Everyone gets a little insecure sometimes, it’s normal. We all have our hang-ups, whether it is acne scars, blemishes, discoloration, or large pores. The important thing to remember is that we all have our own insecurities.
However, some things can really affect the way you feel about your appearance, and you may want to take some steps to reduce these insecurities. One of the most common imperfections that many suffer from are enlarged pores.
Enlarged pores look like little dots on your face.
They may be more visible around the forehead, nose and chin, where more oil is naturally occurring. Enlarged pores tend to appear like small, dark-colored marks and holes on the face, which can feel unsightly for some people.
If you want to improve the appearance of your pores, then this guide is for you. We will explain exactly why your pores can become so big, what causes large pores, and how you can shrink them!
Why are my pores so big?
You will have pores all over your skin. Some are there as sweat pores, to help you regulate your body temperature, whereas others are hair follicles with sebaceous glands. Pores are basically just the small openings in the surface of your skin, which can trap oil, dirt, and debris.
Pores are also known as the opening of our hair follicles, and where your body produces sebum. Sebum is the natural oil that you find on your skin and face that are released by the body to help protect and moisturize the skin.
However, when you produce a lot of sebum, this means that the sebaceous gland is releasing a lot of oil, and the oil rises and sits on top of the skin, in the pore. This is what makes the pores seem so large.
This process is there to keep your body healthy. The pores act as a tunnel, allowing the flow of sebum from the sebaceous glands to the surface of the skin, effectively hydrating and creating an oily barrier between your skin and the world.
This is to protect the skin from things like dust, sun damage, and other environmental factors.
Therefore, everyone on earth has pores. You cannot get rid of them. That being said, some people have more distinctive and more visible pores than others.
You may notice that some people have noticeable pores around the nose, cheeks, chin or forehead. This is completely normal.
For the most part, people with larger pores are just genetically more inclined to have them. They were born that way, and that is how their skin naturally is.
In other cases, pores can become enlarged due to someone’s age, hormones or genes. As people age, the skin loses its elasticity, and can therefore droop, sag or stretch. This can enlarge the pores, making them bigger and much more visible.
On the other hand, some people’s pores expand during hormonal periods or menstrual cycles. This is largely due to the fact that during this time, hormones can be overactive, which results in an increase in the production of oil.
This oil will then clog in the pores, making them appear larger and more distinctive.
There are also other factors that can increase the appearance of your pores. For instance, overwashing the face can dry out the skin, which causes your hormones to overproduce oil to compensate. This will collect in the pores, and get trapped there, making them look bigger.
If your pores are congested and are blocked for long periods of time, then there is also the chance that they are going to become stretched, and therefore look larger.
Does oily skin cause large pores?
Technically, yes oily skin can make it look like your pores are much larger than they actually are. This is because the pores are open, and the oil that your skin is producing is collecting in the pores, filling them out, and making them seem much larger.
It’s one of the reasons your nose can look oily.
In addition unclean skin can make your pores look larger because oil, dirt, grime, dead skin cells and debris can build up in the pores and make them look clogged, congested and discolored.
If you have oily skin, then you may need to stay away from skincare products with a lot of oil in them, petrolatum, coconut oil and other oil-based products. In addition, you may need to cleanse the skin more frequently and effectively to ensure that oil is not building up in your pores.
How can I open my face pores?
Opening the face pores is actually a myth. Pores are openings in the skin, so technically they are always open, as they act as a funnel from the sebaceous glands to the surface of the skin.
They cannot actually open or close, but you can minimize the appearance by ensuring that they are not clogged up. To keep your pores cleansed, make sure that you clean your face gently with light pressure, warm water and pat dry with a soft, clean towel.
How can I shrink my pores?
Despite hundreds of products that promise to shrink your pores, it is not actually possible to shrink the size of your pores. Your pores are naturally occurring, and so you cannot make them smaller, or make them disappear.
When you think that your pores are enlarged, it is just giving the appearance of looking bigger, as your pores do not really change size. What you can do to improve the overall appearance of your pores is keep your skin clean, and ensure that the pores are not congested or clogged up.
Whilst you cannot shrink your pores entirely, you can reduce the appearance of them. The best way to minimize your pores is to keep the skin clean, moisturized and cared for.
This means ensuring that you are not over-washing or drying out the skin. It may seem like a tough balance to strike, but you can do it with a few products!
You have to find the middle ground between cleansing the skin, without drying it out, or your sebaceous glands could be triggered to produce even more oil! To do this, you will want to try using a gentle cleanser with salicylic acid. This will help to gently exfoliate the skin, removing dead skin cells, redness, inflammation, and cleansing the skin.
Pores can appear larger due to sun damage or too much sun exposure, so it is vital that you wear sunscreen or a moisturizer with SPF in it, such as the CeraVe Sunscreen and Face Moisturizer to reduce the risk of your skin’s barrier and collagen being damaged. Collagen will keep your skin tight and plump, and will prevent your pores from becoming enlarged.
Which fruit is good for skin pores?
For a more natural approach, you can incorporate some foods into your diet to help fuel your body with nutrients and minerals that improve the skin. For instance, pomegranate is a great fruit to eat as it is packed with antioxidants that can prevent the clogging of pores.
Why not try eating a bowl of pomegranate seeds in the morning, or drink some of the juice to help minimize the pores. In addition, some people eat papaya as it is full of enzymes and vitamins that can help protect and rejuvenate the skin.
Having a good diet is paramount to how your skin looks. If you eat oily, greasy or unhealthy foods, then you are bound to see an increase in your oil production. A good, healthy and balanced diet will not only help your body, but your skin, too.
