pores and dark spots?

sooo I have really large pores on my nose and around my t-zone, and...its really bad. the blackheads are horrible, and the pores on my nose are so large, I can see them in the mirror without moving too closely to it - which means its noticeable by other people without makeup!

any tips on how to keep my pores closed up and looking smaller?

my dark spots faded a little when I used clean and clear, but its not enough to make a HUGE significant difference. anything I could use for those, too?

my acne and stuff is REALLY bad, so I need some REALLY STRONG STUFF. only dry part of my face, is where the laugh lines around my mouth are, and its even dark there.

would a bleaching cream help? I dunno!

tippy mc tip tips?

For acne: There is a mask at bath and body works by DDF for acne that works really well. Its a sulfur mask and it dries out acne fairly quickly, but be careful, it can totally dry out your entire face. Leave it on for like five hours and it should make a really big difference.

Also, take vitamins/fish oil tablets if you arnt already. Vitamins A and E are really good for skin.

I would really recommend going to a dermatologist though. If you need STRONG stuff, thats the prescription stuff. Most over the counter things you can find don't do anything for me...but I have had good results from various topical treatments/antibiotics I have been prescribed.

Not sure about the pore thing though...

When I was young and had really bad acne, I went to a dermatologist. They burned and fried my skin with chemical peels! I looked worse after I came out!

I went to a skin specialist, and he REALLY helped. I swear that people should go to skin specialists rather than dermatologists.

I thought that dermatologists WERE skin specialists......
Now I'm really confused.

Me too...my dermatologist didnt burn my face off....she gave me antibiotic stuff though.

for the blackheads & large pores I recommend Biore Pore Minimizing Refining Exfoliator
(I use this about once a week to keep my skin from getting too dry)

then for the acne I've been using Oxy Chill Factor kit. You can get it a Wal-Mart.
The real key to kicking acne butt though is strictly followng a routine.

Ive been wanting to try Biore's line - are the little strips that you use on your nose and face any good? they might as well be, at $9 - 11 dollars a bloody box. >.>

and I try! but I just ran out of my neutrogena soap, so once I get some money, I need some new stuff to try.

I've never used the strips but the other Biore stuff is really good.

Personally, I prefer acne products that contain benzoyl peroxide over
salicycal acid just because it's stronger and works better for me.

oh my boyfriend is obsessed with the pores and blackheads on his nose and he uses Biore strips and loves them. i guess they kind of help.
he also uses this stuff...idk what it is clearisil something but he uses it and he says he then just squeezes his nose and all his pores pop all the gung out of them. minging boy. ill find out but this boy sticks needles in his pores so idk what he does to himself.

I use the biore strips. I even use the ultra ones. And they don't help.
At all.
But I keep buying them because I'm clinging on to them in the hope that one day they'll banish blackheads from my nose.

I use clean and clear, and their stuff gets rid of pimples, but I need something stronger for when it gets really bad, cos sometimes, it wont work everytime. biore sounds hawt.

and OMG. he uses needles? I had to [ONE TIME!], cos you know those pimples you get RIGHT at your LIP LINE? I had a blackhead, that I could literally see without moving torwards the mirror, so I plucked that bitch out with a needle.

and nvm, make it twice...my 7th grade rep was almost ruined when I had a HUGE one on my lip line, and god, it was horrid...it hurt all of the time and it was like people would always stare at me. that was huge when I got it out, like ew, this was in my flesh?

...tmi?
but you know why my pores are huge now!

How do you get it out with a needle?

I do the needle thing often, especially with blackhead. You just sanitize the needle and poke it into the head/center of what you want to get rid of. Then gently squeeze.

Oh--and here, dermotolagists are for pimples, crows feet, and the such; skin specialists are for acne, eczema, psoriosis, skin cancer, skin tabs, etc.

mhm! I hate blackheads, cos mine are so large and noticeable.
and when its right at my lipline or some other place impossible to get out with my hands, and its big,

I get a needle and clean it with alcohol or peroxide,
and I basically go for the middle, or around it where it can loosen up....
and then *sqeeeeze*

Im not sure if I have the money for a specialist, though...

arg i have one on my bottom line line atm...like right on my lip. ouchee. i dont wanna squeeze it but i shall once ive had a shower

mm I hate those. especially when theyre so big, you can actually SEE how black it is from all the dirt and makeup...ewwy. :[[

those memories of 7th grade...AHHH.

Ohhh over here dermatologists cover all of that.

And instead of using alcohol or peroxide to sanitise the needle, do you reckon pouring boiling water over it would do the trick? Or not... cos I'm interested to try this trick but without using those substances...

soap and water would be simple enough if you dont have peroxide and what not.















anyting else I should try?
diff products n crapp?

i don't know if i'm too late, but i use this mask from Philip Thomas Roth and it's great for clearing skin! its sulfur/eucalyptus and its really refreshing. i use it once every two weeks. put it on, wait til it dries, wash off and skin is softer (dries out pimples,too. so i use it as a spot treatment sometimes). i got it at Sephora in the city, but i'm sure you can order it online, too at sephora.com

AH! its "PETER THOMAS ROTH" not philip! i don't know where that came from, lol. sorry for the double post!

okay, Im pretty much sold on biore right now - its a REALLY expensive line, but Im gonna try to take about $100 in June and spend it solely on makeup and facial care stuff! your tips helped a lot, thankies too yoo allll. :]]