The hips is one of the weirdest places in the body to have blackheads. It is normal to have blackheads on the face or even chest but it sounds weird to hear a person saying he or she have blackheads on hips. The hips are at the sides of the body between the top of the legs and waist, this part of the body can have blackheads on them but they may not be seen as the hips are not usually seen except when naked.
Blackheads can also be seen on the inner thighs. Apart from factors like dirt, oil, and sweat, blackheads can affect the hips and inner thighs due to a skin condition. We will explain what these blackheads are, their causes and treatments.
WHAT ARE BLACKHEADS
Blackheads are small bumps on the skin which are caused by hair follicles that are clogged or blocked. The surface of these bumps are always dark or black, hence the name. You can easily spot them because of their dark surface and they are usually not painful.
Blackheads are formed when oils and dead skin cells clogs or blocks the opening is a hair follicle. The blockage will cause a bump known as comedo. The comedo can be open while air oxidizes it, the oxidation will make the comedo to become dark which is a blackhead.
WHAT CAUSES BLACKHEADS ON HIPS
Each hair follicle has a hair and a gland that produces oil, the oil also known as sebum helps to keep the skin soft. Oil and dead skin cell gathers in the opening to the skin follicle causing a bump called comedo. This comedo can either be opened or closed, if it is open, it becomes whitehead. But if this comedo is closed and gets darken by sun’s exposure, then it is a blackhead. So, it is safe to say the clogged hair follicles cause blackheads.
Other than oil and dead skin, there are other factors that can cause blackheads on hips and inner thighs. These factors can be:
- Sweat
- Dirt
- Friction from tight-fitting jeans and leggings.
Another cause of blackheads on hips and inner thighs is a condition known as hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). This is a skin condition that affects the buttocks, armpit, inner thighs and even between the buttocks. One distinctive feature about this skin condition is that it occurs in areas in the body where skin rub together. It looks like a small pimple bump. Some of the symptoms of hidradenitis suppurativa other than blackheads are
- Painful lumps that are as small as a pea will appear on the area, theses lumps will appear on places with hair follicle, oil or sweat.
- Tunnels is another symptom of this skin condition, it causes the skin to have tracts that joins the lumps. It will take a while for this tract to heal, you can also experience pus coming out from them.
IS IT NORMAL TO HAVE BLACKHEADS ON HIPS
Contrary to some people’s belief, blackheads do not normally occur on the hips or any part of the body because of bad hygiene although dirt can block hail follicles. Anyone can get blackheads on the hips and inner thighs even though people with oily skin is more vulnerable to having them. So, when you have blackheads, they are not dangerous or life-threatening disease, they only thing is that the bumps may decrease the body’s aesthetics.
HOW TO TREAT BLACKHEADS ON HIPS
There are some ways you can treat blackheads on hips and inner thighs, some of them are:
1. Over-the-counter medicated creams: There are many over-the-counter creams you can use, these creams will help with the inflammation and clear the bumps as well. You can get them from pharmacies, supermarkets and online stores as well.
2. Turmeric: Turmeric is known by some people to treat or prevent inflammation of the hair follicles. A review form the Journal of Tropical Medicine published in 2016 showed that the spice contains a compound known as curcumin, the ingredient can fight against Staphylococcus aureus, which is a bacteria that can lead to inflammation of the hair follicles.
Remember that when the hail follicle is inflamed, it can easily be clogged by oil and dead skin cells. You can mix tumeric powder and water to form a paste, apply this paste to the hips and inner thighs everyday. However, you should know that tumeric can make the skin color to change to yellow.
3. Tea tree oil: This oil is known as a household items that can help with skin issues. According to the National Institute of Health, tea tree oil has antibacterial properties that can keep the skin clear from dirt, dead skin cells and also kill the bacteria that can inflame the hair follicles.
4. Vinegar: Vinegar contains acetic acid, an ingredient that has antibacterial properties and can help with skin issues too. The National Institute of Health conducted a study and reported that the acetic acid decreased the growth of bacteria when used on laboratory samples, the report also stated that the acid can stop the growth of bacteria on burn wounds.
To use vinegar as a treatment for blackheads on the hips, you can add a cup to a warm bath. Bathing with this mixed water may help to fight against the bacteria that cause inflammation of the hair follicles.
5. Warm compress: Warm compresses will help to open the follicles and comedones, this will help the bacteria to drain off without popping any bumps. In cases where the skin is irritated and inflamed cause of the blackheads, the warm compress can soothe them and being relief . You can use a clean cloth soaked in warm water as your compress.
6. Saltwater treatment: Having a warm salt water sitz bath is known to soothe irritated skin and give the skin a natural relieve from skin issues. Salt water can help to keep the hips clean and sterilize them as well. If the blackheads are caused by hidradenitis suppurativa, there are some different methods you can use to treat them, some of them are:
7. Medications: There are some medications that can be used; they may be topical antibiotic creams, oral antibiotics or tumor necrosis inhibitor (TNF) blockers .
8. Surgery: In severe cases, surgery may be recommended to remove the affected skin or tissue. Some surgical procedures can be laser therapy (using beams to remove skin lesions), unroofing (cutting off the skin to expose the tunnels), limited unroofing (removing a single nodule), electrosurgery (using electricity to remove damaged tissues)or surgical removal (removing the affected skin and replacing it through skin grafting).
HOW TO PREVENT BLACKHEADS ON HIPS
It is better to prevent things and allowing the to occur and treating them, there are some ways you can prevent blackheads form affecting your inner thighs and hips. Some of them are:
1. Washing regularly: Just like it is important to wash other parts of the body, the hips should be washed as well to remove the dirt, sweat, dead skin cells and bacteria that can block the hair follicles and inflame them. People with oily skin are prone to blackheads so it is advised that they wash at least in the morning and evening with an antibacterial soap to stop the growth of bacteria. Also, it is expected that you wash your body after exercise especially if you sweat. The sweat can clog the follicles and increase your chances of having blackheads.
2. Wearing loose natural clothing: You must have known by now that tight-fitting jeans and leggings can increase your risk of having blackheads. You may say wearing tight clothes during exercises and gym will help to absorb sweat but it can promote the growth of bacteria in many places including the hips. Other than promoting bacterial growth, these clothes can cause more friction in the inner thighs and hips. It is best you use loose fabrics that are breathable like linen or cotton.
3. Avoiding abrasive exfoliation: It is good to exfoliate the skin so as to remove the dead skin cells but doing it roughly can or using harsh scrub can cause inflammation of the hair follicles especially if you have soft and tender skin. You can exfoliate but do it gently and with mild products. You can use regular soft washcloth or nylon shower scrubber to exfoliate.
4. Using the right moisturizer: There are moisturizers that are harmful to the skin, they block the follicles and make blackheads worse. You can choose moisturizers that are non-greasy that have compounds like lactic acid, the lactic acid will keep the the skin moist and loosen dead skin cells thereby preventing follicles from being blocked. You can also use coconut oil to soothe the skin.
THINGS TO AVOID
There are some things you can avoid when treating blackheads on hips and inner thighs, some of them are:
- Popping the bumps
- Exfoliating the skin hard or scrubbing often
- Wearing sweaty clothes especially underwear
- Using harsh or unnecessary chemicals on the body.
CONCLUSION
Blackheads on hips are very common as they occur on the face or even conspicuous part of the body like the ear, they are caused by blocked hair follicles. There are many things that can cause this clogging or blockage like dirt, oil, sweat or even a skin condition known as hidradenitis suppurativa. The treatment for blackheads on hips is dependent on the cause, you can also prevent them by practicing some tips that will help prevent the clogging.