Trichostasis spinulosa affects the skin of the nose of adults, and is often confused with blackheads. Lesions may also occur on the scalp, chest, back and elsewhere. It can affect both men and women and usually occurs in older adults. It is rarely seen in children.
Trichostasis spinulosa lesions appear as numerous tiny open pores filled with multiple tiny short hairs, usually only visible with a magnifying glass. Each follicular plug may contain between 5–25 hairs and is usually less than 1 mm in size.
View more images of trichostasis spinulosa
No treatment is necessary. However, for cosmetic reasons, hairs within the individual plugs may be removed by pulling them out using tweezers, squeezing them out with a comedo extractor, or using depilatory wax or laser depilation.
Topical retinoids may be used to help prevent future lesions and improve the appearance.
