Nothing works

[octopusfrog 14]

Nothing works for blackheads its rediculous Mandelic acid no... Retin a no... HELP!

[WelshLad 0]

lol you're so right. they are a bugger to get rid of and i don't think anything actually works although some products can help a lot such as....

Bioré Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

The Original Mudd Mask

Neutrogena's Pore Refining Moisturiser

These products seem to keep them under control.

What have you tried?

[Moonface 0]

True.

Right now I'm on Differin AGAIN (3 months now) , and again no results.

I also use PC 2% BHA Gel 2x a day, but for some reason it doesn't even help against the small clogged pores on my forehead.

[octopusfrog 14]

I've tried manual exfoliation, AHAs, retin a, mandelic acid.. They never go away.

[Kitty_Collins 1]

I used to have lots and lots and lots of blackheads. Now I can't see any (I use a lighted magnifying mirror). I use salicylic acid, glycolic acid and benzoyl peroxide twice a day and tea tree oil and sulfur once a week. It's a pretty harsh regime, but so far it's working.

[jande 0]

Here's what I did

First Benzol Peroxide each day for the p-acne bacteria (doesn't do anything to the blackheads) Then retin A each night, but making sure to wash before and after with salcyclic acid, when the black and white heads were at the surface showing then I took those sticky nose off strips and used them to pull them out of my skin, but making sure to wash after.

Try it, if it still doesn't work get some microdermabrasian to suck them out.

If it still doesn't work go for the roaccutane, but I still had to use those sticky nose off strips to pull them out of my face. Otherwise they just sat there waiting and I didn't want to pick or squeeze them.

The probable reason retin A doesn't always work to get them out is because it is a anticomedonal agent, which means it thins the skin out and loosens the comedones. They then may or may not then come out of your skin. Products with a comedolytic effect i.e. salicylic acid 2% somewhat dissolve black and white heads, but still the blackheads may stay in your skin.

Removal of comedones with a comedone extractor by the patient (nose off strips) or careprovider (microdermabrasian) accelerates clearing. Topical anticomedonal agents, especially tretinoin, loosen comedones, enhancing their removal, (but note that they do not actually remove those things).

So hope that helps. Mine are gone, but I still need to maintain the routine.

[LionQueen 39]

Try BHAs (salicylic acid). Paula's Choice makes an excellent BHA product. If mandelic doesn't work for you, maybe this will.

You may have to extract them as well.

[royalredus 0]

Agreed LionQueen! I actually use an SA product by La-Roche Posay called Effaclar K (yes, effaclar, not effaclear). Over the last month and a half, it's done a good job of clearing up clogs in that little dip area between my chin and lower lip.

[InsanelyOily 0]

I fall in the nothing works category, and if I try to get too aggressive w/ acids my face just gets really red and peels intensely and never lets up (like it's presmably supposed to over time).

My latest pursuit is to monkey w/ my diet, my last unexplored frontier. Dan, the site host turned me on to this book: http://www.dietaryacnecure.com/ I was headed into exploring sugar/insulin and started taking zinc supplements a week or so before I discovered that book, but from that book it sounds like I was headed in the right direction.

Every pore on my face has a hunk of a visible white chuck of dead skin and oil. Actually, it's probably not every pore. Maybe every third has a huge clog in it, the others have little clogs.

Anyway, that book talks about why pores get clogged and explains how foods can cause that. I was for many many years doing everything absolutely wrong. Almost everything I was eating was bad. And to me, that tells me there is a good chance that if I start eating good stuff, then maybe the acids and other topicals can keep my pores clear like they seeming so for so many people.

I think because my diet was totally wrong that no topical could keep up w/ the pore blockage.

I always new I should starting eating better. Now I'm giving it a go. I'm already noticing good things, though I've really just started.

I'm 35 (male) and wish I explored this many moons ago, cuz I know there was something totally wrong w/ me in light of the fact that my skin is crazy oily and all my pores are clogged. If this author is right, then a huge part of my problem is potentially due to my diet, since as I mentioned I been doing everything wrong, almost exact opposite of what he's preaching.

Check it out it's very interesting and good luck, and it you do find a topical or other non-diet routine that keeps your pores open, please let me know (in case this diet thing doesn't work). =)

P.S. Dan links to an article by this author which should be enough to get you interested: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php?showtopic=117678 If you're like me, our pores need all the help they can get and alterting our diet could make the difference and make retin-a and other crap have a fighting chance.

[hotchick17 0]

I started using Paulo Senzano organic acne treatment and the blackheads came to the surface of my skin, tho I don't know what to do now! :S

[Melodie 0]

Epsom salt.

[octopusfrog 14]

Apple Cider vinegar? AHA Souffle?