Anyone else love nose strips? (TMI)

[WhyNot]

Gawd, I love nose strips. The kind that dry on your nose and yank all the little blackheads and clogged pores out. Like this. (It's okay to click, it's not one of my gross links. It's a very pretty girl wearing makeup and a nose strip.)

I don't know why, but I can't take my eyes off the thing after I peel it off. There's something just so satisfying about looking at a little forest of sebaceous gunk. It's finally some "beauty treatment" where I can SEE it's working. Instantly. Does wonders for my instant gratification quotient.

Yes, it's mundane. It's pointless. But I have a squeaky clean nose and it makes me happy. You?

[silenus]

I've found the same thing happens if I peel my Breathe-Right strip off just right. Buncha little stalagmites...

[irishgirl]

mmm, gross and fun!

Don't think they actually do anything in the lnog-term, but it is fun to see all the gunk on them.

[Sal Ammoniac]

Where do you get 'em? I want to try. Maybe we could have some contest afterward.

Or maybe not.

[tashabot]

I've never used one. Anyone know a good brand that's somewhat cheap? I've always wanted to but Biore is expensive.

I second a contest. Haha.

~Tasha

[Encinitas]

Try duct tape?

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by Encinitas

Try duct tape?

I use the labels from my prescription bottles. I've tried a couple of brands of nose strips, and the labels work just as well. I've also used the inside membrane of an egg, which works even better. You know that papery slimy membrane inside an uncooked egg? That stuff. Just apply it slimy side down on the skin, let it dry, and peel it off. That will REALLY pull out masses of blackheads. The best thing, of course, is to use a pair of tweezers to gently pull out the individual blackheads. This may not be an option for those who are not nearsighted.

[corkboard]

I've never used a nose strip but when I was a teen I used to squeeze the gunk from my nose pores, and I loved watching the little squiggles of grease worm their way out. I stopped after a while though because I was drying out my nose skin to such an extent that my skin was peeling like after a bad sunburn.

Nose strippers- does your skin dry & peel?

[WhyNot]

Lynn Bodini, Egg membrane, huh? I'm going to have to try that one!

tashabot, I really like Biore best, enough to pay the extra couple of bucks for them, but the Ponds aren't terrible.

McNew, I have pretty oily skin, so I don't have dryness problems. There is some leftover residue around where the edges of the strip were that feels dry and peely, but it washes away easily. I used to love the nose squigglies, too. Now that I'm older (and use nose strips!) my pores aren't as large and gunkified as when I was a teen, so squeezing doesn't work as well. I use probably four nose strips a year and that keeps things under control. I also hardly ever wear makeup anymore, which probably lessens the gunkification rate.


(My husband just saw this thread and said, "You'll post about anything, won't you?" )

[Sattua]

I have tried to use the nose strips several times. When I peel them off, paper from the strip gets left behind, and nothing sticks to the part that peels off.

So... what gives?

[Rock n Roach]

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

<snip> This may not be an option for those who are not nearsighted.

ahh, the beauty of my 10X hand mirror.



I am reminded of Gulliver Travels when he travels to Brobdingnag and everyone is 12x bigger than he. He can see every single pore on the queen's body and frankly I find that disgusting.

Yes interestingly I am also intrigued by my own "little forest of sebaceous gunk" as WhyNot has so eloquently put it.

[Caricci]

I have a 15X mirror and love to squeeze. I also do love a good biore harvest. What about the really long ones? Aren't they the best?!

[xnylder]

Originally Posted by Sattua

I have tried to use the nose strips several times. When I peel them off, paper from the strip gets left behind, and nothing sticks to the part that peels off.

So... what gives?

I'll second this. I've tried using them a few times, but nothing sticks to them to get extracted. What am I doing wrong?

[Quiddity Glomfuster]

I'm allergic to adhesives. I tried one strip for a couple minutes one day - not a good plan. I might have to resort to egg gunk. (ew),

[katie1341]

I have to put on my reading glasses to properly appreciate the gunk on the Biore strip. I love them, too!

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by xnylder

I'll second this. I've tried using them a few times, but nothing sticks to them to get extracted. What am I doing wrong?

Try putting them on right after a nice hot steamy shower. Your nose might be too oily at other times.

[phall0106]

So, for the truly cheap, will duct tape work or not?

What? You think I'm gonna try it on MY nose? What, are you nuts? Who wants to be the first guinea pig...

[tashabot]

Oh my goodness.

Wal-Mart sent me a free Biore strip! What excellent timing! (I'm on their free samples list)

So tonight I tried it out.

OMG I LOVE IT.

I'm so going to shell out the money for some.

My nose kinda itches. Not allergic reaction itch. Just...itch and kinda naked feeling. Is that normal? I wash my face with face wash every morning but this is different.

Suddenly, I'm in love with facial cleansing products.

~Tasha

[Ferret Herder]

That sounds normal. You essentially did a serious exfoliation on your skin so it'll feel kind of weird. I recommend washing your skin gently to remove any excess adhesive, then apply a toner or a face-friendly light moisturizer.

[Sattua]

(hollow sigh)

(taps nose sadly)

[Antigen]

I love those things. All those nasty little uprooted dirt spikes looking back at me. They're expensive, though. Is there a cheapo version?

[Not a Platypus]

This is amazing. I've never actually spoken to anyone who's gotten those damn things to work!

Everyone else I know never has anything stick to them. I thought maybe my nose was just too oily, but I've tried it after washing my face and after taking a shower... nothin'! Dry as a bone, and nothing sticks. It makes me sad, because I like gross stuff like that.

[badkittypriestess]

Reading this thread is making my nose feel itchy/funny.

[Flutterby]

I love these things. My nose just looks better after I use one, and I bought a mix box so I can use some on my chin too (which is as bad as my nose).

Actually, I'm reminded I haven't used them in awhile. Time to use them again!

[Walloon]

Originally Posted by Antigen

They're expensive, though. Is there a cheapo version?

Pond's Clear Solutions strips are usually a little cheaper.

[Hokkaido Brit]

The sick thing is I actually resubscribed to be able to post to this thread..... (I was planning to but kept not having my credit card to hand.)

It just so happens that one night the other week I had just done a pore strip, and my camera was right there next to me, so I spent a few happy minutes trying to take a good close up shot of the resulting forest! This was late at night under the light of a desk lamp. Next time I use a pore strip I shall do it in the day time and take more pictures in full daylight.

Right, castigate me or congratulate me, but don't you think these pics are fascinating??!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/75073195@N00/423814703/

[Campion]

Originally Posted by Hokkaido Brit

Right, castigate me or congratulate me, but don't you think these pics are fascinating??!

That is awesome! You have to give biore credit; I'm quite sure that in the grand scheme of things the strips do nothing, but there is the human fascination with seeing gross stuff come out of or off of our bodies.

I'm jealous, though. I never get a forest like that.

[Queen Bruin]

I know they've been out for ten years, but I went out and bought some strips for the first time tonight because of this thread. My forest was not as impressive as Hokkaido Brit's (nice photo work!) but was still fairly impressive. Made me remember the old Biore commercials, "OMG, it's like a little forest!" Damn but those buggers go deep.

The potential for abuse is huge. My husband and I sat there with one on nose and one on forehead chugging down black and tans and comparing strips. God help me, I don't think I'll be able to stop.

[Hokkaido Brit]

Originally Posted by Queen Bruin

I know they've been out for ten years, but I went out and bought some strips for the first time tonight because of this thread. My forest was not as impressive as Hokkaido Brit's (nice photo work!) but was still fairly impressive.

Thanks for the photography compliments - I am actually not satisfied and want to have another go!

Don't be jealous of my forest, think what my face looks like.... I have atopic eczema very badly on my face and I use Protopic ointment on it. It works excellently on the eczema and I have a much happier life as a result of it, but one of the side effects is whopping great blackheads. When I run a finger over bits of my face it feels like sandpaper. So I am addicted to the pore strips!

[tashabot]

Originally Posted by Thorny Platypus

This is amazing. I've never actually spoken to anyone who's gotten those damn things to work!

Everyone else I know never has anything stick to them. I thought maybe my nose was just too oily, but I've tried it after washing my face and after taking a shower... nothin'! Dry as a bone, and nothing sticks. It makes me sad, because I like gross stuff like that.

Just a question, are you following the directions? Mine had detailed instructions - you peel it off the backing and wet your face before applying it - don't pat it dry, it needs the moisture there to stick. According to the label on mine, it's like paper mache.

Okay, question for the pore strip people. I've never ever done anything about blackhead type things, because I didn't even realize I had them (I'm nearsighted). Now that I did this with my nose, I've noticed that I have like, HUGE pores - possibly because they were so full of crap. Is there anything to make them smaller that works, in your experience?

Sorry to hijack the thread, but if we're gonna discuss facial care, we might as well do it here.

~Tasha

[Vision of Love]

Love the stuff but I haven't used them in ages. I'm in my early 20s now though and my skin has become dry so I don't get as much on the nose strips as I used to (therefore, they're not as fun).

Silly me did a search on flickr and found this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dieseldan/300404882/

It's pretty nasty but fascinating. I've only been able to get whiteheads on my strips, no blackheads. Not that I'm complaining.

[Ferret Herder]

To those who haven't had success in getting the strips to work - try letting the strip stay there until it's absolutely dry and hardened. That gives more time to let the adhesive stick to the gunk on your face. Alternately, try a little exfoliation first, then wash, rinse, and apply a strip while your nose is still quite wet.

[gromehown]

Originally Posted by phall0106

So, for the truly cheap, will duct tape work or not?

The ranks of cheap seats are leaning forward anxiously, waiting, waiting, waiting....

[phall0106]

Okay, who will be the first to try the duct tape? Any takers?

[Quiddity Glomfuster]

Originally Posted by tashabot

Now that I did this with my nose, I've noticed that I have like, HUGE pores - possibly because they were so full of crap.

This is my problem. I almost prefer the schnoz with the pores filled in. It's like Polyfilla for the proboscis. So I pretty much leave it alone and extract them only if they darken.

I inherited my mom's nose - it reddens at the slightest provocation and looks like a crater field when it's been exfoliated. I gather there's not much that can be done to effect repairs.

[Roland Orzabal]

Originally Posted by phall0106

Okay, who will be the first to try the duct tape? Any takers?

Well, I used to do this regularly -- the Duck-brand full facial treatment -- back in my acne-ridden teenager days, and it seemed to work just fine. Then again, I'm the guy who gargles with vinegar to cure a sore throat, and who has removed ticks with scissors because I didn't have matches handy. So, take my home remedies for what you will.

[Sattua]

I just tried the egg membrane. It didn't pull anything out of my face--it wasn't even difficult to pull off.

[Not a Platypus]

Originally Posted by tashabot

Just a question, are you following the directions? Mine had detailed instructions - you peel it off the backing and wet your face before applying it - don't pat it dry, it needs the moisture there to stick. According to the label on mine, it's like paper mache.

Okay, question for the pore strip people. I've never ever done anything about blackhead type things, because I didn't even realize I had them (I'm nearsighted). Now that I did this with my nose, I've noticed that I have like, HUGE pores - possibly because they were so full of crap. Is there anything to make them smaller that works, in your experience?

Sorry to hijack the thread, but if we're gonna discuss facial care, we might as well do it here.

~Tasha

It's been at least 5 years since I tried them, so I don't really remember how well I followed the directions. If I didn't, then I at least thought I did. Also, having a crater nose is what I'm afraid of if they work. My dad has HUGE pores, and I take after him more than I do my mom...

[Avarie537]

Microdermabrasion is supposed to work well to close up pores. If you get it done at a dermatologist or spa, it's expensive. But there are a lot of at-home kits available now.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by Sattua

I just tried the egg membrane. It didn't pull anything out of my face--it wasn't even difficult to pull off.

You have to let it dry completely. Or maybe it just doesn't work all that well for you. It does pull out quite a bit of stuff from my skin.

[phall0106]

Well, apparently I'm easily led by peer pressure because I ventured to WALMART on a SATURDAY specifically to get the Biore pore strips. (I also had to get a broom and milk, but that's another thread.)

I just peeled off both a nose and chin strip and lemme tell ya', it was pretty gross. (Sorry, no pics.)

[Sattua]

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

You have to let it dry completely. Or maybe it just doesn't work all that well for you. It does pull out quite a bit of stuff from my skin.

Yeah. As I said, the Biore strips don't work for me either. I left the membrane on until it was so dry, it began to peel itself off.

Oh-well.

[Queen Bruin]

Originally Posted by Avarie537

Microdermabrasion is supposed to work well to close up pores. If you get it done at a dermatologist or spa, it's expensive. But there are a lot of at-home kits available now.

Yeah, my micro-dermabrasion kit works great. It's the Mary Kay one, a Christmas present from my MiL. It really cut down on my blackheads, probably why my strip wasn't as impressive as I expected! The first few weeks of using the kit led to a lot of blackhead harvesting. Motorcycling in cold weather actually made all the empty pores turn red, which led to a very odd look.

[Vision of Love]

I remember back when I used to use these strips, I was fascinated by the perspiration on my nose after my pores had been cleansed.

Ever since my skin has gone dry and high maintenance, nose strips just haven't been as fun.

[daere]

It's definitely comforting to know that I'm not the only one who is weirdly fascinated with the little "forest" that results on the used strips -- but, thankfully, the results have never been so long or so black as the strip in the photo that Vision of Love linked to. How deep are pores anyway?

I also have gi-normous pores... I haven't tried it yet, but Nicholas Perricone (a dermatologist) says that topical alpha lipoic acid can shrink pores (or at least make them look smaller). Of course, he wants you to buy his ultra-expensive products, but you can find other moisturizers & such that include alpha lipoic acid...

[Telperien]

Originally Posted by phall0106

Okay, who will be the first to try the duct tape? Any takers?

No duct tape, but I did develop a habit of putting clear tape on for dry skin collection. It was in a brochure that one of the girls who worked at the Clinique counter of a store I worked at a long time ago gave me. In fact, I put a strip of tape on my forehead the other day at work. I hid it under my bangs so none of the clients would notice. It worked too well, though, as I forgot about it too and didn't remember until I got home and reached up to scratch my forehead. When you peel the tape off, it leaves a weird smooth patch.

[tashabot]

Does anyone know of any good, cheap ways to close up pores?

I'm just wondering because just forking out money for the nose strips is gonna be a hard issue for me. Are there any specific lotions or face cleansers that you've found that work?

~Tasha

[Queen Bruin]

tashabot, try witch hazel - a popular brand is Dickinson's. It should help shrink the tissues, and as a bonus is pretty cheap. I use SeaBreeze myself, since I gotta nuke my face with salicylic acid. It's a little more expensive than witch hazel, but not exorbitant. Follow up with a light moisturizer.

[Ferret Herder]

Originally Posted by daere

I also have gi-normous pores... I haven't tried it yet, but Nicholas Perricone (a dermatologist) says that topical alpha lipoic acid can shrink pores (or at least make them look smaller). Of course, he wants you to buy his ultra-expensive products, but you can find other moisturizers & such that include alpha lipoic acid...

In fact, most large stores that have store brands of health and beauty aids ought to have this for a reasonable price. Just check the label to see what percentage it contains. I know I've bought Target's own brand before.

[WhyNot]

Originally Posted by tashabot

Does anyone know of any good, cheap ways to close up pores?

I'm just wondering because just forking out money for the nose strips is gonna be a hard issue for me. Are there any specific lotions or face cleansers that you've found that work?

~Tasha

Sorry this took so long, I've been away all weekend.

If you're a do-it-yourselfer, my favorite facial toner for enlarged pores is watermelon. Just watermelon: flesh, seeds, rind and skin and all, whirled in your blender until it's liquified. My Vita-Mix gets it smooth enough to use straight, but if yours won't, then you can let it sit for 20 minutes and then strain out whatever gritty bits are left using a couple layers of cheesecloth. Use it straight right away, refrigerate for up to a week, or fill a bottle 2/3 full and then top with witch hazel for longer term storage. Yes, it feels a little sticky until it sinks in, but it works great.

Another good one is witch hazel with rosemary and rose petals. Use about 1 cup of boiling water, 4-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary and a tablespoon of dried or fresh rose petals (if you ask your local gardener, they often have some dropped rose petals you can have for free - but I wouldn't get them at the florist. Florist's roses tend to have a lot of chemical preservatives and pesticides on them.) Cover with a lid or plate and steep for 10 minutes. Strain and pour the infusion into a bottle, again about 2/3 of the way, and top off with witch hazel. The witch hazel, as well as being a good toner itself, will act as a preservative for your facial toner.

Discard any product that starts to smell funky or grows moldy, of course.