Are the small dots on your nose blackheads or sebaceous filaments?
Many people mistake a neat row of tiny gray dots on their nose for blackheads and squeeze them relentlessly. In fact, they may well be sebaceous filaments—everyone has them, and they grow back quickly after being squeezed out.
How to tell the difference
- Color
- Sebaceous filaments
- Noticeably black
- Shape
- Sebaceous filaments
- Raised, larger
- After squeezing
- Sebaceous filaments
- Take longer to reappear
| Blackheads | Sebaceous filaments |
|---|---|
| Color | Noticeably black |
| Shape | Raised, larger |
| After squeezing | Take longer to reappear |
Common ingredients used to help unclog pores
Poll
Do you squeeze the little dots on your nose?
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This distinction is pretty useful: sebaceous filamentsare usually evenly distributed small dots on the tip of the nose, and tend to be gray or pale yellow;blackheads are more like a few darker, unevenly sized clogged spots. But it may not be possible to tell them apart just from a photo or description, so don’t treat every pore as something that needs to be emptied.
Sebaceous filaments are a normal part of the pores. Squeezing them only makes the surface look cleaner temporarily, and repeatedly squeezing with your fingernails or tools can irritate your skin. To make them look less noticeable, you can start with gentle cleansing and using salicylic acid (SALICYLIC ACID) infrequently, such as 1–2 nights per week; patch test first, and avoid combining it with scrubs or other strong exfoliants on the same night. If you experience dryness, stinging, or peeling, stop using it and reduce the frequency.
“Only using cleansing oil,” as some of you voted, isn’t a magic fix either: cleansing oil mainly helps dissolve sunscreen and makeup, and may not permanently clear these little dots.