Ugh. When I was younger — I guess around puberty age — my upper arms started to develop a strange rash. According to the doctor and dermatologist, I had whiteheads. And now here I am, fast approaching thirty, and the whiteheads are on the move. They’re spreading from my upper arms onto my forearms. So I figured it was time to do a little research.
Acne facts:
- Acne is the most common skin disease treated by physicians
- More than 85% of adolescents and young adults have some form of acne
- Only about one third of people with acne actually talk to their doctor about it
- Blackheads and whiteheads are a type of acne called comedones
All acne is a problem with a pilosebaceous unit — a hair follicle, a hair, and a sebaceous gland. The gland produces sebum, an oily substance that helps keep your skin and hair moisturized. If the sebum gets trapped in your hair follicle, that’s when you start to have acne problems. In the case of whiteheads and blackheads, the bacteria in the trapped sebum causes changes to the hair follicle lining and forms comedones — little plugs.
Blackheads are open comedones — follicles with a wider opening than normal. Air that gets in through the wider openings causes oxidation. The plugs are darker in color, giving blackheads their name. Whiteheads are closed comedones — follicles with a microscopic opening to the skin surface. The material inside cannot oxidize and remains white.
The treatment plan for blackheads and whiteheads is relatively simple: wash daily with a mild soap. Don’t go crazy scrubbing — you might just irritate your skin further. You don’t have to restrict your diet — blackheads and whiteheads are not caused by the things you eat. Avoid oil-based makeup if the problem is on your face. Benzoyl peroxide (commonly found in many acne treatments) can help reduce the plugging that causes comedones. Vitamin A can help increase cell turnover and help clear out plugged follicles.
Learn more: