Do the pores, or follicles* on your face seem large to you?
It could be tempting to title this blog with some clickbait like, “How to Make Your Pores Disappear!” …but I like to keep it real with my clients.
THE TRUTH IS, YOU ACTUALLY CAN’T “REMOVE” YOUR PORES, NOR SHRINK LARGE PORES DOWN TO NOTHINGNESS.
Don’t let that bring you down- there’s still something you can do to reduce the appearance of large pores.
*(Believe it or not, pores are actually just a part (the opening) to a larger area under the skin called a “follicle”, which house oil glands and hair, plus it’s the place where acne begins to form. For the purpose of this article I will continue to refer to them as "pores," since most people are more familiar with that term.)
For anyone new here, I’m an acne specialist and consider myself an expert on pores. A large part of what I do is help people improve their skin’s health by helping them clean out, or exfoliate, their pores. This removes buildup of dead skin, dirt, oil, and other debris that form acne breakouts. My treatment program, Clear Skin Boot Camp, not only clears acne, but in the process, the visibility of large pores also often dissipate, too.
Why is it that you can’t remove pores, you ask? First of all, you wouldn’t want to if you knew how much you need them! Pores are an opening in the surface of the skin through which substances such as liquids can be released. Sweat and excess oil escape through your pores. This helps with eliminating toxins, cooling you off, and moisturizing the skin to make sure the skin’s protective barrier is working. Without pores, skin would become dry, dehydrated, and likely very puffy from a buildup of toxins.
Most people bothered by large pores are focused on the ones on the forehead, nose and chin (called your “t-zone” area). Often mistaken for blackheads, the larger pores on your t-zone are called “sebaceous filaments”- it’s normal for them to appear larger, especially for people with more oily or combo skin types. They are a normal part of the composition of your skin, and to be left alone, so they don’t become a blackhead.
You may wonder, “what are some other ways that pores can become enlarged or form blackheads?” As I have mentioned in a recent Instagram post,
”It has to do with the structural loss of collagen, elasticity in the pore and excessive oil production that damages surrounding cells!
Why does this happen?
- Sun damage
- Aging
- Stress
- Excessive sugar intake
- Improper Extracting/Picking
- Tobacco use
The good news is this CAN be prevented and treated.
You may also be curious why your friend/sister/cousin [fill in the blank with the name of a person who you think has “normal skin”], seemingly has NO visible pores. While you are over here staring at what you consider tiny black holes on your face. The answer is that they simply have a different skin type than you. The size, amount, and location of a person’s pores determines their skin type. When I analyze someone’s pores, I am able to determine if their skin type is:
- Very Dry
- Dry
- Normal
- Oily
- Very Oily
- Or a combination
