White plugs in your skin are most commonly whiteheads, a common type of acne lesion.
Understanding Whiteheads
Whiteheads are a form of closed pimple that develop when a hair follicle or pore beneath the skin's surface becomes blocked. This blockage is primarily caused by a sebum plug. Sebum is the natural oil produced by your skin, and when it combines with dead skin cells, it can create a plug that traps the oil and cells within the pore.
Key characteristics of whiteheads include:
- They are typically smooth to the touch.
- They may be surrounded by inflamed or red skin, indicating a localized irritation.
- Unlike blackheads, which have an opening to the skin's surface and appear dark due to oxidation, whiteheads are "closed," meaning the pore opening is covered by a thin layer of skin.
How Do Sebum Plugs Form?
Sebum plugs are essentially a mixture of:
- Excess sebum: Overproduction of skin oil, often due to hormonal changes.
- Dead skin cells: Skin naturally sheds dead cells, but sometimes they don't flake off properly and accumulate within the pore.
- Bacteria: While not the primary cause of the initial plug, bacteria can thrive in blocked pores, leading to inflammation and infection.
When these components combine and become trapped, they form the visible white plug beneath the skin's surface, leading to the appearance of a whitehead.
Why Are They White?
The "white" appearance of these plugs is due to the fact that the pore is closed. The trapped sebum and dead skin cells are not exposed to air, preventing oxidation that would otherwise turn the plug dark (as seen in blackheads).
