You can help get rid of the appearance of sebaceous filaments by cleansing and toning your skin each day and exfoliating weekly. The best way to treat sebaceous filaments is to focus on skincare that helps control oily skin. If your sebaceous filaments turn into blackheads, use a pore strip to unclog your pores.
Using pore strips on the nose is a quick and effective way to get rid of sebaceous filaments (temporarily). Use any of the following products to exfoliate the skin and unclog the troublesome pores: Salicylic acid (or butylated hydroxyanisole) Benzoyl peroxide.
Though you may be tempted to squeeze or otherwise get rid of a sebaceous filament, it's best to leave them alone. Squeezing or picking at sebaceous filaments risks scarring and spreading any bacteria that may be in or around the pore to other parts of your face, causing a breakout.
Because pore strips aren't strong enough to remove blackheads, but are able to pull out sebaceous filaments, they end up stripping our skin of our natural oils and getting rid of the pore's protection from bacteria.
Utilize Active Ingredients Like BHA, AHAs, and Retinoids
Allawh. “They not only help treat sebaceous filaments, but also prevent [new] sebaceous filaments from forming.”
“Just like pore size, you're not going to affect sebaceous filaments permanently,” says Dr. Hartman. “There are certain anatomical structures in the skin that just kind of are what they are.” All hope is not lost if these tiny dots are still stressing you out.
Salicylic acid is studied to reduce the size of sebaceous filaments. Known for its minimizing effect on pores, benzoyl peroxide helps reduce inflammation while getting rid of bacteria and excess oil.
Why Is My Nose Oily? Your nose is likely oily because your sebaceous glands are producing more oil than necessary to keep your skin hydrated. The sebaceous glands beneath the pores in your skin are responsible for producing the natural oils, also known as sebum, that keep your skin healthy.
The white stuff that comes out of your pores like thin strings when you squeeze your nose is called a sebaceous filament. It's mostly made up of sebum (oil that your skin produces) and dead skin cells. This substance typically collects in pores around your nose and chin.
"Any active ingredients that work to exfoliate the skin will improve the look of sebaceous filaments," says Dr. Linkner. "Common examples of active ingredients include retinol, salicylic acid, and glycolic acid."
Regular use of a BHA (beta hydroxy acid) exfoliant for sebaceous filaments can really help, because BHA is oil-soluble and can dissolve sebum and other substances crowding the pore lining. Use of a well-formulated clay face mask for sebaceous filaments might also help due to the clay's oil-absorbing properties.
When the excess sebum mixes with dead skin and bacteria, that's when the filaments can become inflamed—and that's where blackheads come into play. Once those sebaceous filaments build up and up, they can quickly turn into acne. Then once it oxidizes, it'll turn dark in color, and—poof!
The skin's normal process of producing sebum can cause sebaceous filaments to become noticeable. This is more likely to occur in people with more oily skin or larger pores, compared with people who have drier skin and smaller pores. Several factors can determine pore size, including: age.
“Beta hydroxy acids, like salicylic acid, are lipophilic, allowing them to mingle with oil deep within the pore and break up oil plugs.” This combination is a sebaceous filament-killer. To use this facial, apply a thin, even layer once or twice a week.
The technical term for an acne seed is a microcomedone. A microcomedone is a cluster of mostly dead skin cells that might be mixed with oil and comedogenic ingredients from pore-clogging products. It's called a micro-comedone because when it first forms, it is microscopic so it's invisible to the naked eye.
What are pore strips and how do they work? Board-certified dermatologist Harold Lancer, MD, said pore strips aim to remove debris that accumulate within pores, which includes dead skin cells, oil, wax, mixed yeast and bacteria.
Are Pore Vacuums Effective at Clearing Pores and Blackheads? In short, yes. “Pore vacuums certainly can be an effective tool in helping to regularly clear pore congestion, however they're not essential component to a skincare routine,” says Dr. Reszko.
Its really helped to clear my nose of sebaceous filaments! Even with BHA and AHA in my routine, my nose was prone to these clogged pores of sebaceous filaments; it literally looked like these plugs dotted on the sides of my nose, gross!
If a person's concerns are mostly around enlarged pores and uneven skin tone, the 10% strength is a great option. For those with more advanced concerns such as sagging pores, orange peel-like texture or oil-related bumps, the 20% strength is preferred.
To date, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review's Safety Assessment of niacinamide has only tested the ingredient at up to 20% for irritancy potential. So at best, using a niacinamide product that's that potent may just not be necessary or useful. At worst, it might really cause your skin to freak out.
Pore strips with sugar and honey
First, heat equal parts honey and sugar together over a saucepan. Once completely combined, let the mixture cool for several minutes. Apply to the desired area of skin and allow to harden for at least 15 minutes. Gently peel the strip away and rinse your skin.
"Pore strips can help (very) temporarily to improve the appearance of pores, but there is no permanent change or improvements to the skin achieved with such a strip," she says.