Dermatologists explain how salicylic acid and retinoids help get rid of whiteheads, and why squeezing them can cause inflammation, pigmentation and scarring.
Few things are quite as tempting – or as frustrating – as a whitehead that refuses to budge. You know the ones – those tiny, white or flesh-coloured bumps that seem to appear overnight, leaving your complexion looking and feeling less than smooth.
And if you've ever tried to conceal them with foundation, you'll know that full-coverage formula can disguise discolouration, but there's little it can do to hide uneven skin texture.
The instinct, of course, is to squeeze them out. But before you reach for the bathroom mirror, here's what dermatologists want you to know: Whiteheads aren't quite the same as blackheads, and treating them like an ordinary pimple could leave you with a bigger skin problem.
According to Dr Stephanie Ho, a consultant dermatologist and skin specialist, whiteheads form when excess oil and dead skin cells clog a hair follicle, while a thin layer of skin continues to cover its opening.
Blackheads, on the other hand,…