blackheads/conedones

[wildman]

hiya,

does anybody know any effective products/methods for getting rid of and keeping blackheads/condedones at bay?

i have tried just about everything to get rid of these stubborn plugs of sebum, but the only thing that seems effective is a course of roaccutane!

cheers

[kuzmo]

Do not know exactly how this technique is called in english but it is like: put some herbs in a boiling water and then put your head over it. Cover it with towel so the steam opens those pores on your face. After this it would be very easy to 'push' em out without any irritation

[TraderJoe]

clay mask might help.

[BlackLabelBrewer]

I'm experimenting with the alum bar as a daily treatment. I've seen some improvement, but my results are inconclusive I'd say.

[catatonic]

THere is a tool you can buy at a drugstre, that is basically a metal rod with rigid loops on each end. These are used to extract blackheads and drain whiteheads with ease.

I've been using one for years, and with the proper usage and frequency, they can keep your skin pretty clear. It doesn't fix the oil problems, but it does keep from having a huge blackhead on the face when going out or such.

[adildhanani]

THere is a tool you can buy at a drugstre, that is basically a metal rod with rigid loops on each end. These are used to extract blackheads and drain whiteheads with ease.

I've been using one for years, and with the proper usage and frequency, they can keep your skin pretty clear. It doesn't fix the oil problems, but it does keep from having a huge blackhead on the face when going out or such.

I never seem to get those comedone extractors to work no matter what I try, i've basically given up on them.

Now I exfoliate twice a week and use a clay mask once every 10 days or so and that seems to be doing the trick, along with washing my face every night before bed.

Adil.

[yomuppet]

Exfoliation with an aspirin scrub (2 uncoated aspirin, dissolved in a few drops of water + whatever soap you prefer) once a week can help.

J

[interman]

I've used a facial scrub from Shiseido and it worked very well. Many of their products are excellent, and well worth looking into.

[6jokers]

clay mask might help.

Yep. A good scrub & mask will do wonders. Others have mentioned extraction tools, but I've never tried one mainly because everybody reports that they're a real bear to work with.

[Nick75]

I simply find that using a pre-shave face wash on a daily basis, along with a facial scrub 1-2 times a week really helps to keep anything like that at bay, and keeps your skin a lot smoother. Regular use of such products is the key IMO, which will always stop your face from becoming too greasy, which is in effect what gives rise to blackheads/spots.

[Lynchmeister]

Does anyone know of any ill effects that may arise from "extracting" blackheads, etc.? My fiancee has this horrible habit of "extracting" from seemingly thin air out of my face. I keep imagining her forcing all that crap deeper into my skin and compounding the problem...not to mention the fact that it hurts like hell :mad: .

[6jokers]

Other than the pain, redness & skin irritation come to mind. Possible scarring if she's really aggressive.

[GarageBoy]

What's the proper way to get them out? I have a face full of them and they just come back when i clear them

[letterk]

I don't get blackheads, but I do get clogged pores under my eyes. The French Green Clay mask (done weekly) has really improved the health of my pores. Also a great way to relax for 30 minutes.

[6jokers]

What's the proper way to get them out? I have a face full of them and they just come back when i clear them

In this case, prevention is your best bet. As I mentioned above, a good scrub & a mask will attack this problem. If the problem still persists, you might want to think about investing in a good toner, preferably one with Glycolic and/or Salicylic Acid.

[Groomer Monkey]

menscience have a face scrub brush. Basically it's like a large toothbrush for the face, but more gentle. They also have these really cool body-buff gloves, which are great in the shower as they really get off all the dead skin cells and such.

[ashm24]

Hi,

Going to try eating a carrots. Not too many else I will turn orange.

http://www.dietitian.com/vitamina.html

Personally I've been trying to combat black heads from the other side; clay masks, salicylic acid, facial srubs, etc but these only seem to work for about a day before the black heads come back. I think my black heads make any ingrown hairs worse.


Ash.

[chirimoya]

Getting a facial once every 2-3 months will help a great deal. It is better than the comedone extractors or doing it yourself. We've all done it from time to time, but it can leave scars (pock-marking).

A great daily exfoliant is made by Dermatalogica (http://www.dermalogica.co.uk/default2.asp?region=A&location=UK). It contains rice enzyme, that helps break down the dead skin tissue. It exfoliates chemically rather than physically (e.g. apricot kernal or some other "scrubby" material), so you will not have irritation. It's very soothing to the face.

To keep pores clean, you can use a treatment gel with salycilic acid. I love the Murad line, but I am a woman and don't have to worry about the added stress of shaving to my facial skin. I've heard that alum blocks do a great job for the guys.

Moisturizing is actually very important for an acne-prone complexion. A good oil-free moisturizer (again, I love Murad but I'm sure many of your ASBs or skin foods will do a good job) is important because it "seals" the skin, keeping gunk out of your pores.