Enlarged pores are a common skin complaint but pores are part and parcel of normal skin. Pores are small openings in your skin that contain hair follicles. Each hair follicle is attached to the oil or sebaceous gland. Sweat is also excreted through your pores. The oil or sebum secreted keeps your skin surface moisturised and protected.
However, some people find their pores appear larger. There are several reasons for enlarged pores. Firstly, it may be genetic. Secondly, if you tend to produce more oil, or have an oily or combination skin type, your pores can look large. Thirdly, as we age, and our skin loses collagen and becomes less elastic the pores seem larger as a result. Sun damage causes collagen breakdown exacerbating this. Finally, if the oil or sebum gets trapped within the gland due to clogging at the surface, the pores enlarge to compensate. There are several ways we can prevent or treat enlarged pores.
5 ways to minimise enlarged pores with skincare at home
Cleanse daily
Cleansing removes the daily build-up of skin waste, pollution, and skin care products. This helps keep the pores unblocked and hence maintain healthy function.
Exfoliate your skin
I would recommend chemical exfoliation over scrubs. These ingredients loosen the bonds between dead skin cells releasing them from obstructing the pores. Salicylic acid is a hero product for pores. It exfoliates, breaks down oil as well as reduces sebum production.
Use retinoids
Retionoids have multiple benefits for your skin. Firstly, they speed up your skin’s turnover avoiding clogging of the pores. Secondly, they reduce oil production improving acne. Ultimately, they increase the thickness and elasticity of your skin making pores appear smaller. However, you may need to start slowly to build your tolerance to retinoids.
Use non-comedogenic skin care products
These are designed to prevent clogging of your pores. Unfortunately, skin care products can have misleading labels, and these may still cause a breakout!
Use a daily broad-spectrum sunscreen
These help to limit UV radiation damage on your skin. Every time daylight hits your skin, there is damage that builds up over time. Use broad-spectrum sunscreen daily.
Professional treatments for enlarged pores
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels deeply exfoliate your skin and accelerate your home treatment results. You may need to factor in a bit of downtime as you may get some flaking over the next few days.
Device-based treatments
Microneedling is my go-to treatment as it has so many benefits for your skin. Thousands of tiny holes are made in the skin encouraging the skin to start a wound-healing response. This controlled injury induces collagen and elastin production, making your skin thicker and the pores effectively minimised. Skinpen precision microneedling is available at Skin Enhance and Wellness in Billericay.
Other device-based treatments aim to thicken the skin thereby reducing pore size but may have more downtime.
In summary, pores are normal features of your skin. They may appear large for a variety of reasons. A targeted skincare routine will help to reduce this appearance. Clinic procedures like chemical peels and microneedling can help minimise their appearance with little downtime.
Use the link below to book a consultation to find the best treatment for you.
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