Hello MP!! :-)
Sorry if this question is a little TMI...I'll keep it brief. I have three blackheads on my chin just below the left corner of my mouth that are persisting and I'm having trouble clearing them up. I'd rather not have to see my dermo, because I know these aren't serious, more of a nuisance to me.
Can anyone recommend an effective OTC treatment to get rid of them? They aren't pimples but just deeply embedded blackheads and they're bugging me....
Hoping this finds you all well and that everyone has a great day. :-) S.
Monthly facials.
ProActiv.
A little dab of a WHITE toothpaste on the zits every night.
I did all three at some point and they worked for me.
If they are deeply embedded, I'd go for a half hour facial and let them soften your skin and maybe use a little steam (at a safe temperature!) and then remove them safely. You'll get a nice skin hydrating treatment and a half hour of relaxation! You don't have to buy a bunch of products that many spas sell. They usually look at you under a magnifying glass and give you some input as to the general condition of your skin in terms of moisture, clogged pores, and so on. I would think that would be a much better use of your money than a dermatologist copayment.
I am the great blackhead extractor. I've never met a blackhead I can't remove. That being said, the only way to remove a blackhead is to squeeze it out or use an extraction tool. You can't remove them with an OTC product or scrape them off.
Often you want to give them a poke with a sterilized needle first, to open up the pore for easy extraction. If you aren't any good at this, and you are going to make a mess of your skin or give yourself an infection, then go see an esthetician and have a facial and get it extracted.
A dermatologist is NOT the person to see for blackheads.
Blackhead/blemish extractor works for me. I bought mine at Sephora, but it can be purchased anywhere, including Amazon. If that doesn't work, you'll have to see a dermo for removal.
Whatever you do, DO NOT use pore strips! It will actually enlarge your pores permanently!! Plus, it won't work for deeply embedded blackheads.
http://www.teen.com/2015/09/24/style/beauty-news-trends-i...
maybe one of these suggestions will work
Google for "double loop extractor" which is the same tool dermatologists and facialists use to remove standard, non-weirdo, blackheads. A gentle pressure should cause the clog to come right out of the pore. It should be entirely painless and not forced! If you try to force things you can scar yourself.
That's a tough area. We have had good luck with Biore Pore Perfect strips on the nose and they do also make facial strips, but the area does need to stay still for about 10 minutes while the strip hardens before you pull it off. It may take several applications (over a few weeks) for the strips to work. Also, have you tried steaming your face before treating these blackheads? I would do a good steaming (hot water in large bowl, towel over your head and the bowl for as long as you can stand) and then apply the strip -- cut one up to a smaller size to fit over this area, and really let it dry very hard. Fanning it does help it dry well!
If they really are embedded and our ideas here don't help, I'd see a dermatologist who can possibly prescribe something just for that area, temporarily. I know you don't want to see the dermo for just this but if it's annoying you and is what you focus on every time you look in the mirror, then it's worth getting it dealt with.
You shouldn't try clearing them, and you SHOULD go to your dermatologist. You can scar yourself. My dermatologist has done a great job of removing both blackheads and whiteheads.
There's not an OTC product that will remove embedded blackheads. Just bite the bullet and get them professionally removed. You'll feel so much better!
I bought a Clarasonic. It worked really good for us. The clarasonic has different brush heads to target what problems people want to fix. There is a blackhead brush. They are expensive, but I think it gets the job done. For me that's worth it. The clarasonic could irritate some peoples skin, if that happens there is a sensitive brush you can buy that would also work for your blackheads. If you do end up trying it, at first it may seem like your skin is getting worse, but whats happening is all the gunk is coming to the surface of the skin. It takes a good month to see the results(Sometimes not that long) If you would want to try one, but there's a money issue qvc.com sells them, and will let you make monthly payments. Actually they'll sent it out the first payment you make.You have to be consistent in using it though. Don't forget to buy a soap cleanser of your choice.
