Ok mamas, kind of a gross question. My daughter who is 14 has black heads around her nose... really bad! No acne, just black heads and they are big and deep! I have even tried to help her get them out and i have to stop b/c it grosses me out. We have tried almost everything. She has tried that tool that looks like a loop to get them out, didnt work. We have tried every OTC face scrub and all it does is dry out her skin.
One of my coworkers was telling me that she had those bad when she was a teenager and she used to go to the dermatologist and they would do a facial on her and let the steam blow on her face for 20 min, and then manually squeeze them out for her. She said that it hurt, but it did the trick. I want to purchase a facial home steamer for her, because at least her pores will be open and it might be easier for her to extract them herself. Have any of you ever tried a face home steamer and if you did, what results did you have? Thanks mamas!
Alright, seems the consensus is a facial by a professional! thanks mamas! Next step, phone call for an appointment!
Mix baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and a little water into a paste as a face cleanser and wash off with cool water or let it dry on the skin then wash off with cool water for a deeper clean. Its pretty much the same ingredients as Proactive but much cheaper!
First time, I would go to a professional, jmo.
Have you tried the Biore strips?
Get a referral to a dermatologist and go from there.
I'd rather go through a medical professional before trying anything from home as you could damage her skin and/or make the problem worse.
A facial for the first time might be the safer way to go. You have to be sure to not burn yourself with a home steamer, plus it's easier for a trained estechian, (spelling?), to do it more quickly and painlessy. Look for a teaching school-like an Aveda Institute-where they offer salon services done by students at lower prices.
Defintely check out with a dermatologist. My daughter also had them really bad. She still has some but not as many or as bad. As for a home steamer, you already have one if you have pots. Boil some water (hard boil, bubbles etc) and then put it in the bathroom sink, have her stand over teh sink about a foot above the pot and drape a towel over her to keep the steam in. That is what I used to do and sometimes do if I am stuffed up.
You can just fill a sink up with hot water, put your face NEAR the water and then drape a towel over your head and covering the sink so the steam stays under the towel. Then gently squeeze with your finger tips and a tissue.
But first, why not take her in for a facial that includes extractions?
Go to a dermatologist first. Acne can cause horrible scaring. I had a face full of acne, and went to a dermatologist starting in the 4th grade. I just turned 38 and people would have never guessed I had acne as bad as I did. They piled layers of skin off my face, it hurt, and at one point, I dried it out so bad, that my face cracked so bad, he said I was losing like 10 layers of skin. I couldn't open my mouth, I was in 8th grade, felt ugly as all get out, but I'm happy that I don't have scars on my face now. I know a lot of ladies that have bad scaring from acne, don't do that too her.
I used biore strips, those seemed to work pretty well
My sister had them really bad when we were kids she used to go to the dermatologist and have the skin burned off her face and they gave her some cream to put on that helped- I dont know if an at home steamer is going to "solve" the problem see a dermatologist if her pores are that large there are ways to fix it.
try ponds clear pore strips
What about those ?Biore? strips...I think that is what they are called...they are little sticky white strips that fit around your nose you apply them then wait a bit then when you remove it all the blackheads come out with it. Works great!
I never had bad acne but I always loved using the apricot face scrubs and things like that. Sounds to me like you need to get her a good face wash and have her use it...daily!
I'm the acne queen. hehe
I had acne as a child and had everything from cysts to your run of the mill blackheads. My mom was one of those moms whose children needed to be perfect. I spent ages at the darn dermatologist. Facials work short term, so does steam and CAREFUL manual extraction but what I found worked the best was peels. I mean aggressive chemical peels. It shrinks those pore straight up and walla no more black heads EVER. Problem was I had to be a bit older before the dermatologist would do it on me. They had levels of 1 through 10 with 10 you looked like a tomato for a month but came out with skin so perfect you could look awesome on HD tv. hehe. But that worked wonders. On the cysts and zits that were recurrent I'd get a nice injection of cortizone and they'd never come back there. It killed the pore literally but that was a one at a time sort of treatment.
Unfortunately I still have problems PMS time with zits. Not a blackhead still to this day but around my chin, where I never got treated because I never had blackheads, I still get zits. I learned ages ago how to manually extract them though without scarring so I do that and then put a script cream on them to make them vanish.
Put I'm so thankful to my mother that my nose, sides of my nose and forehead got the peel. Solved the vast majority of my problem for life. Now my poor 9 year old son is starting to get black heads. About time for him to start going to see the dermatologist if it bothers him. :(
First, I need to say I feel very bad for your daughter. I'm in my 30's myself and have a never-ending battle with acne.
In my opinion, I believe the first step you should take is go to a dermatologist. If you don't have the insurance, let the office know. Most doctors will give you a good break if you are un-insured. See what the dermatologist reccomends first. Squeezing them can have long-term damage to the skin on her face! If the dermatologist is good, they will even give you remedies you can do at home...and samples of product right at the office itself.
Also take a look at the makeup she uses. Even if it's not pore clogging stuff...don't go cheap. Buy the good stuff. There's mineral makeup out there, but I've always had the best luck with Clinique...and you can see a clinique consultant to fit you with the right product. Locations by me are in the Macy's and Boston Store.
Good luck!
opt for the facial or steamer.. the biore strips are a joke.
I have to 2nd your friend in taking her to a dermatologist (or high end salon) for facial with extraction.
