pimples

What is a blackhead?

Blackheads (or comedones) are non-inflamed lesions and happen when an overactive sebaceous (oil) gland is clogged with sebum (oil), dead skin cells and sometimes bacteria.

These nasties combine to act like a plug, since the plug surface is open it comes in contact with light and air and oxidizes making it change colour (like when a cut apple turns brown as it’s exposed to oxygen). Contrary to what you might think it's not dirt stuck in your pores.

What is a whitehead?

Whiteheads (or closed comedones or milia) are non-inflamed pimples where an impaction has hardened in the follicle and dead skin cells have grown over the opening/surface of the follicle, or the follicle opening is very small, trapping the congestion inside the skin.

As the opening is closed over, it can’t oxidize like a blackhead so the material within the follicle remains white. Whiteheads are commonly found where the skin is finer (eg around the eyes and tops of the cheeks).

Nodules

A nodule is a solid, dome shape or irregular shaped lesion. It's characterised by inflammation and extends into the deeper layers of the skin, can be painful and may cause tissue destruction that can result in scarring.

Cysts

A cyst is a sac like lesion containing liquid or semi-liquid material consisting of white blood cells, dead cells and bacteria. It's larger than the average pimple, may be inflamed and extends into deeper layers of the skin, may be very painful and can also result in scarring.
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Hit the spot!

Don't squeeze and pick your breakouts, picking can lead to long term scarring. Plus the bacteria on your hands and under your finger nails can make the break out worse taking longer to heal. Try to avoid removing blackheads yourself too – leave it to the professionals – you run the risk of damaging the skin and causing broken capillaries (blood vessels).

Instead try a concentrated spot treatment on your breakouts, like Hit The Spot with Zinc Sulfate that helps eliminate bacteria and control breakout activity.

As a preventative, a product like Bedtime For Breakouts which you apply at night is a treatment which helps wipe out future breakouts, reduce redness as well as clearing under the surface congestion (lumps and bumps).