Look closely at your nose and you'll probably see a grid of small grey or beige dots, all roughly the same size. Most people assume they're blackheads and spend years squeezing, stripping and scrubbing them. They come back within weeks, every time.
That's because most of those dots are sebaceous filaments, and they're supposed to be there. Everyone has them. They're part of how oil gets from the glands to the skin's surface. You can make them less visible, but you can't make them disappear for good, and trying to usually makes your pores look worse.
What sebaceous filaments are
Each pore on your face is the opening of a hair follicle with an oil (sebaceous) gland attached. Oil moves up the follicle to the surface, mixed with dead skin cells. A sebaceous filament is the column of oil and cells lining that channel. It's thin, flexible and it's how the system normally works.
They're most visible where pores are largest and oil production is highest: the nose, the chin, the inner cheeks and sometimes the forehead. If you have oily skin, they're more noticeable. The guide to large pores explains why pores look bigger in these areas.
What blackheads are
A blackhead (an open comedone) is a blocked pore. Oil and dead skin build up into a firm plug that stretches the pore. The top of the plug is exposed to air, and the colour comes from the way light hits the packed material and from oxidised skin pigment. It isn't dirt.
Blackheads are a form of acne. Sebaceous filaments aren't.
How to tell them apart
| Sebaceous filaments | Blackheads | |
|---|---|---|
| Colour | Grey, beige or light brown | Dark brown to black |
| Size | Small and uniform, evenly spaced | Bigger, varied, scattered |
| Surface | Flat, level with the skin | Often slightly raised |
| When squeezed | Thin whitish-yellow threads | Firm, dark-topped plug |
| How fast they return | Within a few weeks | Can stay for weeks if untreated |
| Where | Nose, chin, inner cheeks | Anywhere, often nose and chin |
| What they are | Normal skin structure | A type of acne |
The quickest test: if your nose is covered in an even pattern of small, flat, greyish dots, they're sebaceous filaments. If you have a few darker, bigger, slightly raised dots scattered among them, those are blackheads.
Why squeezing makes things worse
Squeezing a sebaceous filament pushes out a thread of oil. The pore looks empty for a few days, then refills, because the gland keeps producing oil. Meanwhile, the pressure can stretch the pore, break small blood vessels, and cause redness and inflammation. Do it often enough and pores can look permanently larger.
Pore strips have the same problem. They pull out the top of the filaments, and sometimes some skin, and the dots come back within a couple of weeks. Why to stay away from pore strips covers the details.
What makes sebaceous filaments less visible
You can't remove them permanently, but you can reduce how much they show.
Salicylic acid (BHA). It's oil-soluble, so it gets inside the pore and loosens the material lining it. A leave-on 2% BHA two or three times a week, or a daily salicylic cleanser, is the most useful single step. See salicylic acid, and The Ordinary's 2% solution if you want a cheap option.
Retinoids. Retinol, or a prescription retinoid, speeds up skin cell turnover and helps keep pores clearer. A review of treatments for oily skin lists topical retinoids among the options with evidence for reducing oiliness. See what retinol does.
Niacinamide. It has some evidence for reducing oil production and can make pores look smaller. Results are modest. More in what niacinamide does.
Clay masks. Clay absorbs surface oil, so filaments look less obvious for a day or two. A short-term fix, not a treatment.
Oil cleansing. Massaging a cleansing oil over the nose for a minute can loosen some of the oil in the filaments. Follow with a gentle water-based cleanser. How to double cleanse explains how.
Sunscreen. Sun damage weakens the support around pores over time and can make them look bigger. Daily SPF helps in the long run.
Give any of these four to eight weeks. A month of consistent BHA does more than any single extraction.
If you also have blackheads
The same tools work on blackheads: salicylic acid and retinoids are the core treatments. Blackheads tend to respond more visibly, because they're a blockage you can clear, not a normal structure. The guide to blackheads on your nose and how to unclog pores go into more detail. If you use The Ordinary, there's a step-by-step regimen for blackheads.
Professional extraction by a trained facialist is fine occasionally for stubborn blackheads. Regular extraction of sebaceous filaments isn't worth it, because they refill.
What not to do
- Don't scrub your nose with harsh physical exfoliants. It irritates the skin without reaching inside the pore.
- Don't use pore vacuums. They can bruise the skin and break small blood vessels.
- Don't strip the skin with strong, foaming cleansers. Dry, irritated skin doesn't reduce oil, and can make the area look worse. See the best cleansers for oily skin.
- Don't squeeze. You'll be back where you started within a fortnight, with redness on top.
References
Singh Y, Neema S, Bahuguna A, Dabbas D. Sebaceous filaments. Dermatol Pract Concept. 2021;11(1):e2021148. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33614220/)
Lee SJ, Seok J, Jeong SY, Park KY, Li K, Seo SJ. Facial pores: definition, causes, and treatment options. Dermatol Surg. 2016;42(3):277-285. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26918966/)
Endly DC, Miller RA. Oily skin: a review of treatment options. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2017;10(8):49-55. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28979664/)
FAQs
Are sebaceous filaments the same as blackheads?
No. Sebaceous filaments are a normal lining of oil and skin cells in your pores, and everyone has them. Blackheads are blocked pores and a type of acne.
Can you get rid of sebaceous filaments permanently?
No. They're part of normal skin. Salicylic acid, retinoids and niacinamide can make them less visible, but they'll always be there.
Should I squeeze sebaceous filaments?
No. They refill within a few weeks, and squeezing can stretch pores and cause redness.
Do pore strips remove sebaceous filaments?
Temporarily. They pull out the top of the filaments, which come back within a couple of weeks. They can also irritate the skin.
What's the best product for sebaceous filaments?
A leave-on 2% salicylic acid used a few times a week is the most useful single product. Add a retinoid if you want more effect.