Sebaceous Filaments Treatment: Sebaceous Filaments vs Blackheads

Sebaceous filaments are often mistaken for blackheads. At Pearl, we have a range of treatments for sebaceous filaments, including extraction facials, peels, our latest Korean hydrofacial, microneedling, Korean pore facials, jessner peels and topical creams.

It is best to book an assessment with our senior facialist, Taylor. She will examine your skin and advise you on your treatment options. Refining pores or pore treatment often requires a multi-pronged approach. Tip: However, a Jessner peel for $176 is an excellent first step in pore cleansing.

Book a Free Assessment with our Facialists.

For a free consultation and optimal skin care regimen, call 07 3350 5447 or book online with Taylor.

Taylor | Senior Facialist & Skin Therapist

Meet Taylor, our senior skin therapists and facialists at Pearl Medispa. With training across our full range of specialty Korean facials, including Hydrofacials, Gua Sha, Korean Glass Facials, Dermaplaning, Extraction Facials, Cica Facials, Microneedling Facials, and more, tailored to your skin’s needs on the day.

Whether you’re dealing with ageing skin concerns, pigmentation, inflamed, irritated skin, dry skin, clogged pores, stubborn milia, or simply wanting to restore your skin’s natural glow, Christina and Taylor combine technique, precision, and personalised care to help you achieve clear, radiant skin.

Ready to treat your skin | Start with a complimentary facialist assessment. 
Start with a complimentary facialist assessment. You’re welcome to book your facial with Taylor online, or call us on 07 3350 5447. But if it’s your first time at Pearl, please make sure to also book a complimentary facialist assessment as well. This allows us to properly assess your skin and tailor your treatment for the best results. 

Please book online with Taylor or call 07 3350 5447 for a free consultation.

What are sebaceous filaments?

Sebaceous filaments are a natural component of your skin. They are thin, threadlike attachments that line your oil glands to aid in the movement of sebum from the oil glands to the skin’s surface. Sebaceous filaments become more visible as more sebum is produced during the teenage years in people with oily skin and with age or sun damage. They contribute to the appearance of enlarged pores.

Sebaceous Filaments vs. Blackheads?

Sebaceous filaments may resemble blackheads and can be confused with each other, but they are not the same. They are both harmless; people dislike them when they enlarge, and the treatment approach is very similar.

Blackheads are darker and present as open, dark-coloured bumps on your skin’s surface that fill with excess oil and dead skin. A blackhead is a plug of sebum at the skin’s surface.

• The plug keeps oil from flowing through the pore.
• Blackheads resemble a dark speck of dirt embedded in a bump on your skin.
• When you squeeze blackheads, the dark, waxy plug may pop out of your pore.

Sebaceous filaments lack plugs, and the oil flows freely to the skin’s surface.

• They also present as darker spots but are usually smaller, flatter, and lighter in colour—typically grey, light brown, or yellow.
• Squeezing sebaceous filaments from your skin may cause a waxy, threadlike structure to emerge from your pore.

What Causes Enlarged Sebaceous Filaments?

Sebaceous filaments are found in everyone and all over your body. However, they are most visible on the face and can be especially prominent on the nose, chin, and forehead between eyebrows. There are times when the sebaceous filaments become enlarged.

• Oily skin: this can be the overall face or the T zone. People with oily skin naturally produce more sebum, leading to larger pores and more visible sebaceous filaments on the nose, chin, and between eyebrows.
• Around puberty, your sebaceous glands grow larger and produce more oil, making your sebaceous filaments more visible. At this time, you are also more prone to acne, blackheads, and milia. Acne treatments and pore treatments will help minimise the appearance of sebaceous filaments.
• As you age and suffer from sun damage, your pores may enlarge. This slows the sloughing of surface skin cells, which effectively accumulate, making the pores more prominent and sebaceous filaments more visible.
• Too much sun can likewise cause damage and decrease your normal skin sloughing.
• Over-cleaning your skin can lead your sebaceous glands to work harder to produce more sebum in your skin, making them appear larger.

Can I Get Rid of Sebaceous Filaments?

As they are a natural and expected component of healthy skin, you cannot eliminate them, but you can follow a skincare and clinic treatment regime to minimise them. The key features of skin care are exfoliation with BHA and prescription retinoids to stop the accumulation of excess skin cells and sebum. In-clinic procedures include

• Exfoliation with BHA, salicylic acid, or a combination of BHA and AHA.
• The Jessner peel is beneficial for skin pore size control.
• Do not use exfoliating scrubs, as these are too harsh and do not penetrate the pore; you may exacerbate the problem.
• Salicylic acid is available as an over-the-counter cleanser or gel or in a specific formula. We recommend Dermaenergy, ‘A Mean Clean,’ ‘Shed the Dead,’ and ‘Solve and Dissolve,’ all unique salicylic acid products, to clean your pores by dissolving sebum and removing the top skin layers.

Vitamin A derivatives (retinoids): Prescription Retinoids aid in the prevention of clogged pores. Because they normalise skin cell turnover and function, they prevent the accumulation of surface cells, promoting a more healthy sloughing. If suitable, you must see our doctors to get a retinoid prescription. Retinoids require a prescription from our cosmetic doctors.

• These are indicated as first-line acne treatments, anti-aging, and excellent for pore control.
• You may have skin peeling as you start.
• We recommend starting with retinoids twice weekly and then building to every second day if you tolerate it daily.
• Apply them to dry skin at night, and they can be used with a moisturiser.

In-clinic procedures include a wide range of peels, lasers, and needlings. Our favourites for pore control are Jessner peel, carbon laser, and pico laser treatments.

What about squeezing or pore strips?

If you squeeze the sebum, your pores will refill within 30 days. Because your nails are much stronger than your skin, applying pressure and squeezing it can easily harm the skin. Sebaceous filaments can be minimised as part of ongoing pore control treatments in the clinic, but do not squeeze them excessively. As far as pore strips, the purpose of pore strips is to remove blackheads, but they can also remove sebaceous filaments. However, once again, once removed, the sebum will accumulate. To refine pores in the clinic, prescription treatments and procedures are required to improve the cosmetic appearance of pores.

It is best to book an assessment with our senior facialist, Taylor. She will examine your skin and advise you on your treatment options. Refining pores or pore treatment often requires a multi-pronged approach. Tip: However, a Jessner peel for $176 is an excellent first step in pore cleansing.

Book a Free Assessment with our Facialists.

For a free consultation and optimal skin care regimen, call 07 3350 5447 or book online with Taylor today.