A small dark bump on the skin caused by a pore clogged with dead skin and oil that has oxidized and turned dark, commonly found on the face.
Compound of 'black' + 'head,' named directly for the dark appearance of the comedone's surface. The term has been used for skin conditions since at least the 18th century.
Blackheads aren't actually caused by dirt—the dark color comes from oxidized melanin and sebum, not dirt! This scientific truth wasn't widely understood until dermatology advanced, yet people had been scrubbing their faces trying to clean them for centuries.
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