Pore strips are that guilty pleasure that all woman have in their cupboard of beauty supplies in order to give us that little “pick-me-up”. The instant gratification should not fool you- the knowledgeable fashionista would know the real harm that they can impose on your beauty. What things should you keep in mind before embarking on your guilty little pleasure from this seductive product?

1. They don’t work at the real issues you think they are. Pore strips have been famously used to work at blackheads, almost in an instant. However, they are not a plausible long term solution. To cure your skin of blackheads, you need constant upkeep with the proper skincare regimen formulated for caring for blackheads.
2. Using it too much can cause extensive damage to your pores. When you use pore strips, you are stripping your skin of natural oils and leaving your skin prone to irritation. Irritation can cause a buildup of pus under the skin that can lead to more blackheads. Since this method robs you of all natural oils, it seems more sensible to invest in a product that will do all of what pore strips will do and more.  The best skin care product for this is a cleanser that contains gentle exfoliating acids.
3. You’re susceptible permanent scarring. Pulling at the pores consistently with pore strips can cause damage to the skin if done too aggressively or too often. The persistent wearing and tearing can also break capillaries that can bring a lot of unwarranted beauty malfunctions. Among these include: darker eye circles, spider veins and more fragile skin. To treat problems like these may require expensive laser treatments.
4. Hastening the wrinkle effect. Similar to how you wear and tear at the sleeves on a shirt, pore strips can wear and tear at the skin and cause premature wrinkles.
5. Using pore strips too often can make your skin more sensitive to new products you introduce it to. When you strip away the top layers of your skin, your skin becomes more thin and more sensitive. This means that for any heavier duty products you use to combat aging or moisturize more heavily will not be absorbed by skin to the full value before you began using pore strips.

Alternatives

If you have a pesky and persistent case of blackheads, the best bet is to stick with regular facials which will prove to be much gentler on the skin. Alongside persistent facials, it’s also important to incorporate proper exfoliation to clear your pores. Never too often however, as excessive exfoliation can cause drier skin and unwarranted damage.