I hear that professionals advise their patients to "unclog" their nose before they start treatment, should I do this and if so, how?
I've tried salicylic acid for a while and it hasn't done anything. Would tret 0.025% work? I hear that it may thicken the skin, which is certainly not what I want. Accutane would give me the best results but the side effects aren't too enticing
Steam your face to open your pores. Then get cheapo kitchen grapeseed oil and start rubbing it all over your nose. Rub vigorously, so you have that friction heat sensation. You don't need a ton of pressure. You aren't rubbing skin off or stretching it. You're working the oil into the pore openings & dirt. Do that for a couple of minutes. You can even resteam your face in between & rub again if you want. Get a damp cloth & wipe off the oil. Now go back & use your SA cleanser. Make sure that you're washing with it for a full 2 minutes, whether you use it for this or anything else. It won't work correctly if not. That'll get off any remaining dirt & oil mixture. The SA exfoliation will help to prevent more buildup.
The grapeseed oil usually won't do the obvious skin grit pieces. It should leave your pores looking empty after you wipe it off. If you've never done this, sometimes you need to do it for a few days in a row. It might look like only half of your pores are empty to start. If you do this consistently, then all of your pores will clear out & stay that way. Your skin might also need a chance to adjust. Occasionally, gunk from deep in your pores gets drawn to the surface over a few days. That may look like regular filaments or minor purging. If you do this regularly, then that will stop happening. Sometimes people get lucky & the first time will clear all of your pores out.
Grape seed oil has a very small molecule size, so it'll work better than most oils to stick to & break up dirt & sebum in your pores. If you don't already have some, Google & buy whatever is cheapest. You can buy it by the health, carrier oil, & cosmetic stuff, but the kitchen oil is usually much cheaper. The oil quality & safety are the exact same either way.
If you don't have a face steamer or feel comfortable doing it over the stove, then you can use a hot damp cloth. Get it as you can handle without burning yourself. Put it on your face for a few minutes so your pores can open.