Overheard a wild conversation about 'pore vacuums' at the grocery store

I was grabbing some stuff at the store yesterday and two people in line were talking about those at home pore vacuum things you see online. One said they used it on their friend's back and 'sucked out a whole teaspoon of gunk' and it was 'so satisfying'. I had to bite my tongue! It made me think about how much weird info is out there. People see these gadgets and think it's like a professional extraction, but they don't know about pressure settings or skin prep. I've seen clients come in with broken capillaries from going too hard with those things. It's a good reminder that part of our job is educating people on what's safe to try at home and what really needs a pro. Has anyone else had a client show up with damage from a trendy at home tool?

4 comments

4 Comments

irismartinez20d ago

Ugh, that makes me cringe for their skin.

lane.cameron20d ago

Yeah, the weird part is how they market that stuff. It's not just about pressure. Skin moves. You push a hard plastic tip against your face, you're gonna drag and pull the skin with it. Even if the suction seems fine, that dragging motion can mess up the deeper layers. Saw a video where someone used one on their cheek and gave themselves a bruise that looked like a hickey for a week. It's the combo of suction and bad technique that gets people.

nancy_smith16d ago

Just call it a science project and be done.

grayc2716d ago

That video lane mentioned sounds pretty extreme. Most people using these things aren't going that hard. The bruise thing is a technique issue, not a product flaw. Irismartinez has a point about cringing, but a lot of beauty tools can cause problems if you use them wrong. It's not some special danger, it's just not reading the directions. Calling it a "science project" feels like a stretch for what is basically a fancy suction cup.