Open Pores

Open Pores

The literal meaning of pores is a minute opening in a surface through which microscopic particles can pass. Taking into consideration our skin, pores are tiny holes on the skin surface of a hair follicle. But what exactly are open pores?

To start with, a hair follicle has an oily gland inside it, which as the name suggests is responsible for producing oil. As this oil starts collecting in the pore, it dilates the pore. People who have oily skin have pores which look more dilated than others and such pores are known as Open pores.

Causes

The major causes of enlarged pores are-

• Excessive sebum or oil secretions: In a person with oily skin, the sebaceous or oil gland produces a lot of oil than usual which results in the appearance of enlarged pores.
• Reduced elasticity around the pore: With age, a person’s skin becomes less subtle and eventually loses its elasticity due to which the pores appear enlarged.
• Clogging of pores: Due to dirt and pollution, particles of dust can settle on the surface of the skin. Apart from that, the use of makeup products can also contribute to clogging the pores. Once the pores are clogged, they appear to be larger than their usual size.

Precautions

In order to reduce to appearance of open pores, the following precautions should be taken-

• Cleanse your face twice a day: As discussed earlier, when the skin becomes greasy or when the pores are clogged, they appear to be larger than usual. So in order to deal with this problem, it is important to cleanse your face twice a day as it helps in unclogging the pores, preventing clogged pores and reducing the greasiness of the face. It is advised to use a gentle, non-comedogenic cleanser. Also, avoid scrubbing and using hot water as they can irritate your skin.
• Use retinol: Using a skin care product with retinol can help to reduce oiliness of the skin. As a result, it decreases the appearance of open pores.
• Exfoliation: People with oily skin are more prone to having open pores. So it is advised that they should exfoliate their skin once or twice a week as it helps in removing dirt, dead skin cells and excess oil from the pores. Products containing salicylic acid can be used to do the same.
• Apply clay mask: Using a clay mask once or twice a week can help to remove oil from the pores and reduce their appearance.
• Always remove makeup before sleep: Most of the problems with our skin occur due to negligence when it comes to the removal of makeup. It is very important to remove your makeup before sleep otherwise the products can clog your pores making them look enlarged.
• Healthy diet and lifestyle: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle which includes exercising daily, eating healthy food and drinking plenty of water can help you in achieving healthy skin. Exercising daily increases the blood flow to all parts of the body which helps in protecting the skin from bacteria. As important sweating is, equally important is rinsing your skin after exercising to remove the sweat as leaving it on the skin can further clog the pores.

Treatment

Sometimes, even after taking all the necessary precautions pores may still appear enlarged. In such cases, there are several treatments done by dermatologists which helps in reducing enlarged pores. These include-

• Microneedling
• Chemical peels
• Laser skin resurfacing