The Pesky Whitehead

Now, I do not mean to post anything super gross right here before Thanksgiving, but a while ago, there was a post dedicated to the blackhead, and I have since neglected to post anything about the other blemish devil- the whitehead.

I will refrain from adding an image, because if you google image "whitehead" I assure you that you won't care for what you see. However, a whitehead is, by look, a small or medium sized white bump on the surface of your skin. You know what I'm talking about.

So what causes them? What are they? And, more importantly, how do we get rid of them? Well, there are no simple answers but I will try to tackle the subject just a bit. As always, if you have severe acne or cystic acne (the kind that hurts to the touch) then please contact your dermatologist. The following information will help for mild to moderate acne, but is not a suitable treatment prescription for more severe acne.

What is a whitehead? Let's start there. Medically speaking, a whitehead is a closed comedo. Often, when people talk about "zits" they mean a whitehead, or group of whiteheads. You may remember that it's cousin, the blackhead, is an open comedo. The difference is simple and fairly easy to understand. A whitehead's pore is closed at the skins surface, meaning that the pus and infection inside has not been exposed to oxygen, therefore keeping it white, and also making it large and perhaps more swollen. The blackhead, which is smaller, flatter, and open, and has a small opening and has been exposed to oxygen, therefore turning the top of infection black. However, they are both made up of the same stuff- sebum, which is an oily substance created by your sebaceous glands.

Are you grossed out yet? I am sure. It's not super glamorous stuff we are talking about here. I'll knock off the yucky medical talk. But, understanding exactly what we are treating does, in fact, help us treat the problem at hand.

You may think that since these pesky whiteheads are made up of oil on and from our skin, that the solution would be to strip the skin of all oil! Well, you'd be wrong. Too often people make that mistake, making their skin red, angry, and often your acne or pimples worse. The human skin, your epidermis, needs oil to stay healthy, happy, and glowing! However, we can gently treat these whiteheads, helping them to go away and stay away!

Your first line of defense is a good face wash. If you are experiencing mild to moderate whitehead breakouts, take a good hard look at your skin care routine. Are you washing your face in the morning and at night? Are you washing all the make up off your face before bed? If you answered "no", then you have a good place to start in the fight against whiteheads! Begin and end each day with a good cleanser. Some of my favorites are Neutrogena's Deep Clean Cream Cleanser and Mario Badescu's Enzyme Cleansing Gel.

Then, depending on the dryness of your skin, you need to exfoliate once or twice a week. I like suki's Lemongrass Cleanser, but it will run you around $45 a jar, which isn't cheap. I can normally find this at Whole Foods. If you are on a budget, you can try the baking soda recipe listed in my previous post. I would only do that once a week, but if your skin is more oily, twice may be suitable for you.

This next step is up for debate and may also be an issue of time. Once you have clean skin, you can do two things. You can use a toner, or you can steam and then use a toner. Toner helps get red of the excess impurities and also helps give skin that balanced and even tone. I personally like Clinique's Clarifying Lotion #2...

...but I am having good results with the previously mentioned Neutrogena's Triple Clean pads, also. This is an important step, so don't leave this out. However, I also like to give my face a good steam before I use toner, I find it really opens the pores and helps the toner do it's job, so you may consider adding steam in your routine if your breakout happens to be fairly severe, or if you have time. It's a good step before bed, as often in the mornings we are rushing out the door!

After toner, use your moisturizer. There are several good kinds out there. At the moment, I am loving Kiehl's Rosa Artica Anti-Aging Moisturizer, as it does not leave me feeling greasy but is also heavy enough for wintertime dryness. In the summer, I can sometimes get away with only a light serum, SkinCeutical's Hydrating B5 Gel, is my favorite. I never go to the beach without this on my face!

Lastly, blast the little sucker overnight with Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion. Try it, you'll thank me. Drying Lotion is one of the only products I have ever found that works to kill the whitehead, but also keep the surrounding skin healthy and moisturized (so you don't end up with a huge, red, blotchy patch that was bigger than the original pimple!).

If breakouts persist, talk to your doctor. Hormones, genetics, stress, lifestyle, and skin care all contribute to whiteheads and acne. You may need something stronger (like medication) to treat your whiteheads, and that's ok! It's important to get the right treatment for your skin so that you feel healthy and beautiful.