Whiteheads can be pesky and getting rid of them may seem like it can take forever but that’s not the case. Getting rid of whiteheads or non-inflammatory acne is rather easy and can be done with the help of simple products like a Salicylic Acid Cleanser or any exfoliating face wash.
How Are Whiteheads Formed?
As the name suggests, Whiteheads are white or yellowish bumps that appear on the skin, especially on the face, neck, back, and chest. Whiteheads or closed comedones are caused when the pilosebaceous orifice is blocked due to dead skin cells or excess sebum, thereby causing raised, bumpy, skin-colored, and smooth papules. There are multiple factors at play in the formation of whiteheads. Although the risk factors mostly include people with oily skin type, anyone can get it.
Other Factors That May Contribute To Whiteheads
Before stepping into that, it’s important to acknowledge that whitehead is a type of acne. To elaborate, acne can be of two major types:
- Non-inflammatory Acne: Whiteheads & Blackheads
- Inflammatory Acne: Papules, Pustules, Nodules, and Cystic Acne.
Therefore, the contributing factors for whiteheads could be:
- Genetics
- Oral Contraceptive Pills
- Hormonal Changes During Different Phases Of Menstrual Cycle
- Puberty
- Pollution
- Lack of a Balanced Diet
- Personal Hygiene
- Inadequate Hydration
- Photo damage
- Humid Weather
What Helps To Get Rid Of Whiteheads Effectively?
Whiteheads can be managed and prevented effectively by gentle cleansing and keeping the sebum production in check and here are the ways to achieve that:
Curating A Skincare Routine
Curating a skincare routine to cater to the skin’s needs, which is specifically designed to address whiteheads/acne, can be of significant help in the long run.
Skincare Routine For Whiteheads
CTM (Cleanser, Toner, Moisturizer) is now the obsolete skincare routine step and lately, it has transitioned to CSM/S(Cleanser, Serum, Moisturizer, and Sunscreen) for optimal skin health. Let’s decode each step to build a better understanding of these:
Cleanser: Including a salicylic acid cleanser or any exfoliating face wash in both, your morning and night skincare routine, would help get rid of the dead skin layer along with controlling excess sebum production thereby supporting skin decongestion and maintaining the skin health. Salicylic acid cleanser is widely recommended by healthcare professionals to help manage whiteheads.
Serum: There are tons of serums available commercially and navigating through them to find the serum that would be effective against whiteheads could be a bit difficult.
Here is a list of ingredients that one could look for while choosing a serum to address whiteheads and blackheads.
- Niacinamide: Niacinamide is a multifaceted ingredient that serves multiple skin concerns and helps regulate sebum production, manages and prevents whiteheads, helps reduce hyperpigmentation, and strengthens the skin barrier. It is one of the most well-tolerated skin ingredients and is compatible with sensitive skin types too.
- Alpha Hydroxy Acid: Alpha Hydroxy Acid or AHA is a family of acids that help with surface-level exfoliation such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid, and tranexamic acid. Including an AHA serum in your skincare routine twice a week could help shed the dead skin layer, and cleanse and unplug pores to help attain clear, clean skin which includes whitehead management and prevention too.
- Beta Hydroxy Acid: Beta Hydroxy Acid majorly pertains to salicylic acid serum. Salicylic acid serum or gel helps in the regulation of excess sebum, deep cleanses pores, and exfoliates dead skin layer thereby fairly helping in managing and preventing whiteheads. Therefore, you can include salicylic acid serum twice a week in either of your skincare routine.
- Retinoids: Including retinoids, strictly in your night skincare routine, helps with multiple skin concerns, as it increases cell turnover thereby not only helping control the acne but also providing anti-aging benefits to the skin. It also boosts collagen production and thus supports skin barrier health. Retinyl palmitate is one of the safest choices among the retinoids according to experts and is a multifaceted molecule at that.
Moisturizer: Choose a lightweight, oil-free, and non-comedogenic moisturizer to help moisturize and hydrate your skin. Moisturizers are essential for maintaining the required hydration levels of the skin and skipping them would trigger sebaceous glands to compensate for the loss of moisture and they may secrete excess sebum while at it which would make skin look oilier and greasier.
Sunscreen: Sunscreen is the most vital part of your morning skincare routine as it protects the skin from harmful UV rays and their damaging effects on the skin. Applying and reapplying sunscreen throughout the day helps prevent photo damage and its ill effects on the skin thereby ensuring proper skin function and optimal health.
Taking a Balanced Diet
Improper diet and not meeting the daily dietary needs further pave the way for nutritional deficiencies that contribute to improper shedding of dead skin layers which further leads to congested skin, taking a balanced diet would ensure proper skin cell regulation and function.
Ample Hydration And Hygiene
Maintaining ample hydration and personal hygiene further helps in the holistic approach towards getting rid of all types of acne including whiteheads.
What Not To Do
- Physical scrubs further may cause micro-tears on your skin thereby causing a compromised skin barrier.
- Applying Benzoyl peroxide may not be helpful as it works by reducing inflammation and inhibiting bacterial growth, which is not the case in the pathophysiology of whiteheads/closed comedones.
- Manual extraction may cause more harm than good as it could be harsh for your skin and its barrier.
- Using comedogenic skincare products further clogs pores and favors the growth of both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne.
- Using DIY sugar/lemon scrub as lemon has a very acidic pH which may disturb the skin’s natural pH and may pave the way for phytophotodermatitis.
Hopefully, this read helped its readers to get an insight into getting rid of whiteheads by the use of simple yet effective over-the-counter products like an Exfoliating Face Wash and a non-comedogenic moisturizer thereby helping in achieving a clear and glowing skin.
