Anyone who lives with blackheads knows how frustratingly difficult they can be to remove.
Which is probably why we’ve seen beauty bloggers and internet forum users come up with dozens of weird and wonderful ways to get rid them.
The latest method comes from beauty YouTuber Fei, who uses Vaseline and plastic wrap to “melt” her blackheads overnight.
Watch Fei wrap her nose in plastic wrap:
In a video on her channel Hey It’s Feiii, she shows her followers how she coats her nose and cheeks in a thick layer of plain ol’ $4-a-jar petroleum jelly.
And then she covers her face in plastic wrap. And more plastic wrap. And then another layer just to be sure – being careful to leave a gap for her nostrils to, you know, breathe.
After going to bed and sleeping overnight with the jelly on her face, she starts the process of removing the blackheads.
Running two cotton buds over her nose repeatedly, she squeezes out the blackheads from her nose.
And, according to Fei, it actually works.
"Pores are extremely clear of dirt and debris after extraction," she concludes, saying it's one of the best methods she's tried.
You can watch Fei full tutorial here:
It may have worked for Fei, but Dr Deshan Sebaratnam from Dermatology North Sydney tells Mamamia that may have just been because of the squeezing action.
"Anytime you squeeze either side of a comedone (blackhead) it will come out. Whether or not marinating it in Vaseline beforehand makes a difference, I'm not sure," he says.
"There's no evidence for it, certainly. I don't think it's achieving much."
Dr Sebaratnam also says that he doesn't think the plastic wrap serves any purpose, as it couldn't generate enough heat to open up the pores like might happen in a steam room.
Having said that, he says the method was "unlikely to cause harm" because the cotton buds would be unlikely to cause the kind of rupture that leads to scarring. But it was still a possibility.
Which is why Dr Sebaratnam, Conjoint Senior Lecturer at the University of New South Wales, recommends that people dealing with blackheads instead focus on prevention-based treatments.
He recommends either using over-the-counter acne treatment benzoyl peroxide, or chemical exfoliants like alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) to help prevent the pores from becoming clogged.
For those with more serious acne, they can talk to their doctor about retinoid treatments or isotretinoin (Accutane), Dr Sebaratnam says.
Mamamia's executive editor Leigh Campbell, who has 15 years of beauty editing experience, shared her favourite method for treating blackheads on Mamamia's YouBeauty podcast.
"I soak a cotton pad [with a chemical exfoliant] and hold it on my nose for a good two or three minutes when I’ve got blackheads," she said.
What method do you use to remove blackheads?
Top Comments
a bit of bicarb of soda gently scrubbed around half way through a warm shower water on the face does the trick... it's just dirt, so cleaning with baby oil or soap and water and a scrub with bicarb now and then is keeping them clean... never ending though till you get old and stop being greasy.
I’d be interested to know what the dermatologist thinks of those pore strips. I use them, but I am finding that the whole ‘prevention is better than cure’ thing is true. I’ve had trouble finding a non-abrasive exfoliater that doesn’t cost a fortune, the ones with beads are too rough for my skin now. But I did find a glycolic mask and exfoliating toner which seem to be doing a decent job.
Rush, you need to try Korean gel exfoliators. I used to have really awful rough skin around my jawline and none of the expensive abrasive facial exfoliators worked. I bought a Korean product on a whim because it was drastically reduced and rubbed it on - it's literally a gel and all my dead skin just pilled off and my face has never felt so soft and smooth. I went back and bought 6 of them because they were being discontinued. I use this stuff every three weeks or so now. Korean Skincare is where it's at. They're always called something like "Peeling gel" which sounds scary and strong but is SO GENTLE and WONDERFUL.
Where did you buy it? Thanks for the tip, I’ve seen a little bit about Korean skincare and it looks interesting.