Guide To Whiteheads

Whiteheads - or closed comedones - are one of the most common skin concerns people face. If you notice any small, hard, white bumps on your face or body, you’re probably dealing with whiteheads. Luckily, they’re usually not painful and are preventable and treatable. We’re going to take a look at what whiteheads are, what causes them and how you can safely treat them at home.

What are whiteheads?

A whitehead is a blocked pore - also known as a comedo (or comedones). When these comedones get clogged up with things like dead skin and oil, they form into small, hard white bump

This happens because our skin has sebaceous glands, oil glands that produce sebum to keep the skin moisturized and protected. If a layer of dead cells builds up at the opening of a pore, the sebum can’t leave and block the gland. If this becomes inflamed, it turns into a pimple.

Whiteheads are usually not painful, but if left untreated, the bacteria that naturally occurs on our faces can start feeding off the blockage. This causes the skin to become inflamed and can create sore pustules.

Comedones can be closed (a whitehead) or open. Comedones that reach the surface of the skin and open up are called open comedones or blackheads. They are black because of the sebum’s exposure to air.

Whiteheads belong in the classification of mild acne, as this generally refers to comedones or small pimples. For reference, here are the different types of acne:

Common Areas For Whiteheads

Whiteheads can be found all over the face and body, but are particularly common on the T-zone (forehead, nose and chin), back, shoulders, chest and arms. These areas are known for having more pores and are likely to produce more oil, hence increasing the chance of whiteheads occurring.

What causes Whiteheads?

Causes of whiteheads are likely to be physical or environmental. Here is a list of the most common:

• Hormones, particularly in teenagers, premenstrual women and women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
• Excessive touching of the skin can encourage bacteria to spread and cause irritation, both of which can contribute to the formation of whiteheads. Picking or squeezing whiteheads can make them worse by causing inflammation.
• The use of certain products can cause blockages in pores and result in whiteheads. Wax and oil-based products (such as hair sculpting gels and oil-based makeup) tend to be more likely to cause blocked pores.
• Washing your face too often can have a detrimental effect on acne and whiteheads. Although this sounds counter-intuitive, over-washing and scrubbing can be bad as it strips your face of the protective layer of natural oils produced by your body.

Acne Face Mapping

Another way at looking at what causes whiteheads is Acne Face Mapping. Acne Face Mapping is from Traditional Chinese Medicine, and is believed to help you figure out the underlying cause of your breakouts.

Whiteheads in certain areas may indicate the following:

• T-zone (forehead and nose) - underlying cause commonly believed to be oil production and/or makeup buildup.
• Chin - often caused by hormones.
• Cheeks - acne in this area is also an indication of hormonal imbalance.
• Back - the skin on your back has a lot of comedones that can become clogged with dead skin cells and oils. Because we tend to pay less attention to the skin on our back than we do our face, there is a high chance of developing whiteheads there.

While there are many things which can cause whiteheads in different areas, eating a clean diet free from processed foods and having a dedicated skincare routine that suits your skin type can help combat acne.

How to get rid of Whiteheads

Whiteheads can be treated with products that can be found in the aisles of a drugstore, with over-the-counter creams, or with medication prescribed by a doctor or dermatologist. These products can include exfoliation pads, creams, lotions or oral medication.

The following is a list of key ingredients that are useful in getting rid of whiteheads:

• Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA’s) - these exfoliate the face by using chemicals rather than physical scrubbing. AHA’s work by breaking down and sloughing off the dead skin cells that block pores. AHA's often work better as a preventative measure rather than for treating existing whiteheads.
• Salicylic acid (BHA's) - works by clearing out the inside of the hair follicles, and removing the dirt that can cause whiteheads. Salicylic acid also has anti-inflammatory properties which can help with redness. Here is a list of our top BHA products!
• Benzoyl peroxide - this works by killing bacteria, removing any excess sebum (the oil our skin produces) and by removing dead skin cells. It comes in strengths ranging from 2.5% to 10% and is usually found as a topical gel, although you can also find it in lotions and creams. (Please be aware that benzoyl peroxide can be extremely drying on the skin, especially in stronger concentrations, so be careful if you choose to introduce it into your skincare routine.)
• Tea-tree oil - this has long been a popular “natural remedy” for acne. Tea-tree oil is known for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which can help fight acne, making it a popular product in cleansers and as a topical treatment.

While these ingredients can be very effective in the treatment and prevention of acne, they can have some serious side effects such as dry skin, burning and redness. Because of this, you should be very careful in your selection of treatment and think about consulting a dermatologist first if you have very sensitive skin or severe acne.

How to Prevent Whiteheads

The best treatment is prevention! We’ve put together this example of a daily routine for preventing acne and also for treating it should you suffer from a flare-up:

AM Routine

• Wash with a gentle cleanser.
• Use a toner or treatment containing salicylic acid.
• Moisturise with an oil-free moisturiser.
• Apply SPF.

PM Rountine

• Wash/remove any makeup with a gentle cleanser.
• Exfoliate with an AHA product. (Only repeat this step two to three times per week to give the skin a resting period.)
• Tone or spot treat with a salicylic acid product. If you are suffering from a particularly bad flare up, try using benzoyl peroxide in place of salicylic acid.
• Moisturise.

Whiteheads can be super annoying, that’s why we created this super simple list of things you can do right now to treat them! As always, we recommend patch-testing any new additions to your routine to test for sensitivity.

5 steps to help treat whiteheads right now:

1. Avoid touching or picking at your whiteheads as this can make them worse.
2. Try introducing an AHA to your routine (use once or twice a week to remove dead skin cells). Check out our guide to AHA here.
3. Spot treat with a salicylic acid product. You can use this daily but start a few times a week to make sure your skin can handle this ingredient!. (Note: Use this after the AHA product to ensure maximum effectiveness.) If you’ve already tried salicylic acid as a spot treatment and haven’t seen any progress, try introducing benzoyl peroxide.
4. Try assessing any products you are currently using, as well as any new ones you plan to introduce by analyzing the ingredients to see if they may be breaking you out.
5. Read up on how to choose the right products for your acne-prone skin.