What you can do about stubborn blackheads on the nose, chin, etc.

Blackheads are the result of larger, active oil (sebaceous) glands in the central part of the face. Most people have them on the forehead between the brows, the nose and just next to the nose, and the chin. No matter what you do to clean these out, they will recur. Don’t be too aggressive with trying to extract them, or you can damage your skin.

Treatment options for stubborn blackheads:

  • Retinoids, and alpha/beta hydroxy acids used frequently, help to loosen and prevent blackheads and make them easier to extract. Here are some retinoid skin care products I highly recommend to my own patients:
    • If you have never used a Retinoid before, try this one by SkinMedica.
    • This is another great Retinol my patients love, by Neocutis.
  • Sticky nose strips like Biore (drugstore).
  • A facial every 4-8 weeks with an aesthetician who knows how to gently extract blackheads. 
  • Microdermabrasion has a little “vacuum cleaner” suction to help remove blackheads. More on how Microdermabrasion works, what a treatment feels like, and what results you can expect from a treatment on my resource here.
  • Cleansing daily with a Clarisonic helps prevent blackheads.
     

Related reading:

– Acne types and treatments: my in-depth resource.
– Acne during and after menopause.
Hope this helps,  Dr. I
Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

  • All our content is written and researched by myself.
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