by
smoothing the skin and thinning the face, and smoothing out the
texture and the tone and making the face “a little bit narrower.”
Interesting concept, but is this something that’s actually useful?
(“Smartphones make your selfies skinnier with Beauty Face,”
http://nypost.com)
FitRxWarmUP