Pore Strips: Their Application, Effectiveness, and Side Effects
Pore strips are a popular treatment for people who suffer from clogged pores, as they lift away dirt, old makeup, and blackheads from the surface of the skin to give it a more healthy appearance. Many use this skin care tool as an added treatment to the daily face wash they use in order to treat and prevent acne. You may have even considered using pore strips to treat the visible blackheads on your nose and forehead, where they most commonly develop. These strips can be purchased at most skin care retailers, drugstores, and some people even make their own, diy pore strips to save money. However, before you can find the best pore strips for your situation, it is helpful to know how they work, what ingredients they contain that makes them effective, and if there are any side effects that may make their use harmful to your individual skin type.
Pore Strips: General Overview
Blackheads and whiteheads appear on the skin when the pores become clogged with sebum (natural oil that produced by the body), heavy skin and cosmetic products, and other environmental dirt and debris. When the hair follicles become impacted, they swell and push the formed bacteria to the surface, where it turns black when it’s exposed to the air. Pore strips remove these blackhead clusters by pulling the clogged material out of the pore. One side of the strip is covered with a type of adhesive, which you press over the blackhead. The adhesive will then stick to it, pulling it free and unclogging the pore. Depending on the type of strip you choose, it may take as little as just a few minutes, or up to twenty minutes, for the adhesive to bind to the blackhead material in order to pull it away.
How to Use Pore Strips
Before you apply pore strips, it’s important that you steam your pores open. In order to do this, fill the sink with very hot water. Bend over the basin and drape a large towel over your head in order to cover both the basin and your head. Expose your face to the steam for about 15-20 minutes to ensure that your pores are open, as this will make the pore strips work more effectively. However, don’t apply the water directly to the skin, as it may be too hot and may cause damage.
Once you are ready to apply your brand name or homemade pore strips, make sure the area you want to strip is slightly moist. Then apply the strip, pressing down to apply it completely and check the package directions for the length of time you should leave it on. Once the time is up, slowly peel the strip away from one edge to the other until it releases its hold on the skin.
Pore Strips Side Effects
Since pore strips stick to the skin, the pulling motion that is used to clear the blackheads can cause irritation. Open pores that are left behind may also be vulnerable to infection, so it’s important to keep the skin clean. If you have sensitive skin, pore strips may cause mild to moderate irritation. If this is the case, then consider making homemade pore strips with ingredients like tea tree oil and whole milk to soothe the skin. Many diy pore strips are made from simple ingredients, such as unflavored gelatin, that can be mixed with dairy milk to create a paste that dries on the face and can be pulled off, just like a store-bought pore strip.
Keep in mind that even homemade pore strips can remove essential natural oils from the skin, causing drying, redness, and peeling. This is a common mistake for many first time users of this product, can be exacerbated by leaving the treatment on the skin for too long. Before you use pore strips, talk with your doctor or dermatologist to see if this is the right product for you, as he or she may be able to offer you other alternatives to dealing with your blackheads.
