Pores are nasty little blots on our skin, the nemesis of our skin. Almost everyone had tried something, anything to shrink them and that is there are plenty of pore stories passed from friend to friend and generation to generation on how to get rid of these vile little footprints from a beautiful canvas.
WHAT PORES REALLY ARE
First things first, a little bit of pore physiology. Pores are tiny openings that can be observed on the surface of our skin. They are responsible for allowing oil and sweat to reach the surface from beneath. Pores can be found in every single millimeter of our skin, and there are millions of them. Some fortunate people have the tiniest of pores – so small that they are indiscernible to the naked eye. Others have enlarged pores and… let’s just leave it as that.
There are two types of skin pores – Oil pores and sweat pores. Oil pores are also hair follicles (pilosebaceous unit) and they serve to lubricate the skin (yes with oil). Sweat pores essentially allow sweat to reach the surface of the skin, cooling the body.
Myth #1: You can reduce the size of your pores.
False! Many of these pore stories speak of legends where pores have been minimized – shrunk. In truth, pore sizes are preordained – genetically, just like how a person’s height is influenced by genes.
However, what appears to be large pores could actually be clogged pores. Dead skin cells get trapped in excess sebum and accumulate, stretching pores out.
Myth #2: Pores open with heat.
False. What happens here really is heat from “steaming” the face softens debris inside pores, this makes pore cleaning a lot less challenging.
Try: Extractions can be painful and result in scars. Try a carbon laser peel, a clever laser treatment that will get clean out clogged pores, refresh dull and oily skin at the same time. A thin layer of liquid carbon is applied to skin, which penetrates deep within pores. Laser light is then passed quickly over skin, resulting in mini-explosions of fine carbon particles on the surface of the skin and inside pores, taking oil, dead skin cells and debris along with it. Look for the Pore Perfection Program which combines this treatment with a retinol peel.
Myth #3: Pores get larger with age.
True. As we age, production of collagen and elastin drops in quantity and quality, resulting in sagging skin and more stretching of pores along with it.
Try: The SmartX Lite treatment resurfaces the skin, stimulating a productive wound healing response, resulting in production of new collagen which firms and tightens the skin.
Myth #4: Using a cleansing brush will make your pores larger.
False. Exfoliating regularly helps remove buildup of dead skin cells, which actually clog your pores. But it won’t stretch them. However, exfoliating too much may irritate skin, causing swelling of the skin and resulting in the appearance of larger pores.
Try: To avoid this risk, try sonic cleansing, a gentle and effective means of cleansing and removing dead skin cells and skin impurities using ultrasonic wave motion. Repeated treatments result in improved skin metabolism and more refined-looking skin.
Myth #5: “Pore minimizer” cosmetic products shrink pores
False. Many of these products actually contain fillers which pack into pores, camouflaging them. This may lead to clogged pores and acne instead, especially if the skin is oily in the first place.
Try: Glycolic acid exfoliates the skin and keeps pore sqeaky clean. Home peels can be dangerous if you don’t know how to go about it, so try a glycolic acid toner or serum instead, such as Sleep Mode.