How to Treat Large Pores

One thing that contributes to an old-looking skin is having large pores. When you were younger, your skin including the pores is tight and this makes a smoother complexion. However, as years pass by, dirt and free radicals accumulate and age your skin; you start losing skin elasticity and your pores just go big. So what can you do to stop this? The best way is to have a good skin care regimen and don’t forget that the pores should be part of it.

How did you get large pores in the first place?

The sebaceous gland activity has lots of things to do with the enlarging of the pores, especially in the nose area. It starts with dirt and dead skin cells surrounding the pores; they build up and block the oil duct, a passageway to the top of the skin, and decrease the amount of oil secreted. This makes the sebaceous gland react by secreting more oil, thinking it has to compensate for the lack of moisture of the skin overlying it. And because the duct is still blocked, more oil secreted only means more blockage; this leads to dilation of the duct and the pore becomes stretched and enlarges as well.

Treatment

While it is in no way serious, many people seek treatment for their large pores because they are aesthetically displeasing. The mainstay of treating large pores is, of course, simply taking the time and making sure your pores are always clean and unblocked. Here are the ways you can achieve smaller pores within weeks:

Chemical exfoliation: the peeling effect from using chemicals will take care of dead skin cells and help renew the skin. Examples of these chemical exfoliants that you may use are salicylic acid, glycolic acid, alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids.

Scrubs: as much as possible, go find facial scrubs with smaller, finer beads. They do a better job and do not cause unnecessary trauma to the rest of the skin like the larger coarser beads do. The scrubs are essentially used to get rid of the dead skin cells off before they can get the chance to plug into pores. The finest scrub I’ve used so far is the Altchek MD Daily Exfoliating Cleanser.

Nose packs: nowadays, there are self-heating nose packs you can apply to the nose area and you can wash it off afterwards. However, you don’t necessarily have to get the self-heating type, just the ordinary ones are fine and they do clean your pores nicely.

Nose strips: this only takes a few minutes of your time and you can do this once every week. Seeing the dirt, dead skin cells and keratin plugs stuck to the tape is definitely visually satisfying and I’m pretty sure you’ll get addicted to it.

Prevention: Before trying to find ways to tighten your pores, make sure it’s clean. Always avoid pollution whenever you can. Do not expose your skin to harsh fumes or even cigarette smoke. But if unavoidable, remember to wash your face immediately after with a mild soap or a facial wash that lathers nicely. Do not use non-soap based facial wash for this situation because it doesn’t wash off well and will leave a coat of film over your skin. It will moisturize the surface but will also seal in the dirt and pollution.

With a better understanding of pores plus the tips above, you’re sure to have a good fighting chance against large pores. Give your skin the care it needs and I’m sure you’ll see smaller, tighter pores in a few weeks! 🙂

4 comments

  1. F. Labrijn says:

    “This makes the sebaceous gland react by secreting more oil, thinking it has to compensate for the lack of moisture of the skin overlying it.”

    Unfortunately, this information is widespread, many people believe it, but it’s not true. Sebaceous glands do not “think” anything, they are influenced by hormones (androgens), you cannot make them produce more or less oil by exfoliating, scrubbing, etc. Nor does moisturizing have anything to do with sebum.

    • Dr. Blight says:

      Thank you for your clarification. It was phrased that way for easy/layman’s reading but of course, glands and hormones work in a feedback system. The environment or what you do to your skin affects its behavior.

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