Minimizing Pore Size
Minimizing Pore Size
Nationwide dermatologists and estheticians are reporting an increase in people seeking to minimize pores. There is logic behind the sometimes irrational impulse. Beauty is associated with perfect skin, and pores are a huge part of that equation. When pores are tighter, light reflects better. You get an overall appearance of vitality, youthfulness, and health.
Genetics determine pore size, as do skin type and age. Age factors into the equation because over time—especially if you've had a lot of sun exposure in the past—you start to lose the collagen and elastin that support the poreswhich causes them to stretch and sag around the edges, which can make them look bigger.
While we can't shrink our pores with any permanency, the right skin-care products and treatments can help keep the skin clear and tight, making pores less noticeable
Over-the-counter
Pore-minimizing products will help your pores look clearer—and therefore appear smaller—if you use them on a regular basis.
Genetics determine pore size, as do skin type and age. Age factors into the equation because over time—especially if you've had a lot of sun exposure in the past—you start to lose the collagen and elastin that support the poreswhich causes them to stretch and sag around the edges, which can make them look bigger.
While we can't shrink our pores with any permanency, the right skin-care products and treatments can help keep the skin clear and tight, making pores less noticeable
Over-the-counter
Pore-minimizing products will help your pores look clearer—and therefore appear smaller—if you use them on a regular basis.
Cleansers:
Exfoliation is key to a refined complexion. Cleansers containing a low concentration—.5 to 1%—of salicylic acid, which is a beta hydroxy acid, or BHA, or a moderate concentration—2.5 to 5%—of lactic or glycolic acid, which are alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs, stimulate cell turnover and keep pores clean.
If your skin is very oily, consider switching to a cleanser that also contains the antioxidant Nordihydroguaiaretic acid, or NDGA. This helps maintain clear pores by preventing oil oxidation (an organic reaction with air that causes oil to darken, a.k.a. a blackhead) and reducing inflammation and excess sebum.
Moisturizers
The moisturizer you use on large pores should be oil-free and contain the same ingredients as your cleanser, though you don't have to worry about finding one with NDGA, along with vitamin C or retinol. These stimulate cell renewal and collagen production, which will firm up the connective tissue around the pores.. Over time, they'll appear tighter and smaller. And don't ever skip sunscreen. "It should offer both UVA and UVB protection and have a minimum of SPF 15.
Treatments
At-home masks and peels work over the long term. "You'll notice changes right away, but you should continue to use them weekly to maintain smaller-looking pores. A mask containing algae, which firms the skin, or clay, which absorbs oil.
And peels should pack in AHAs and BHAs. It is perfectly safe to use a cleanser, moisturizer, and peel containing glycolic acid or salicylic acid, as long as you use the peel just once a week.
Doctor's office
If your skin isn't responding to over-the-counter products, the problem may warrant more attention.
Products
"Prescription retinoid creams such as Tazarac, Retin-A, and Differin exfoliate pores and flush them of oil and buildup, which makes them appear smaller. Tazarac and Retin-A are also approved by the FDA to protect against the signs of photoaging, which contributes to the dilation of pores over time — it's like killing two birds with one stone.
Procedures
A round of treatments is often the answer for women whose pores are so severely clogged that even prescriptions don't help. For some, lasers, peels, and light treatments are most effective at minimizing pores..
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light therapy) and LED (light-emitting diode) can make pores look smaller. With both treatments, the light reaches deep into the skin and stimulates collagen production. They're able to penetrate the deepest levels of the skin without harming the surface layer, and they're painless. IPL takes 15 to 30 minutes and starts at $300 or less per treatment, and three to five sessions are typically enough to make pores look tighter and smaller. LED takes about one minute, costs $60 to $150 per treatment, and generally requires at least eight rounds. Once you find a treatment that works for you, smaller pores can be maintained with yearly visits.
Exfoliation is key to a refined complexion. Cleansers containing a low concentration—.5 to 1%—of salicylic acid, which is a beta hydroxy acid, or BHA, or a moderate concentration—2.5 to 5%—of lactic or glycolic acid, which are alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs, stimulate cell turnover and keep pores clean.
If your skin is very oily, consider switching to a cleanser that also contains the antioxidant Nordihydroguaiaretic acid, or NDGA. This helps maintain clear pores by preventing oil oxidation (an organic reaction with air that causes oil to darken, a.k.a. a blackhead) and reducing inflammation and excess sebum.
Moisturizers
The moisturizer you use on large pores should be oil-free and contain the same ingredients as your cleanser, though you don't have to worry about finding one with NDGA, along with vitamin C or retinol. These stimulate cell renewal and collagen production, which will firm up the connective tissue around the pores.. Over time, they'll appear tighter and smaller. And don't ever skip sunscreen. "It should offer both UVA and UVB protection and have a minimum of SPF 15.
Treatments
At-home masks and peels work over the long term. "You'll notice changes right away, but you should continue to use them weekly to maintain smaller-looking pores. A mask containing algae, which firms the skin, or clay, which absorbs oil.
And peels should pack in AHAs and BHAs. It is perfectly safe to use a cleanser, moisturizer, and peel containing glycolic acid or salicylic acid, as long as you use the peel just once a week.
Doctor's office
If your skin isn't responding to over-the-counter products, the problem may warrant more attention.
Products
"Prescription retinoid creams such as Tazarac, Retin-A, and Differin exfoliate pores and flush them of oil and buildup, which makes them appear smaller. Tazarac and Retin-A are also approved by the FDA to protect against the signs of photoaging, which contributes to the dilation of pores over time — it's like killing two birds with one stone.
Procedures
A round of treatments is often the answer for women whose pores are so severely clogged that even prescriptions don't help. For some, lasers, peels, and light treatments are most effective at minimizing pores..
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light therapy) and LED (light-emitting diode) can make pores look smaller. With both treatments, the light reaches deep into the skin and stimulates collagen production. They're able to penetrate the deepest levels of the skin without harming the surface layer, and they're painless. IPL takes 15 to 30 minutes and starts at $300 or less per treatment, and three to five sessions are typically enough to make pores look tighter and smaller. LED takes about one minute, costs $60 to $150 per treatment, and generally requires at least eight rounds. Once you find a treatment that works for you, smaller pores can be maintained with yearly visits.
Alternatively, an in-office 20 to 30 percent salicylic-acid peel is one of the best ways to exfoliate the skin, and you'll see results right away.
One of the newest machines, The Aesthera PPx IPL, combines a vacuum with a therapeutic IPL light.. It painlessly pulls out the bacteria, dead cells, and oil that are trapped inside the pore, finishing with a flash of light that is believed to kill bacteria and stimulate collagen.
For some, pores appear tighter after just one ten-minute treatment, although it takes three monthly sessions to garner full results. "It costs about $250 for one round," says Fredric Brandt, a dermatologist in New York City and Coral Gables, Florida, noting that a maintenance visit every three months is necessary. "It also has a cumulative effect—it can shrink pores considerably over time."
For some, pores appear tighter after just one ten-minute treatment, although it takes three monthly sessions to garner full results. "It costs about $250 for one round," says Fredric Brandt, a dermatologist in New York City and Coral Gables, Florida, noting that a maintenance visit every three months is necessary. "It also has a cumulative effect—it can shrink pores considerably over time."
Article courtesy of Allure Magazine.
