Nasal strips vs pore strips: what nose strips actually do

"Nose strips" covers two products that have nothing in common except where they go. Nasal strips are breathing aids: a springy band that lifts the sides of your nose so air flows in more easily, usually worn at night. Pore strips are skincare: an adhesive sheet that pulls the oily plugs out of open pores on your nose. One helps you breathe, the other changes how your skin looks for a while, and neither is designed to improve your skin.

What are nose strips?

Nose strips are adhesive strips worn across the nose, and the term is used for two separate products. Searches for "nose strips" turn up both, which is why it's easy to buy the wrong box. The quick way to tell them apart is what they promise. Breathing, snoring, congestion or "nasal" on the pack means a nasal strip. Blackheads, pores or "deep cleansing" means a pore strip.

What does a nasal strip do?

A nasal strip opens the front of your nose so you can breathe through it more easily. Breathe Right describes the strip as flexible, spring-like bands that stick just above the flare of each nostril. As the bands try to straighten, they lift the sides of the nose and widen the passage.

The effect has been measured. A 1998 study in The Laryngoscope tested a strip in people with congestion, people with a deviated septum and people with healthy noses. In all three groups the strip widened the narrowest part of the nasal passage and lowered nasal resistance.

That's why people wear them at night. In a 2000 placebo-controlled trial of 12 snorers with chronic rhinitis, the real strip cut snoring frequency to 173 snores per hour, compared with 258 on a placebo strip. Our guide to how nasal strips work covers the research, and when to use nasal strips runs through the occasions they suit best.

A nasal strip doesn't take anything out of your pores. It sits on the skin and is meant to come off gently.

What does a pore strip do?

A pore strip pulls the plug of oil and dead skin out of the openings of your pores. A Cleveland Clinic dermatologist explains that pore strips use an adhesive to lift the congestion out of the pore. They work well enough at this that researchers have used them as a sampling tool. In a 2017 study in Pediatric Dermatology, pore strips were applied to collect material from children's skin so the bacteria living there could be identified.

The American Academy of Dermatology explains what's being removed. A blackhead forms when a pore fills with excess oil, bacteria and dead skin cells but stays open, and the black dot isn't dirt. The AAD advises against scrubbing blackheads for that reason, since it can make acne worse.

Are pore strips good for your skin?

Pore strips aren't harmful for most people used now and then, but they don't do much for your skin over time. The Cleveland Clinic dermatologist says a pore strip can be helpful if you're getting ready for an event, but it only temporarily clears the skin and can cause side effects like excess irritation and dryness. The same article says over-the-counter blackhead products like strips and masks tend to offer immediate gratification without solving the underlying skin issue.

There's a second concern. Many of the dots on the nose aren't blackheads at all but sebaceous filaments, thin structures that carry oil from the oil glands to the surface. Cleveland Clinic says pore strips can remove sebaceous filaments as well as blackheads, and since filaments help keep the skin hydrated, removing them can dry out the skin and let in bacteria that cause acne. Cleveland Clinic also notes that when sebum is squeezed out of a filament, the pore fills up again within 30 days, so clearing them is a short-lived result.

We didn't find a controlled study measuring the long-term effects of regular pore strip use on skin. The cautions above come from dermatologists' guidance.

How can you tell blackheads from sebaceous filaments?

You can usually tell them apart by size, color and shape. Cleveland Clinic explains that a blackhead is a type of acne: an open, dark bump filled with excess oil and dead skin, with a plug of sebum sitting at the surface that stops oil from flowing out of the pore. It tends to look like a dark speck of dirt in a small bump.

Sebaceous filaments aren't acne. They don't have a plug, so oil travels freely to the surface. Cleveland Clinic says they're usually smaller than blackheads, flat, and lighter in color, typically gray, light brown or yellow. They become more noticeable when your oil glands make more sebum, which is why they show up so clearly on the nose.

You'll always have sebaceous filaments, according to Cleveland Clinic, because they're a normal, healthy part of the skin. To make them less visible, it suggests washing your face daily with warm water and a mild cleanser, using moisturizer, choosing noncomedogenic products, removing makeup at the end of the day and keeping your hands away from your face. It also warns against squeezing them with your nails, which can irritate or damage the skin.

What do dermatologists suggest for blackheads instead?

Dermatologists generally suggest products that keep pores from clogging. The American Academy of Dermatology says dermatologists recommend a retinoid to unclog pores, and that one, adapalene, is available without a prescription. It also suggests a benzoyl peroxide wash, and advises giving treatment six to eight weeks before seeing a dermatologist about stubborn blackheads.

The Cleveland Clinic dermatologist's go-to is a salicylic acid wash once a day, along with noncomedogenic makeup and skincare, daily sunscreen, and keeping your hands off your face. A dermatologist can also remove blackheads with an extraction tool.

Are nasal strips good for your skin?

Nasal strips aren't designed to do anything for your skin. They're a breathing aid, and for most people the skin under them is fine with a gentle routine. The thing to watch is irritation where the adhesive sits. Breathe Right lists possible application-site reactions such as redness, irritation, pain, peeling or bleeding, and says to stop if a rash or skin irritation occurs.

Most of that comes down to how the strip comes off. Breathe Right recommends washing with warm water for 10 seconds and then gently lifting each side, never ripping. A 2025 evidence summary on medical adhesive skin injuries agrees, recommending slow removal at a low angle with the skin supported, and naming rapid, vertical stripping as a risk factor. A nasal strip that's peeled off this way shouldn't pull at your pores the way a pore strip is designed to.

If your nose is sensitive or oily, see nasal strips and skin irritation, best nasal strips for sensitive skin and nasal strips on oily skin.

Can you wear a nasal strip and a pore strip?

You can use both, just not at the same time. A pore strip has to come off before anything else goes on, and a nasal strip needs the same patch of skin clean, dry and calm. Breathe Right says not to put a nasal strip over sores, sunburned or irritated skin, and that its adhesive won't stick properly to wet, oily or moisturized skin.

A simple order works for most people:

1. Use a pore strip in the morning or earlier in the day, if you use one at all.
2. Give your skin time to settle. Skip the nasal strip that night if your nose is red or tender.
3. At bedtime, wash and dry your nose, leave off moisturizer where the strip goes, and apply the nasal strip just above the flare of the nostrils.
4. In the morning, loosen the nasal strip with warm water and peel it off slowly.

No study has tested combining the two, so this is practical advice built from what each product's guidance says. How to apply nasal strips has placement tips.

Which one do you actually need?

If you're trying to breathe more easily, snore less or sleep with your mouth closed, you want a nasal strip. If you're bothered by the look of dark dots on your nose, a pore strip gives a quick, temporary result, and a dermatologist-style routine with salicylic acid or a retinoid does more over time. Many people end up using a nasal strip every night and a pore strip rarely, if ever.

Our pick (paid partner): TitanAir Nasal Strips

If a breathing strip is what you're after, our pick is TitanAir Nasal Strips. This is our recommendation, not the result of testing or ranking strips ourselves.

Titan says TitanAir strips are drug-free external nasal dilators with flexible spring-loaded bands. Its directions fit the skin advice above: apply to clean, dry skin and skip moisturizer, place the strip just above the flare of the nostrils on the soft part of the nose rather than the bony bridge, and remove it by loosening with warm water and peeling slowly from the ends inward. Titan says they're third-party tested and certified PFAS-free, and they come with a 30-night guarantee.

Read next

• How nasal strips work, and when they help most
• Nasal strips and skin irritation
• How to apply nasal strips

* This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or health condition. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider about your health.