Every hair on your body stems from a pore. The average adult has more or less 5 million hairs on his/her body. If you’re feeling insecure about your visibly large pores, take comfort in the fact that at least 4.9 million of your pores are minuscule and unnoticeable. Nevertheless, the pores that we do notice in the mirror are the ones that we relentlessly worry and think about. But why are some pores smaller than others?
Large pores are a sign of excessive oil production. The skin’s sebaceous glands are connected to hair follicles. The sebaceous glands secrete sebum, which is an oily substance that lubricates and waterproofs the skin. Excessive sebum production will widen the walls of the pore lining, creating larger and more visible pores.
Men usually have larger pores than women because of the hormone called androgen (testosterone is the primary and well known androgen). Androgen increases the size and activity of the sebaceous glands. In contrast, women’s prominent hormone, estrogen, controls sebaceous glands producing finer pores and drier skin. However, women’s pores can become larger due to hormonal changes (e.g. menstruation).
The T-zone area can exhibit larger pores than any other area of your face as the T-zone is usually the oiliest area. But keep in mind skin varies from person to person.
Solutions
Sadly, large pores cannot shrink. The damage has already been done to the walls of the pore lining. But do not fret. Though you can’t shrink your pores you can minimize the appearance of large pores. By incorporating the following skin care regimens you can achieve a smoother and clearer complexion.
Keep It Clean
Use a gentle cleanser twice a day. Our Glycolic and Salicylic Acid Cleansers and Pads will not only help keep your pores clean but they will also penetrate the pore lining ensuring a deep and thorough cleanse, ridding your skin of impurities, such as bacteria, excess oil and dirt.
Exfoliating
Exfoliating will help minimize the visibility of your pores. A gentle facial scrub (used one a week) and/or Glycolic Toner will remove the dry skin cells around your pores, thus making the large pores less visible.
Deep Cleaning & Long-Term Methods
Getting a regular Microdermabrasion can help minimize large pores as well as preventing them from becoming worse. The safe, non-invasive, and painless procedure will deep clean your pores while the minuscule crystals buff away the surface layer of the skin smoothing and clearing your complexion. You will be left with revived healthy skin.
Retinol is the most scientifically proven preventative care ingredient. It’s one of the only ingredients that truly help lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Good news! The miracle ingredient is not limited to preventative care. Retinol speeds up the cell turnover, meaning it will smoothen and resurface skin texture, minimizing signs of aging as well as large pores. In addition, it helps control the production of excess sebum.
If you are trying to minimize your large pores with makeup, remember that you need adopt a skin care regimen that will clean and clear your pores first. If you don’t, you are just further clogging the pores, thus further stretching out the walls of the pore lining. Make-up is not a your skin’s foe though. But when you do use it, make sure that it is oil-free and non-comedogenic. Also, a great primer can always help minimize large pores by allowing makeup to settle well and appear smoother.
Lastly, consistency and patience are key when trying to achieve ideal skin. Drastic improvements do not occur overnight. But adopting a regular skin care routine will achieve and maintain healthy and beautiful skin.