Why do pores get bigger and how to stop them!
First, here are some facts about your pores so you can better understand them.
1. They Are Hair Follicles
Pores helps the skin “breathe” and are actually the openings for your hair follicles and sweat glands. Each tiny hair you have is actually coming out of a pore. While this is not as obvious on the face, you should be able to observe this easily on your limbs. The oil gland on the inside of your pores produces sebum which is an oil that protects and moisturizes the skin for it to stay soft and supple.
2. Your genetics play a part
Your genes determine how visible your pores are, how much oil they produce as well as the overall texture and quality of your skin. While this is something you can’t change, you can however try your best with the rest of the factors that affect the quality of your pores.
3. They Change With Age
As you age, your collagen production slows down and pores can appear larger due to sun exposure, dry skin/ over-active oil glands. Sun exposure over the years remove collagen, elastin and water from your skin, causing the tissue beneath your skin to shrink and pull at the edges of your pores, making them sag and look bigger. You can avoid sun damage by staying out of the sun/ wear protective gear/ invest in quality non-comedogenic sunblocks and skincare. To help maintain the elasticity of your skin, invest effort in making sure your diet has all the required nutrients for collagen synthesis and take collagen supplements if needed.
4. Regular Cleansing Helps
Try to always double cleanse your skin even on days where you don’t wear make up. Micellar water is a great thing to use before cleansing at the end of the day. You can also try gentle exfoliation cleansers that can be used daily. A good cleansing routine can help minimize stress on the skin, remove pollution and the over-production of oil. Breakouts can happen when these tiny openings trap dirt and oi, causing inflammation, blackheads and the possibility of stretched pores. Use of clay masks after cleansing helps to further absorb the excess oil trapped in the pores to keep stretching and inflammation to a minimum.
5. But Don’t Overcleanse
Over cleansing your skin can cause the oil glands at the base of your pores produce sebum to protect your skin. If your skin feels dry and flaky after you have cleansed and dried off the water, your oil glands tend to produce extra oil as they try to keep your skin moisturized. This will only aggravate the problem. Remember to use gentle cleansers that remove dirt and excess oil without leaving skin dry. I prefer dermatologist recommended brands like SebaMed.
Bad news is you can’t change the size of your pores but you can minimize the appearance of enlarged pores. And here are the two things you need to take note of if you want to solve the problem of enlarged pores.
1. Appearance of pores can be minimized with skincare that helps reduce your skin’s oil/sebum production
2. Enlarged pores can be shrunk by using skincare that increases the elasticity of your skin
Assess your skin care products
1. Stop using products like astringents, deep-cleansing facial scrubs and oil-products for a few weeks and note how your skin behaves. These products usually have active ingredients such as salicylic acid that removes the top layers of your skin. This causes your skin to dry out and your pores could look smaller at that moment but your oil glands would then increase sebum production to replenish that lost moisture.
2. Use gentle exfoliation products that are approved for use on sensitive/ acne skin. Other than to clean out your pores, when dull, dead skin cells are removed, it leaves the surface of the skin looking brighter, smoother, and more even. Your skin will feel softer too.
3. Make sure to only use non-comedogenic products which are mostly water-based or gel-based.
4. Use a clay mask with Sulfur to help fight acne causing bacteria once a week and only on areas you need to control that excessive sebum production.
5. Products that contain retinol and vitamin C will help the skin increase collagen and elastin, which will keep skin looking toned and firm.
6. Retinol is a type of vitamin A. Products with retinol can make pores appear smaller by increasing cell turnover unclogging pores. Retinol can help smooth skin with continued use.
7. Use products with Niacinamide. Coupled with retinoid, this can help reduce sebum excretion rate and improve elasticity of skin.
8. If your acne/ breakouts are caused by hormones, use products with Zinc PCA. This chemical converts testosterone in your skin into a ‘stronger’ form of testosterone called DHT(dihydrotestosterone) to help counter the effects of your hormones, assuming you are female.
9. Never sleep with makeup on and clean your makeup brushes consistently.
10. If you have tried everything and nothing works, a more invasive approach could help you achieve your desired skin texture. A chemical peel can remove the outer, damaged layer of the skin with an acidic solution to improve your skin’s appearance and texture.
11. You can invest in a sterile micro-needling device/ roller. Tiny needles create controlled micro-injuries to the skin to aid in the production of collagen and elastin. The skin’s repair process results in a thicker epidermis with a softer appearance of wrinkles. Use of the micro-needling device can allow the skin to absorb topical gels, creams and serums more effectively, enhancing the deeper layers of the skin.
Myths surrounding pores
Using hot water to open up pores and cold water to shrink them. Heat can expand and dilate the pore opening slightly, so it makes the pores look larger while Cold causes the pore opening to constrict, making pores feel tighter and smaller. However, these effects are temporary. You would expect your skin to return to normal after a few minutes.
Beauty salons use hot towels/ steaming to soften the plugs of oil trapped within. This is why your beautician will steam your face before extracting blackheads. Steaming softens the plug in the pores making it easier to be extracted from the pore.