We’ve never been more obsessed with blackheads. Whether picking our own or watching someone else do the deed, it’s safe to say it’s an addiction and it’s getting more and more of us everyday.
As a result, there’s been a huge craze for at-home blackhead masks and pore strips, that promise to strip away all those blocked up pores and leave us with fresh clear skin.
And of course it doesn’t count unless you share the footage on social media – even if it doesn’t quite go to plan.
But one comment on a blackhead removal video came to our attention:
It prompted us to think - are the blackheads that we've been trying so hard to remove not even blackheads after all? And what are those masks really doing to our skin?
According to dermatologist Dr Michael Freeman, it's actually a common mistake we make with our skin.
"The key difference is that blackheads are an abnormal structure, while sebaceous filaments which you see in your pores are normal structures. Pores can have secretions in them, which is the stuff you see emerge on your pore mask when you rip it off. Those filaments are normally inside the skin and come out in a conveyor belt structure, so they come out slowly," he explains.
Top Comments
Gross.
If you have congested pores and pigmentation and all those other worries go straight to Mecca or Sephora and ask about acids and retinols. Try them. Ask for samples. The good ones are pricey but your face is a better investment than whatever else you're spending money on. Ask me how I know. xx