Do you have big pores? Many women (and sometimes men, too) will spend hours in front of their magnifying mirror fretting over them, and will often waste their money on the latest purported pore-reducing gizmo at the drug store. What are these tiny holes that can drive you nuts? Pores are tiny openings in your skin that allow the sweat glands and oil glands access to your skin's surface. At the bottom of the pore sits the oil gland. Then a microscopic "tunnel" rises to the surface of your skin. The opening of that "tunnel" is the visible part of the pore. Why can they look so big? Oil, sweat, dirt, makeup, dead skin, all can accumulate inside that tiny opening and essentially stretch it into a bigger opening.
How do you shrink them? Here are four suggestions:
1. Cleanse and Exfoliate - You need to keep your pores clean in order to keep them small. More specifically, you need to keep your pores "cleaned out". If you pores are getting bigger, then you are not effectively cleaning out the oil, sweat, dirt, makeup, and dead skin. Get this debris out of the "tunnel" and it will shrink back down to its normal size. In order to do this, you should use an effective cleanser and wash your face twice daily. Soap is too harsh. It will dry and irritate your skin. Use a gentle cleanser specifically designed for facial skin.
But using a cleanser alone generally isn't enough. You also need to regularly exfoliate your skin. Think of exfoliation as the second cleansing step, and the step that provides your pores with a deeper more penetrating cleaning. My preferred exfoliaters are the alpha and beta-hydroxy acids including salicylic, lactic, and glycolic acid. Acids are so-called because they dissolve things. Skin acids are safe to put on your skin, but they are very effective at "dissolving" the "stuff" in your pores that you don't want. Follow your cleansing step with a mild salicylic acid wash once a day. Or use a low concentration glycolic acid gel a few nights each week. These will give your pores the deep clean they currently aren't getting.
2. Home Devices? - There are a lot of devices for sale in department stores that purport to help shrink your pores. I believe most of them are a waste of your money. Follow the cleansing and exfoliating recommendations above and your pores will improve more effectively than they would by using most of these devices. The single exception is the Clarisonic Brush. Its sonic technology literally shakes some of the hard to get debris out of your pores, and many of my clients have found it very effective. Its available at many department stores or through various online merchandisers. And while not technically a "device", Biore Strips are also a useful and inexpensive method to help keep the pores clean in the nose area (where they are always the largest anyway).
3. Visit an Esthetician - I recommend that you visit an esthetician on a regular basis. An aestheticism will help you maintain your skin's health. Regular facials will help keep your pores clean, healthy, and smaller. Aestheticians can also perform more aggressive pore-reducing exfoliating treatments than you can perform yourself at home - including microdermabrasion and mild chemical peels. These will help maintain good pore health.
4. Get a Laser Treatment - Lasers are the most aggressive and the fastest method for reducing pore size. Laser treatments are performed at doctor's offices specializing in aesthetic medicine. Different lasers have different effects on the pores. Some offer aggressive exfoliation and cleansing, while others use their heat to actually shrink the wall of the pore. Fractionated CO2 lasers such as the Active FX laser treatment offer the greatest pore-reducing effect. Erbium and Yag lasers can also help. Your aesthetic medical doctor can help guide you towards the most effective laser treatment according to your own unique concerns
Steven Jepson, M.D. operates one of Utah's most popular medical spas and is a recognized expert in Aesthetic Medicine. He is author of the book "7 Ways to Look Younger Without Undergoing the Knife". Visit his clinic's website at UDMPC.com UDMPC.com or learn about his premium skin care products at JepsonSkinCare.com JepsonSkinCare.com
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