black-heads, Uck!
 

So, as a 23 year old who used to have bad acne, i'm proud to say my skin is okay. i get ingrown hairs in my chin, but generally I don't break out. Unfortunately I still have a nose full of big black-headed pores.

Any recommendations for this? I used to use those sticky things that yanked them out, and i didn't think they were great but I would be willing to try again if i hear a good testimony.

I have bad black heads too. Honestly, I've never found a solution. I use the Biore strips to yank them out sometimes, but that only gets maybe half of them, and they're back in no time.

i used to use that until they changed the formula to a more gentle exfolient that seems to do nothing. Yeah, their old scrub felt like rubbing sandpaper on your face, but man it was effective!

I also have pretty good skin except for the blackheads on my nose. I used to use those strips but I didnt really see any results. More recently I have been using blackhead eraser from clean and clear. It's a bit pricey but you can get a $5 coupon from their website and print it out. It's been working for me. I use it about once a week and my nose definitely looks much much better. But, I have heard from others that they did not like the Eraser, so I guess it really depends on the person. It might be a bit rough for those with sensitive skin.

You just need to find an exfoliation technique that works for you. I believe blackheads are a result of dead skin building up and clogging pores. A daily scrub, bi-weekly mask, or something similar should help. You may need to try different products to see what works for you. Or, you can remove them the old school way, with one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Suvorna-Blackh...f=pd_sim_hpc_3

I think I'll try the strip at first, to clear out some of the pores, then start a rigourous regimen of exfoliating, cleansing, and masks.

thanks for the help ladies.

p.s. I used to love the apricot scrub, but i can't find a good one anymore :(

I've had this problem for a while and it's been starting to clear up! I started using this Clean and Clear "detoxifying facial cleanser" stuff and the black heads are starting to clear up!
I've used A LOT of stuff to try and get rid of it and for me it worked the best, although it may not be for you.

I have the Pond's Anti-Aging wipes with retinol in them (in a pink package). I can't use them that often because my skin is too sensitive. BUT, they shrank my pores down to nearly NOTHING. Seriously. I have read that retinol (or vitamin A) strengthens the walls of pores so they close up a bit. My skin looked good, but I never did build up the tolerance to the wipes.

Oh for scrubs I used to use the St. Ive's but it was too harsh for my skin. I use Clinique exfoliating scrub. It has menthol in it which is the only thing I don't like. It gives it that Noxema feeling. But the beads are tiny and they get the job done. I used to have a lot of problems with ingrown hairs on my chin and neck but I use the scrub twice a week and that seems to keep them at bay. It's kind of pricey at $18 (come to think of it, it's the most expensive beauty product I own), but it lasts a long time because you don't use a lot of it.

So, yes, it's about exfoliation and then salicylic acid! So using a good scrub that then applying a product that has or is just salicylic acid will work. I think the best combo is to exfoliate, use strips and salicylic acid together, personally.

okay, so today i got an apricot srub w/salicilic acid, a box of stips, and i am going to continue using my clean & clear foaming cleanser for sensitive skin (depending on my routine I wash my face sometimes 4 times a day). I do have sensitive skin, and that retinol stuff does bad bad things to my face. i had a rx of it once and the result was redder with irritation than my acne. this was at 13 when my acne was BAD.

thanks ladies, i'll give this a few week and see if it works!

I get an acne clearing facial. They use hot steam on my face for a loooong time and then do manual extraction. Then, ongoing, I exfoliate and use a toner. Also, do a mask with sulfur once a week. It doesn't smell great, but works!

I still get blackheads from time to time on my chin and around my mouth area. But not as bad.

Also, I'm 36yo, so it's been a lot of trial and error to get to this point.

just plain ol' Dial soap works better than anything! :)

true, if the achieved effect is my skin flaking off...lol, my skin is a tricky combination, and it does flake off with rather little irritation. For almost 2 years i washed my whole self (except hair) w/antibacterial soap and my skin was so bad that whole time, i did this, though, because I was paranoid about germies.

maybe you should moisturize after you use the soap? My face is real sensitive to any kind of scrub stuff. I hope you find what works for you :)