Whiteheads – Causes and Treatments

Adults who frequently have outbreaks of whiteheads often feel at a loss because they don’t know how to prevent acne from forming. Many of them try scrubbing their skin in the vain hope that they can eliminate whiteheads. Scrubbing, however, rarely does anything but inflame the already painful pimples. If you learn more about what whiteheads are and how they form, then you will start to understand which treatments can work best for you.

How Whiteheads Form in Adults

Whiteheads form when bacteria get trapped inside of pores by oil and dead skin cells. The bacteria feed off of the skin oil inside of the pore, so they can propagate quickly and cause inflammation. The result is a sore, irritated pore: a pimple. Since soap does not easily wash away oil, scrubbing can actually make matters worse by encouraging the sebaceous glands to produce more oil.

Whiteheads have small openings on the skin’s surface, so the pus inside never gets a chance to oxidize. This is the main difference between whiteheads and blackheads. The two different types of pimples, however, often respond well to the same treatments.

Preventing Whiteheads in Adults

If scrubbing with soap and water does not prevent whiteheads, then what options do adults have?

Some of the most effective over-the-counter treatments are creams and gels that contain benzoyl peroxide. Companies like Proactiv make a wide variety of products that contain this ingredient. Benzoyl peroxide is an effective treatment because it breaks up oil and dead skin cells. This allows the ingredient to penetrate the pore, where it destroys bacteria on contact.

As an additional benefit, benzoyl peroxide acts as an oxidizer that introduces more oxygen to the skin. This makes it more difficult for bacteria to grow there in the future.

Most adults respond well to OTC treatments like Proactiv that contain low amounts of benzoyl peroxide. A 2.5 percent concentration will usually eliminate whiteheads within a short period of time. Depending on your specific case, though, the treatment could take a few weeks to produce positive effects.

If your skin continues to develop whiteheads after a few weeks, then you can try products with higher concentrations of benzoyl peroxide. In general, though, you should use the smallest amount of active ingredient as possible. Benzoyl peroxide can cause side effects such as dry skin, flaking, and irritation. Products that contain higher concentrations are more apt to cause side effects.

Prescription Treatments that Prevent Whiteheads in Adults

Some adults find that OTC treatments don’t eliminate their whiteheads. This is rare, but it happens to some people. In this case, you may want to visit a dermatologist to learn more about prescription treatments. Dermatologists often use topical and oral antibiotics to attack the bacteria.

Prescription medications can also cost a lot of money, especially if you don’t have medical insurance that covers the treatment. It is, therefore, usually best to try a few OTC treatments to see if they will help clear your skin before you spend a lot of money on prescription options.