Blackheads and Whiteheads aren't created equal - or are they?

Some types of acne never get past the beginning stage. They stay inside the follicle, oil comes out to the top and eventually, the skin removes it. But, some do turn into what we refer to as acne. As dead skin collects and oil increases, you can see and feel the bump. It can turn into a blackhead – where the pore is open at the top and is dark in appearance. Incidentally, this dark appearance isn’t dirt, as some believe. It’s actually skin pigment. Blackheads usually aren’t our biggest problem because they typically don’t turn into the red bothersome acne…and they don’t usually leave scars. They can stay in the pore from days to years! A whitehead on the other hand, is a closed comedo. It gets bigger and there’s usually a tiny white bump on the top of your skin.

This is what is considered noninflammatory acne: blackheads, whiteheads or a combination of these. Inflammatory acne are considered the pimples, papules, pustules and cysts.