for the stubborn
blackheads

Both blackheads and whiteheads are a type of non-inflammatory acne commonly known as comedone.

	Blackheads, commonly known as opened comedones, are little bumps or plugs embedded into the pores of our skin, filled with keratin (sloughed off cells) and sebum (an oily secretion of the sebaceous glands), and have undergone a chemical reaction resulting in the oxidation of melanin, which produce a yellowish or blackish in color.
	In contrast, whiteheads (also known as closed comedones), are pores that are filled with the same materials with blackheads (sebum & keratin), but have only a microscopic opening to the skin surface that is not open to the air. The lack of exposure to the air does not lead to the oxidation of melanin, thus the clogged materials stay white.

Blackheads and whiteheads usually concentrate in oily areas of the skin, such as the nose, forehead and chin. These areas of the face have more sebaceous glands than the cheeks and the neck. Blackheads or whiteheads can release its contents to the surface and heal. Or, the follicle wall can rupture and become inflammatory acne (papule, pustule, nodule or cyst). Inflammatory acne can break out and cause blemishes, large pores and eventually acne scars.