Fashion

Are pore strips a waste of time? We ask the dermatologists…



Pore strips are a rite of passage. They’re the first port-of-call for most teenage blackhead outbreaks, they’re a slumber party staple (alongside cheapo face masks and Haribo Starmix) and, perhaps most importantly, they’re an endless source of fascination. Yes, they’re a b***h to rip off, but there are few things in this world as satisfying as inspecting the gunk you’ve just evicted from your face – especially when you can see the contents of each pore standing to attention in prickly rows. Unbeatable.

As deliciously addictive as they are, though. Are they any good for us? The sticking, the ripping, the eye watering? We asked the top dermatologists for their professional take. This is what we learnt.

How do pore strips work?

“Pore strips act by forming a glue-like substance on the surface of the strip when moistened. After application to the skin, this glue attaches to the skin, hardens and, on removal, pulls with it the upper layers of cells including debris, dirt, dead cells, and anything else it is attached to – which may be some of the contents of pores if they happen to be on the surface already,” explains aesthetician and founder of Smile Works, Dr MJ Rowland-Warmann.

Is it possible to use pore strips incorrectly?

“Pore strips don’t do any serious harm (unless you’re really aggressive and pull the skin),” says Dr Ismat Nasirrudin, dermatologist at the Pulse Light Clinic. “They’re a physical (rather than chemical) way of clearing blockage in pores. They stick to the skin and pull blocked material out of pores. But, to work the skin needs to be warm and moist first to ensure a good attachment and ‘plug’ removal,” she adds.

Are pore strips useful, even if only temporarily?

“As they only work on the surface, they are not actually removing anything from deep within the pores, and won’t make your pores smaller,” explains Dr MJ. “You may as well use Sellotape to extract your pores. If you apply any kind of glue to your skin and then peel it off, it will take with it some of what you want [i.e. dirt and congestion] and some of what you don’t [i.e. excess skin and oils that keep skin healthy]. It’s basically a fancy plaster for your nose.”

“The problem with them is that they’re a very temporary solution and they don’t address the underlying cause for the blockage in the pores,” adds Dr Ismat.

Would you recommend pore strips?

“In short, no. Some of the adhesives that they contain can be irritating to the skin. Due to the harsh pulling effect of strip on skin, the skin is likely to respond by producing more sebum. This is a normal reaction to physical trauma and results in the production of more oils in a bid to protect itself,” explains Dr MJ. “What results is skin that is more oily and potentially pores that are bigger in the long term. We see the same result with aggressive scrubbing and aggressive dermabrasion.”

What would your advice be for tackling blackheads (from preventing them to removing them)?

“My preference dermatologically is gentle chemical re-surfacing with natural ingredients like salicylic acid [which dries out excess oils] or a retinoid [which prevents pores becoming clogged]. These actually improve cell turnover and clear the cause of the blockage. Though they may not be as ‘satisfying’ as a full pore strip ”haul” they really improve the clarity of the skin with time,” recommends Dr Ismat.

“Coupling effective home care with in-house procedures such as peels (glycolic or salicylic-based peels are often effective) or treatments such as hydrodermoabrasion which is a method for extracting pores whilst at the same time cleansing with a light peel, can really help reduce pore size and the appearance of blackheads,” adds Dr MJ.



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