Whiteheads: Causes, Myths and Treating Options

When you are taking good care of your overall body functioning and your physical health, do not forget to care for your skin as well. The skin is a very important part of the human body and one of the major sense organs that are used to sense touch and feel external environments. So, you must take proper care of it and make sure that the skin is not affected by any type of harmful skin condition. Whitehead is a type of skin problem that occurs when there are dead skin cells clogged in the opening of the pores that are present on the surface of your skin. These are a type of skin acne, and they are very common to appear on the skin, especially for those who have much amounts of oil and dirt on their skin surface.

Know about Whiteheads

There are very few people who are not aware of what whiteheads are all about. Whiteheads, also scientifically known as acne vulgaris, are very frequently found to appear on the skin, especially when you have an increased amount of oil, dirt, and dead skin cells accumulated on the surface of your skin and they mostly occur on the face. Apart from that, whiteheads can also occur on any part of the skin, such as on the neck, at the back, on your chest, and on several other parts of the body. It has been found that the occurrence of whiteheads is more common among young people, mostly teenagers and adolescents who have just entered their puberty. But nowadays, whiteheads are occurring among adults as well. The appearance of whiteheads is a quite common type of skin problem that is quite usual to occur. In fact, whiteheads are a type of acne that develops on the surface of your skin, and they can make your skin look unhealthy and oily. Though the appearance of whiteheads on your skin, especially on your face, might not be harmful to the overall health of your skincare, it is very much advisable to remove the whiteheads on your skin, if any, and thus your skin will look much healthier and more glowing. The occurrence of whiteheads can be easily treated through several easy steps. But the major change that needs to be brought first to treat whiteheads and any kind of skin acne is to switch to a healthy lifestyle and have a healthy and balanced diet that is rich in enough amount of healthy nutrients. But sometimes, certain types of medical treatments and dermatological care are also required to treat acne and whiteheads.

Where do whiteheads usually occur?

There is no such spot for the occurrence of whiteheads, as whiteheads can appear on any part of the body. But whiteheads more commonly occur on the T-zone of the face, which mostly includes the forehead, nose, and chin. Not only whiteheads, but there are also different types of acne that can appear in this area. Apart from these areas, whiteheads can also occur on your arms and shoulders. Acne can appear among both men and women, but it has been found that the occurrence of whiteheads is more common among teens.

Most common reasons occurrence of whiteheads

In general, just like any other type of acne, whiteheads occur because of excessive amounts of oil and dirt deposition on your skin and face. It is important to understand the causes behind the appearance of whiteheads so that you can take the necessary steps that will help to prevent the further occurrence of whiteheads on your face and skin. This condition leads to the clogging of pores at the opening of the follicles and whiteheads start developing on the skin surface. The skin has hair follicles and sebaceous glands that secrete oil, but when these oils cannot be removed, they mix with oil, dirt, and other micro-organisms on the skin and face, such as bacteria, viruses, and so on, and thus forms small, white bumps on the skin, that are known as comedones. There are several other causes behind the occurrence of whiteheads apart from clogged pores. Some of those causes may be listed here as follows:

• Rapid changes in the hormonal secretion that triggers acne synthesis, especially during phases like menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and so on
• Whiteheads start appearing on the skin when you enter puberty
• Use of contraceptives that regulate your hormonal levels, especially the levels of progesterone hormones
• Increased secretion of oil or sebum from the sebaceous gland
• Higher levels of acne or whitehead-causing bacteria on your skin
• Abnormal synthesis of keratin protein that is responsible for the growth and wellness of hair, nails, and skin.

Besides the above-mentioned causes, some of the recent studies (1) and experimental research works are concluding that the occurrence of acne on the skin, especially whiteheads, can be genetic. If there is someone in your family who has a higher amount of acne or whiteheads on their skin, then there is a chance that you can get more whiteheads as well. There is also another chance of developing whiteheads, that is, when some areas of your skin undergo a lot of friction, for example on the chin whiteheads might start to appear.

Myths and Misconceptions about Whiteheads

There are a few myths and misconceptions related to the occurrence of whiteheads. It is important to remember that whiteheads are a type of acne that has to be removed from the skin to clear the pores and pull the clog and dirt out of the follicles. The common myths about whiteheads are listed below:

• Oily foods do not lead to the development of whiteheads and acne
• If you wash your face too rough, you can irritate the skin and the conditions of whiteheads may become far more severe
• There is no such link between dirt clogs and acne
• Proper washing and scrubbing do not prevent whiteheads

Best medical treatment options to cure and prevent Whiteheads

Dermatologists often recommend a healthy treatment option to prevent the occurrence of acne and whiteheads and thus help to take good care of your overall skin. Some of the best medical treatments for curing acne and whiteheads can be given below:

• Retinoids: Also known as vitamin A derivatives, these are very much useful for getting healthy skin and help to clear out clogged pores that can prevent the occurrence of both whiteheads and blackheads

• Azelaic acid: This is a type of natural acid that is kills acne-causing germs and thus helps to prevent the occurrence of whiteheads

• Salicylic acid: This is an important component to treat the oil, dirt, and germs present on the surface of your skin and therefore helps to reduce the risk of developing whiteheads

• Benzoyl peroxide: This is another type of chemical compound that is used mostly in the form of a gel or wash, to clear out the clog, dirt, and dead skin cells, and destroy the germs that cause whiteheads.

Home remedies to prevent the occurrence of Whiteheads

Though medical treatments are some of the easiest and fastest ways of destroying germs, dirt, and dead skin cells, and thus treating whiteheads, using these types of chemical products can cause a great amount of negative impact and damage to your skin. Thus, to avoid such side effects, it is crucial to follow some home remedies. Given below are some of the best options for home remedies to clear out acne and whiteheads:

• Try to apply a warm compress on the area where the whiteheads have grown to clear out the pores

• Clean your hands properly before popping the whiteheads

• Apply a very low amount of pressure and gently wipe out the whiteheads using cotton pads

• Rinse the area properly with clean water

Best natural tips to apply for preventing Whiteheads

It is quite essential to adopt certain ways so that you can prevent the occurrence of whiteheads on your skin and face. In that case, if you wish to make sure that whiteheads do not appear further and to avoid any type of side effects on your skin. In that case, you must opt for some natural ways to prevent whiteheads. Some of the best natural tips for preventing whiteheads are listed below:

• Apply tea-tree oil for its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties

• Put on aloe vera gel or aloe vera extracts for reducing oil, dirt, and germs

• Protect your skin with vitamin A cream

But you must also remember the following:

• Application of apple cider vinegar or any citrus juice (lemon juice) can be acidic if you have sensitive skin

• Sugar crystals are not good for the skin as they worsen inflammation

• Baking soda is harsh on your skin