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As common as it is to experience acne, (in fact about 85 percent of people ages 12 to 24 will experience it, according to the American Academy of Dermatology), it’s still never fun when a breakout pops up and catches you off guard. Not only can it be confusing understanding the type of acne that you have, but you never know if post-acne scarring is in your future, which is another conversation entirely.
Still, there is one type of acne that feels pretty universally annoying: whiteheads. They are a skin-care frustration shared by many and get their name from the white-hued bump that develops just under the surface of the skin. “[They] are formed when a pore gets blocked,” board-certified dermatologist Robyn Gmyrek previously told POPSUGAR. “Inside the blocked pore, dead skin cells, oil, and bacteria get trapped.” Also called closed comedones, whiteheads are typically small and round in appearance and can sometimes break open and become oozy.
Dealing with a whitehead can be quite a task, but if you’re anything like us, the quest to find the best whitehead products is, dare we say . . . kind of enjoyable? Prevention is the ultimate goal, but when you inevitably wake up with a new friend on your nose, you’ll want to have the right treatments on hand. From acne patches to moisturizers, the following whitehead treatments should be in your medicine cabinet.
— Additional reporting by Ariel Baker