It's tempting, but popping or squeezing a pimple won't necessarily get rid of the problem. Squeezing can push bacteria and pus deeper into the skin, which might cause more swelling and redness.
What happens if you don't pop a whitehead is that it goes away on its own, usually in 3 to 7 days. While you're waiting, you can also use makeup to lessen its appearance. Look for a product that is “buildable” (can be applied in layers on your skin).
Most whiteheads go away on their own, but it may take a little time—sometimes up to seven days.
If you push some of the contents inside the pimple deeper into the skin, which often happens, you increase inflammation. This can lead to more-noticeable acne. Some people develop acne scars and pain.
Benzoyl Peroxide: It kills acne-causing bacteria and reduces excess oil, which clogs pores. Salicylic Acid: It's oil-soluble, so it penetrates deep into pores to break down oil and dirt in the skin, reducing blackheads and whiteheads.
Whiteheads develop when dead skin cells, sebum (oil), and dirt clog your pores. Unlike blackheads, which can be pushed out, whiteheads are closed within the pore. This can make treatment a bit more challenging.
As a general rule, you should never attempt to pop your pimple yourself. If you attempt to pop a pimple and end up breaking your skin barrier, you risk permanent acne scarring.
While blackheads can be professionally extracted, you should never have whiteheads removed. Extracting these comedones can cause impurities to spread which can actually cause more whiteheads or blackheads to form. Similar to popping blemishes, extracting or picking at whiteheads can also leave a mark or dark spot.
Don't poke too early. Wait until your pimple has a firm white head. That means the pus is close to the surface and ready to be drained.
Use a hydrocortisone cream as a spot treatment.
In this instance, use it as a spot treatment, and try to leave it on for around 15 minutes before rinsing it off. The longer you let it sit, the more effective it will be when you try to shrink the pimple.
Mild pimples that you treat well can disappear within days. However, severe pimples that you pop and bother could last up to six weeks, if not longer.
Products: “Using products that are either too rich or too irritating to this delicate area of the face can cause whiteheads to form. Improper cleansing or over-exfoliating can lead to a rash that includes redness and whiteheads” says Dr. Day.
Whiteheads are actually evidence that your body is attempting to push out an infection. The small bump of an infected pore indicates your skin's efforts to push out any bacteria present. While whiteheads may seem like they pop up overnight, the formation of these closed comedones can actually take up to two months.
Examples include white bread, corn flakes, puffed rice, potato chips, white potatoes or fries, doughnuts or other pastries, sugary drinks such as milkshakes, and white rice. Findings from small studies suggest that following a low-glycemic diet may reduce the amount of acne you have.
Stage 2: The pimple has emerged (whitehead or pustule)
As white blood cells attempt to fight the pimple, they die and accumulate, creating a whitehead or a pustule. Whiteheads are small, pus-filled pimples covered with a thin layer of skin that appears as a white bump.
People cannot remove pimples overnight, but home care can lessen swelling and may improve the appearance of pimples. Keeping the area clean, using ice, and hot compresses can help. For persistent or recurring pimples, people may wish to try acne treatments.
Additionally, popping or picking the whitehead is likely to break the skin open. This can leave an open wound that bacteria can enter, causing an infection. The surrounding skin may also become inflamed and irritated, and the wound may lead to scarring.
"Cleanse the affected area with a gentle exfoliator like salicylic acid and/or anti-bacterial agent like benzoyl peroxide, then apply a warm compress. Use Q-tips to pop your whitehead. Then, wrap clean tissue paper around your fingers or a Q-tip in each hand.
Whiteheads occur when skin cells, oil, and bacteria combine to create a white tip of oil-skin mixture. A whitehead looks like a small pimple, but the area around it will not be inflamed and red.
If you have a whitehead
"Apply a thick matte concealer that matches the shade of your foundation. Use a thin brush and just dab on the acne and the area surrounded it, and then set with a same coloured setting powder (not the translucent kind).
The stress-acne connection
Stress won't give you acne if you're not already predisposed to it, but it can make acne worse by causing levels of certain hormones to temporarily increase. “When your fight-or-flight response is activated, the body releases stress hormones, such as cortisol and androgens,” Dr.
Blackheads and whiteheads are both clogged with the same thing: Dead skin cells (which your skin is always shedding), Propionibacterium acnes (a bacteria that lives on your skin), and sebum (an oily substance secreted by tiny glands inside your pores).