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Dermatologists and aestheticians often face challenging questions from patients about enlarged or dilated skin pores and the possible ways to alleviate them. They are the hallmark of an oily skin and can be seen as tiny little openings on the nose, cheeks and forehead, and are one of the most common aesthetic concerns among Asians.
What are open pores?
The word 'pore' is used by millions of people worldwide. Pores are actually the tiny openings of the pilosebaceous and sweat ducts on the skin surface. They are small and invisible to the naked eye. No wonder dermatologists need a magnifier to visualise the blackheads and whiteheads. In contrast, enlarged pores are much larger and house many such openings of pilosebaceous and sweat ducts. They cannot be perceived equal to the physiological or"true pores" and are actually tiny depressions on the skin surface. Their presence imparts a dull and aged look to the face.
Why do we need pores?
Beneath each pore lies a sebaceous gland that produces sebum which is essential to keep the skin moisturised. The sebum or oil once produced needs a channel to travel upwards and then exits through the pore.
What causes enlarged pores?
u9755? Oily Skin
Excessive production of oil in people with oily skin causes the pores to get clogged resulting in constant stretching of their walls and consequent enlargement.
u9755? Excessive sun exposure
Sun exposure damages the elasticity of the skin by affecting the collagen and elastin fibres leading to enlarged pores.
u9755? Ageing
With age, degradation of natural skin proteins results in enlarged skin pores with loss in skin texture. Since sebaceous glands are dormant until puberty, open pores are not seen in children. At an older age skin laxity causes pores to get visible.
How should one manage open pores?
The key to managing open pores is proper oil control. A thorough washing of your face with a salicylic acid-based facewash twice a day is recommended. Use of rosewater followed by gentle massage provides hydration for oily skin. The same could be mixed with sunscreens as it dilutes them and prevents clogging of pores.
The use of Retinol-based products at night helps exfoliate the dead skin and makes the pores appear smaller. Finally, one should refrain from popping pimples as it damages the pore walls and makes them unable to return to their original size. Instead, seek help from a dermatologist who can extract them under sterile conditions.
Latest advancements in pore reduction
With the advent of laser technology, a multitude of options are available which could be useful in making the pores smaller. Advanced Fluorescent Technology (AFT) and LED are light-based therapies that focus on skin rejuvenation and pore reduction, making your skin look brighter, clearer and fresher with minimal downtime.
The use of a 1064nm Qswitched Nd Yag laser with a topically applied carbon suspension as a photoenhancer is also US FDA-approved for pore reduction. It results in superficial vapourisation of the top layer of the skin along with cleansing of the pores revealing softer and clearer skin.
Finally, in case of very large pores, skin resurfacing with fractionated lasers or microneedling can be done. However, it has a downtime of about a week.
The author is a Doha-based dermatologist and works at Dr Hassan Al Abdulla Medical Centre.
