Together, they form a plug inside the pore. Nobody's getting out. This gang can turn into what the scientists call a lesion. The non-inflamed lesions don't have any redness to them. These non-inflamed lesions can stick out from your pores and are very noticeable.
Some people think they're filled with dirt.
But really, the content of the clogged pore can appear black as a result of dark pigment or oxidized oil, not because of dirt. Some non-inflamed lesions look like little white bumps on your skin. What we all know as pimples are really inflamed lesions. It sounds kind of scary, but really it just means that there's been some redness and swelling. This all happens because the bacteria that live in a healthy follicle can break down when the pore's been plugged.