Closed Comedones / Whiteheads

At Ai Beauty Clinic in London, our medical-aesthetic specialists offer advanced, non-surgical treatments to clear closed comedones safely and effectively — restoring smoother, clearer skin without damaging the surrounding tissue. Whether you’re dealing with stubborn whiteheads on your face, chin, or forehead, our UK-regulated clinic tailors every plan to your skin type and lifestyle.

Ready to clear your skin? Book a free consultation today or send us a message using the form below — and discover how professional whitehead removal in London can transform your complexion.
 

What is a comedone?

Comedone is a trapped hair follicle, which has a raised bumpy touch. There are two common types of comedone: closed and open.

○ Open comedone: Also known as blackheads, has a open top, easy to remove by squeezing;

○ Closed comedone: Also known as whitehead. It has a closed top, therefore, the sebum in the hair follicle has not made contact with the air and has not been oxidised (Comedone with oxidised sebum will turn black and is referred as blackhead). Closed comedone can appear as a white bump or red bump under the skin. White bump indicates no sign of inflammation reaction while red bump indicates otherwise that could lead to acne formation.

Frequently Asked Questions About Closed Comedones (Whiteheads)

1) What are closed comedones?

Closed comedones are a mild form of acne where pores become clogged with sebum, dead skin cells, and debris but remain sealed by a layer of skin. This creates small, flesh-coloured bumps that often feel rough or bumpy to the touch.

2) What causes closed comedones?

They are commonly triggered by excess oil production, hormonal changes, using comedogenic skincare products, or inadequate cleansing. Friction from masks or hats can also contribute to pore blockages.

3) How can I treat them at home?

It’s not recommended to squeeze or extract whiteheads yourself — this often worsens inflammation or causes scarring. Professional extraction and targeted treatments are far safer and more effective.

4) What treatments remove whiteheads effectively in London?

At Ai Beauty Clinic, we use advanced, non-invasive treatments such as medical facials, chemical peels, and laser-based therapies to clear closed comedones without damaging the skin. All procedures are performed by qualified practitioners in our London, UK clinic..

5) How long does it take to see results?

Many clients notice smoother skin and fewer whiteheads within 2–4 weeks, though a personalised plan may require multiple sessions depending on the severity and skin type.

6) How can I book a consultation?

You can easily request a free consultation or treatment plan by filling out the form on this page or calling our London clinic. We’ll assess your skin and recommend the safest and most effective solution.

In general, closed comedone is a mild form of acne which is also referred to as whitehead. Androgen hormone is a sex hormone that has a higher secretion level during puberty. A high secretion of androgen hormone will stimulate the sebaceous glands of the hair follicles to produce an excess amount of sebum. However, if the opening of the follicles is closed because of the keratinisation. The resulting sebum, shedding cells and bacteria in the follicles cannot move to the surface and eventually are trapped in the follicles. Therefore, it is called the closed comedone.

Causes

Whiteheads are usually caused by excessive production of sebum. The opening of the hair follicle is closed due to the keratinisation; therefore, the sebum cannot reach the surface of the skin and get trapped in the follicle, forming a bum under the skin without an opening on the top.

Some risk factors for closed comedone include:

1. Hormonal change

Some behaviours such as unhealthy sleep patterns, high fat and/or sugar consumption, and overworked lifestyle can cause hormonal change. The hormonal change can cause a water-oil imbalance of the skin. Also, the androgen hormone will increase, which will stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce excessive sebum.

2. Bad eating habits

Some diet preferences may increase the risk of greasy skin and formation of comedone. They include high sugar and/or fat consumption, milk intake, diet with lack of vitamins B and unhealthy diet. People who have prolonged issues with closed comedone are recommended to review their eating habits.

3. Poor skin cleansing routine

Over-washing or under-washing your skin are both bad for your skin and can cause closed comedone. Over-washing or using soap-based cleanser will leave you a “clean” feeling, but it actually causes the water-oil imbalance of your skin. Also, over-peeling, excessive usage of cotton pad or over-scrubbing will damage the delicate skin surface, which will stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. More sebum production has a higher tendency of forming closed comedone. On the other hand, under washing your skin such as makeup leftover, makeup remover leftover, sebum left in the follicles, and accumulation of keratin in the follicles or on the skin surface are prone to block the follicles and result in closed comedone.

4. Psychological factors

Emotions can affect our hormonal level. Living daily under high stress, anxiety, irritability, anger, etc. will disturb the normal hormonal secretion which will develop skin problems.

Symptoms

Closed comedones can appear red, white, or black. The red one is an infected comedone. Black one is also called a blackhead that contains oxidised sebum. Whitehead is the most common closed comedone that looks like small white dots, spread on the face.

Closed comedones appear as a fresh-coloured or white bump, no larger than 2mm, and hardly noticeable from a distance. However, they have a bumpy feeling when you touch them. They do not cause redness, swelling, pain or itchiness on the skin. Under bright light in close distance, they are observable and make the skin surface look rough. Mainly found on the forehead, chin, cheek, around the lips and wing of the nose.

Possible developments without treatment:

1. Rupture and lead to inflamed acne (Acne)

2. Turn into an open comedone (Blackhead)

Affected people

It can happen to men and women. People with oily skin type are more likely to have a long-term issue with whiteheads.

Treatment

Hydrafacial

What is Hydrafacial:

Hydrafacial is a skin cleansing device developed by an American skincare company, Hydrafacial. This FDA, CE and CSA approved device was created to maintain  health of skin and to restore skin protection. It utilizes a patented 4-in-1 VORTEX two-way vacuum system in the addition of a serum solution to deeply clean the skin

Get rid of closed comedone/whitehead, come to Ai Beauty Clinic,

for safe and professional aesthetic treatments.

Ai Beauty Clinic is a CQC accredited clinic based in London, and also is strongly supported by Cynosure(the owner of Ulthreapy) and Cynosure (the owner of PicoSure).

With rich experience of treating clients of various conditions, led by a famous British medical chief trainer, practiced by doctors and nurses who are GMC/NMC-registered and worked in NHS national hospitals, Ai Beauty provides certified and safe medical beauty treatments.

Ai Beauty always puts safety first. Not only are all medical staff insured by independent medical policy, each client who comes to Ai Beauty Clinic is also insured by £5 millions medical insurance. This full insurance coverage allows clients to have a concern-free treatment experience.

Ai Beauty Clinic has served over 15,000 clients from all around the world, been covered by some famous media such as European Times and CW Television, and established trust and an excellent reputation among them.

Enquire About Closed Comedones / Whiteheads