Do Pore Strips Actually Work? An Expert Is Answering Everything You Need To Know!

Happiness is...removing blackheads!

Blackheads are these tiny bumps on your face, especially on the nose, that occur due to clogged follicles and debris accumulation on the skin. It happens either due to excessive sebum production, dead skin cells, or even pollutants.

They are called blackheads as they are these tiny heads that are black (yup, how original!). While getting blackheads is one thing but removing them is another, painful thing. Think peel-off masks, home remedies, facial scrubs, professional treatments, blackheads removing tools, suction tools and even pore strips. Out of all of them, using a pore strip is the easiest way to get rid of them. But, do they even work?

Do Pore Strips Actually Work? An Expert Tells Us All

Pore strips are adhesives that you apply to blackhead-rich areas on the skin that help peel off the top layer of the skin. While they sound too easy to use but how effective are they really?

We got Dr Geetika Mittal who is telling us everything we need to know about pore strips!

What are pore strips and do they actually work?

Dr Geetika says, "Pore strips are meant to extract blackheads. A blackhead is a clogged pore. It's clogged by skin oils, debris (dead skin cells), and dirt. To release a clogged pore, a strip or cloth with adhesive sticks to the sebum, dead skin, and dirt trapped in the pores of your nose and suctions it off the surface of the skin."

So yes, in a way they do work!

"Nose strips will extract anything on the surface of your nose — including hair, dirt, and oil but what they won't do is prevent the buildup and blackheads from occurring in the first place. They are simply a temporary cosmetic fix, " she adds.

Are they safe to be used by all skin types?

Dr Geetika says that pore strips are often made from a woven material that’s coated with an adhesive. It allows the strip to stick to the wet skin and you can use it on any skin type.

"It’s okay to use on any skin type but if you have sensitive skin, you’d want to consider other options or if you have conditions such as rosacea, eczema or seborrhea, each of which could react negatively to both the common types of adhesive in pore strips", she adds.

How often can one use pore strips? Would you recommend using pore strips?

Dr Geetika says, "Do not use pore strips more than once a week because their adhesive can cause irritation to skin. Pore strips are usually safe to use but I would recommend having alternate options as this is not a permanent solution for blackhead removal."

So if you have sensitive skin, it's better to use it once a week or rely on other methods.

Are there any precautions or cons one should keep in mind while using these?

We all wanted to know the answer to this one for a very long time, didn't we? Well, we have expert inputs on the following. She says, "Follow instructions on the box carefully, and to make sure you don’t leave the strips on for too long — if the strip has completely dried out by the time you peel it off, it's more likely to traumatize or tear the skin."

She also advises not to use them on sensitive or sunburnt skin and especially to avoid those pore strips that have glue as an ingredient.

Any particular ingredients to look for while buying pore strips?

Dr Geetika lays some valid points here. She says that what may work for one may not work for another. She also adds, "Depending on the type of skin you have, pore strips will vary in their effectiveness. If you're looking for a more long term solution, you're better off addressing blackheads with your skin-care routine. But if you want to try one, look for charcoal, antibacterial ingredients, and antioxidant-rich ingredients to gently and effectively decrease congestion and reduce the look of pores around the nose and nourishing ingredients such as aloe, sacred lotus flower and allantoin to soothe sensitivity and redness."

Any alternative to(pore strips) getting rid of blackheads and whiteheads at home?

"All in all, while nose strips can remove blackheads, they’re probably not the best option for your pores." But if you are looking for a better alternative, then try salicylic acid as it's much more effective at removing blackheads than pore strips.

"Use a clarifying oil-based cleanser that contains salicylic acid. Use products with glycolic acid cleansers to help treat blackheads and retinol or retinoids for long term control," she advises.

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Blackheads? No pore-blem!

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