What Are Blackheads and Whiteheads?

Blackheads are named as they are as a result of the fact that they are traditionally black in color. And despite the common misconception this is due to a pigment called melanin and not a result of poor hygiene.

Blackhead is one of the more common types of acne; another closely related form of acne is the whitehead. Both of these are mild and tend not to be inflammatory forms of acne. Other, mildly inflammatory forms of acne include popules, postules, nodules, and cysts.

Blackhead formation is generally the result of excess sebum (an oily substance released in to the dermis by the sebaceous gland) that gets trapped in the pores of the skin. While trapped, they tend to clog and form a type of 'plug'. Whiteheads are formed in a very similar manner, the noticeable difference being the plugs located much deeper within the layers of the skin.

When there is an infection beneath the plug, an overpopulation of white blood cells results. These blood cells battle against acne causing bacteria and mild inflammatory acne is formed. The area on the skin then becomes red and inflamed. There are two forms of mild inflammatory acne. There are popules, which are red, inflamed acne and postules, which tend to have a collection of white matter in the center known as pus.

How To Get Rid of Blackheads and Whiteheads

Topical over the counter treatments are an excellent first line of defense for this type of acne as both a pre-treatment and preventative medication and as a medication to prevent the attack from worsening or becoming infected. Some of the more common treatments for these milder forms of acne include:

1) Benzoyl Peroxide. Combine this treatment with soap and water and you have the most basic treatment available and you don't have to have a prescription. This is a very common first attack treatment of acne and if this doesn't work then you might want to contact a doctor about an effective alternative and escalating form of treatment.
2) Antibiotics. These will require a doctor's prescription in order to receive. However, they are great and effective treatments for strains of acne that prove resistant to the initial course of treatment.
3) Stronger medications designed to inhibit the production of sebum.
4) Acne surgery. While there are many extenuating circumstances that must be taken into account first, this is rarely a first choice and generally used after other reasonable methods have been exhausted without results.

You should never try popping blackheads or whiteheads, no matter what your grandmother, Aunt Sally, or monkey's uncle might have told you. Popping them increases the risk of infection and scarring and is a shock to your bodies self defense mechanisms. It is also important that you use your medicine the way your doctor prescribed. There are reasons for the instructions, follow them.

Acne surgery is a last resort treatment and should only be performed by an expert. While it may be used to treat mild inflammatory acne, it is not the first choice of many, especially when so many options exist to be exhausted before resorting to rather extreme treatment course.