The Two Most Common Types of Acne: Whiteheads and Blackheads
One of the most embarrassing things to deal with when experiencing a breakout are the whiteheads the come with it. Those little white dots seem to draw people’s attention straight to them. They are not pleasant to look at and they could erupt at any moment. The other type of acne is blackheads. Although these aren’t as unsightly as whiteheads they give an unclean or unhealthy appearance to the skin.
Whiteheads are caused by the pore becoming clogged with oil produced by the sebaceous gland, dead skin cells that stick to the skin and bacteria that grow inside of dirty pores. The white part of the whitehead for which it gets its name is caused by the pore having such a tiny opening that it doesn’t let oxygen inside the pore keeping its contents light colored. The pore opening is so small that it traps the contents inside not allowing it to be released until the bubble weakens and erupts. This type of acne can be found all over the face and shoulders.
Blackheads are formed inside pores that have also become filled with oil, dead skin cells, bacteria, and any other debris the pore can collect. These pores have oversized openings that allow more contents to build up inside them. Because the pore is open the contents gets to mix with air causing a reaction that turns the pore black in color. This type of acne doesn’t tend to erupt like a whitehead. You can usually find this type of acne hanging out on the nose or around the lips and cheeks.
Both types of acne are very similar in that they contain oil, dead skin cells and bacteria but what sets them apart is the pore they clog up. When the pore has a large opening we get a blackhead but if the pore has a tiny opening then a whitehead is formed.
