Bare Facts: The Truth About Pores: Function, Size & Common Myths
Welcome to my “Bare Facts” blog series! This month, I decided to switch it up and trade in my wordier, more in-depth blog posts for articles that are shorter, digestible, and get straight to the “need to know” information. 💡
This article will help you better understand your skin’s pores, their function, and why they can look big or bothersome sometimes.
What Are Pores, Really?
Pores are tiny openings that we have on our skin that house hair follicles, sebaceous glands (oil glands), and sudoriferous glands (sweat glands). Our skin is a live functioning organ, and pores are essential for allowing the skin to excrete sweat, waste like dead skin cells, and regulate temperature. Pores play a significant role in maintaining our skin health.
scrub me secret: Sebaceous filaments are different than blackheads, whiteheads, milia, and other congestion. They are a normal part of the skin's oil production process; they occur when sebum and dead skin cells accumulate in the pores, forming small, colorless or skin-colored plugs. These plugs are rarely or temporarily visible and don’t need to be extracted or dissolved like a blackhead.
Why Pores Look Big
First, I do want to acknowledge that genetics do play a role in pore size and oil production; some people are born with smaller pores that do not produce as many softening oils and other people are born with slightly larger pores that produce more skin oils. There are pros and cons to each type of skin! 🧡
Other reasons your pores look big or more visible than you would like:
❕Dead skin cell buildup and other buildup, like from environmental debris, can accumulate in your pores. This accumulation of debris can make visible blackheads and also stretch out the pore as it grows.
❕Loss of collagen and elastin in the skin can cause the pore structure to loosen and become larger
❕ Overproduction of skin oils. Too much oil starts to fill up the pores and make them appear larger
Scrub me secret: a lot of mattifying or pore-minimizing makeup products contain silicon or dimethicone. While these ingredients themselves are not considered pore-clogging, they can trap sweat and oils in the pores and, in turn, cause congestion.
Common Pore Myths
❎ You can make your pores smaller in size - You can make your pores appear smaller or tighten pores that have enlarged over time, but you cannot make the pores you were born with smaller.
❎ Some people have no pores or “poreless” skin - Everyone has pores! Everywhere except for the palms of our hands and the bottoms of our feet.
❎ Moisturizer clogs your pores - Some moisturizer products contain pore-clogging oils or sulfates, but many facial moisturizers are made with non-pore-clogging ingredients that will give your skin hydration and help keep it balanced.
❎ Large pores are bad - Pore size is dictated by genetics and certain factors like how much oil you produce.
scrub me secret: We have a high concentration of pores and sebaceous glands on our face vs our body. This is what makes the skin on our face more delicate and prone to breakouts. Because we have more pores, there is a greater chance for buildup and possible inflammation.
What You Can Do About Pores (Realistically)
🔸 Cleanse daily and double cleanse! - You don’t need to overdo it with cleansing or use super harsh cleansers, but you do need to wash your face every day. Some drier skin types only need to be cleansed in the evenings, but most skin types benefit from consistent morning and night facial washes.
A double cleanse, where you use a pre-cleanse oil or balm before your traditional facial cleanser, is a sure-fire way to ensure your pores get super clean. Read my blog post on double cleansing for more details on this.
🔸 Get monthly or bi-monthly facials - Receiving a regular facial from a professional who can extract blackheads and whiteheads without damaging skin, renew your skin, and balance it is one of the number one ways you can make sure your pores stay clean, tight, smooth, and healthy.
🔸 Utilize LED therapy - LED therapy is your skin’s bestie! Blue LED therapy kills bacteria that cause large breakouts, helping acne to go away without leaving scars or gaping pores. Red LED therapy strengthens collagen and elastin and helps with cell renewal. This helps your pores to function at their healthiest and have good elasticity, meaning they stay tight and less visible.
🔸 Use exfoliants properly - Exfoliants accelerate cell turnover and loosen debris on the surface of the skin and in the pores. Exfoliating with a physical or chemical exfoliant (or a combo of both) 1-3x a week removes this debis and helps your pores to stay clear. Overuse of exfoliating products can damage your skin’s barrier and actually make your pores look more open and visible.
🔸 Peptides can help with pore visibility - As we age, we lose skin elasticity, and our pores can start to sag. Certain peptides have a job to support and strengthen collagen and elastin fibers. Healthy and abundant collagen and elastin mean firm, smooth skin, and tight pores.