How Do I Get Rid of Whiteheads on My Chin?
Whether you're battling blackheads or trying to wipe out whiteheads, acne is never fun. When pesky whiteheads show up on your chin, there are numerous over-the-counter products and prescription medications that feature the zit-zapping ingredients you need to release the trapped oil and dirt. There's also another important piece to the blemish-banishing puzzle -- a strict cleansing routine. Be diligent with washing, toning and moisturizing to keep bacteria at bay and your skin looking healthy.
Young woman applying cover up and blush (Image: AVAVA/iStock/Getty Images)Step 1
Take a hotter-than-normal shower a few times a week. The steam will soften the pores on your chin and help bring your pimples to a head.
Step 2
Place a dollop of acne-fighting cleanser on your fingertips and gently rub your face in small circles. Pay particular attention to the chin area where your pimples are most likely to pop up due to hormonal fluctuations, dirt from your hands and oils from food. Rinse with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel. Read the ingredients on your cleanser and make sure it includes alpha-hydroxy acid or salicylic acid, which work to unclog pores.
Step 3
Scoop out a generous amount of an acne-fighting clay mask onto your fingers. Smooth the mask over your entire face or simply cover the chin area where your whiteheads are a problem. The mask is used to draw your whiteheads even closer to the surface and clean out the dirt from the sebaceous glands. Keep the mask on just until you start to see it lighten in color; this is the point at which the mask has sopped up the excess oil and stimulated blood flow. Rinse with warm water and pat your face dry with a towel.
Step 4
Cover a whitehead with the small end of your extraction tool. Press down firmly to release the puss and dirt trapped in the pustule. If the whitehead doesn't pop, refrain from pushing down harder, which can lead to an impacted pimple or scarring. Instead, wait another day or so and try again.
Step 5
Pour some alcohol-free toner onto your cotton pad. Swipe the pad around your entire face and pay special attention to your forehead, jawline and chin. Toner is used to wipe up any remains from your cleanser and mask, take away dead skin cells and set the stage for acne-fighting products to penetrate your skin. According to New York-based dermatologist Dr. Jennifer MacGregor, choose one with beta- and alpha-hydroxy acids to help exfoliate your chin.
Step 6
Dab a pea-size amount of benzoyl peroxide onto your fingertip. Place the product onto your chin and smooth gently over your whiteheads. Benzoyl peroxide kills the bacteria in whiteheads, prohibits oil production and helps get rid of cellular debris that might otherwise be lurking under the skin. It's a good idea to start with the lowest strength -- 2.5 percent -- and see how your skin reacts.
Step 7
Slather oil-free moisturizer with a built-in sunscreen onto your entire face every morning. This is an essential part of your cleansing routine because the products you're using to get rid of whiteheads can be drying and irritating to your skin. Find a moisturizer with aloe, lavender or witch hazel -- three ingredients that aid in soothing the area around your chin.
Step 8
Stay away from makeup, sunscreen, hair products and moisturizers that contain oil. Your goal is to get rid of the oil on your chin, not add more to it. Look for face and hair products that say oil-free or noncomedogenic, fragrance-free and hypoallergenic. These kinds of products help get rid of your whiteheads without the added ingredients that can irritate your skin or worsen your acne.
Things You'll Need
Acne-fighting cleanser
Towel
Clay mask
Stainless-steel extraction tool
Toner
Cotton pads
Benzoyl peroxide
Oil-free moisturizer
Tip
Always start with clean hands before touching your whiteheads to ensure that bacteria from your fingers does not further infect your skin.
Visit a dermatologist if your whiteheads do not lessen within 6 to 8 weeks of using non-prescription medication.
If your whiteheads become inflamed, apply a cold compress twice a day for 5 minutes to your chin. The cold will help calm the skin and make the swelling go down.
Warning
Leaving your mask on past the the "sticky point" can cause your skin to dry out or get irritated.
Use a clay mask a twice a week only.
