Can you shrink pore size?
May 28, 2015
We hear concerns from both men and women on the size of the pores of their face, especially of the nose and forehead. They are looking for the latest treatment or product to shrink their pores.
The Skinny on Pores
Pores are hair follicles, each of which contain a sebaceous gland that produces oil. Oil can be good for our face in that it acts as natural moisture and can help slow the aging process, but it can also wreak havoc on our skin in the form of acne. Pore size is often determined by genetics, but also other factors like dead skin and debris trapped in the follicle that can cause the pore to enlarge. Additionally, squeezing pimples and blemishes can traumatize the follicle and lead to a larger pore.
Skin Care Products to Shrink Pore Size
Skip the icy cold splash of water to reduce pore size and use products that can actually work to reduce the size and prevent enlarged pores before they happen. Choose non-comedogenic, or oil-free, moisturizers that won’t clog your pores. Wash your face with a gentle moisturizer, like SkinFitNessMD Antioxidant Cleanser, every night to clean makeup, dirt and other impurities. Add a face brush, like Clarisonic, to your cleansing and you’ll remove six times the debris than just washing alone.
Exfoliate regularly with an alpha-hydroxy mask or lotion, retinol or fruit enzyme daily or as often as possible without causing redness or dryness. These at-home treatments will ensure turnover of dead skin cells so they don’t clog your pores.
Professional Skin Care Treatments for Large Pores
Occasional chemical peels containing AHA and fruit enzymes at a stronger level than retail products to provide a deeper exfoliation and encourage collagen production to reduce pore size, but our favorite, most effective in-office treatment for improving the appearance of pores, is SkinPen micro-needling. No chemicals are used in this treatment making it a good choice for the majority of skin types. SkinPen micro-needling is also a go-to treatment all year long because it won’t cause sun sensitivity like chemical and laser peels will. For continued results, micro-needling should be performed every four weeks, three to four treatments consecutively. Read more about why micro-needling with SkinPen is such a great idea.
