Large Pores
Conditions
What are Pores?
Pores are outlets for the body to release perspiration and oil to hydrate, protect and cool the surface of your skin. Pores are also home to your hair follicles. Your skin is covered with millions of microscopic pores, but it is very common for some of them to become enlarged and noticeable.
What causes large pores?
An overproduction of sebum, the oil your body produces to hydrate your skin, will increase the size of your pores. When your skin is excessively oily, it will attach to dirt and bacteria from the surface of your skin. This problematic pairing will clog your pores, causing them to expand and will most likely result in blackheads. This is most likely to occur on your nose, forehead, cheeks and chin.
When your pores become enlarged, they will become noticeable craters in your skin that may resemble an orange peel. This undesirable look is mainly the result of genetics, but there are many other causes of large pores, most of which are preventable.
They include:
- Sun damage
- Aging
- Gender (men typically have larger pores than women)
- Blackheads
- Oily skin
- Acne
- Not cleaning the skin properly
- Certain skin care products (those that are not non-comedogenic)
- Cleansers
- Toners
- Moisturizers
- Makeup products
- Hormonal changes
- Smoking
- Drinking alcohol
- Dehydration
- Pollution
- Sleeplessness
How can large pores be treated?
The appearance of large pores will improve if you take proper care of your body and skin. It is recommended to look over the list of causes and eliminate or control as many factors as you can. This especially includes taking at look at your current skin care products. Make sure your cleanser, toner, moisturizer and makeup are non-comedogenic and preferably made of natural ingredients. By changing these products alone, you should see a drastic improvement in your skin, especially the appearance of pores.
Enlarged pores can be treated at home with cleansers, toners and creams that contain benzoyl peroxide, sulfur or salicylic acid. These ingredients will aide in the prevention of dirt and oil build-up.
Another solution would be a medical grade chemical peel. A peel will exfoliate the surface layer of your skin and unclog your pores. While the peel will reduce the size of your pores, it will also cause a regeneration of healthier, smoother skin.
Finally, laser treatments can be very effective in reducing the size of pores. Syneron’s Fotofacial RF uses focused light energy and radiofrequency to brighten and tighten the skin, as well as improve texture irregularities, like pores.
