How to tell if I have blackheads or sebaceous filaments?Updated a year ago
Before we dive into the differences between blackheads vs sebaceous filaments, here are the key questions to ask yourself to figure out which one you’re dealing with:
- How dark is it? A dark brown or black clog is probably a blackhead, while white, beige, or light brown clogs are usually sebaceous filaments.
How much of your pore does it fill? With blackheads, you can notice that the clog fills the entire pore, often causing the sides to stretch a little to accommodate it. If you have sebaceous filaments, the “gunk” will be concentrated in the center of the pore, without stretching the sides.
How big is it? Sebaceous filaments are tiny and often fairly tightly distributed, which means they impact a lot of pores. Blackheads are usually a little larger and more noticeable to the naked eye and will impact a smaller percentage of pores in a given area. - You might have both. It’s rarely one or the other. It’s very common to have many sebaceous filaments along with some blackheads.