A whitehead is a small papule larger than milia with no inflammation or redness; a plugged sebaceous gland.

A whitehead is a small papule larger than milia with no inflammation or redness; a plugged sebaceous gland.

• A. Milia
• B. Whitehead
• C. Blackhead
• D. Verruca

Answer: (B)

A whitehead is a closed comedo—an opening in a hair follicle that becomes plugged with sebum and stays beneath the surface. Because the pore remains closed, the contents don’t darken or trigger inflammation, so it appears as a small, white papule, typically larger than milia. This distinguishes it from milia, which are keratin-filled cysts not caused by a plugged sebaceous gland. It also differs from a blackhead, which is an open comedo where the pore is exposed and the surface darkens from oxidation. Verruca is a wart caused by HPV and is not related to sebaceous gland plugging, so it looks very different.

A whitehead is a closed comedo—an opening in a hair follicle that becomes plugged with sebum and stays beneath the surface. Because the pore remains closed, the contents don’t darken or trigger inflammation, so it appears as a small, white papule, typically larger than milia. This distinguishes it from milia, which are keratin-filled cysts not caused by a plugged sebaceous gland. It also differs from a blackhead, which is an open comedo where the pore is exposed and the surface darkens from oxidation. Verruca is a wart caused by HPV and is not related to sebaceous gland plugging, so it looks very different.