Bad news first: You can't actually change the basic size of your pores. But here's the good news: You can do plenty of things to help minimize their appearance. Although your basic pore size can't be changed, there are plenty of ways to help minimize their appearance.
Retinol promotes skin cell turnover and unclogs pores.
Studies show that applying retinol cream reduces pore size and keeps them cleaner, emptying the impurities that otherwise give an oversized appearance. Retinol is most effective when used as night cream.
Results: There are 3 major clinical causes of enlarged facial pores, namely high sebum excretion, decreased elasticity around pores, and increased hair follicle volume. In addition, chronic recurrent acne, sex hormones, and skin care regimen can affect pore size.
Smaller Pores
Our pores can get clogged and enlarged throughout the day. The more water you drink, the better balance of oil and water on the surface of your skin. This can help reduce your pore size, decrease acne breakouts, and reduce blemishes.
Milk, butter, cheese and milk chocolate contain high levels of hormones which can lead to an increased production of oil and blocked pores. What to blocked pores leads to? Large pores! Dairy is also lined with acne and other skin conditions.
Skincare products can make your pores look smaller by exfoliating the skin—or cleaning out dead skin cells and oil from the pore. Pores that are cleared of blackheads and blockages will look less obvious. The surface of the skin will also look brighter, smoother, and more even.
Laser Treatments
Several treatments are available at Dermatology and Laser Centre. Fractional ablative laser skin resurfacing decreases the appearance of pores and acne scars. For enlarged pores, Dr. Gallacher uses the Vbeam laser as well as fractionated CO2 lasers.
As you grow older, your skin loses it elasticity, which causes your skin to stretch and sag, making pores appear larger. Your skin also thickens as you age, which causes miniscule skin cells to gather around your pores, making pores look bigger.
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Witch hazel acts as an astringent to help shrink your pores, soothe your skin and reduce inflammation.
During the normal skin cell turnover process, your topmost layer of skin sluffs off every 30-40 days or so. As you age, this process takes longer, up to 50 or 60 days. Retinoids like retinol speed up the process, bringing your skin turnover back to 20-30 days as in your youth.
If you're wondering what else face toner does for your skin, King outlined some additional benefits: It shrinks pores. Applying a small amount of toner to a soft cotton ball or pad and gently blotting and wiping your face with it will remove oil and give the appearance of smaller pores.
It tightens pores
Those who have oily skin and large pores can benefit from apple cider vinegar. The substance contains alpha-hydroxy acids (organic acids that improve cell turnover and reduce the appearance of wrinkles), which can shrink and tighten pores.
Warm water opens pores, while cold water shrinks them. Whether your skin will benefit from one action or the other really depends on your skin type. If you have chronically dry skin, warm or hot water may end up stripping the skin of too much of its natural oils, making it difficult for it to stay hydrated and plump.
The good news is, hyaluronic fillers exist and they can help your skin look smoother and your pores visibly smaller. A recent study done by Capital Medical University's Wei Qian and his team of researchers found that hyaluronic acid can minimize large pores.
Apply a facial pore cleanser with salicylic acid nightly. "It's a beta hydroxy acid that has increased solubility in oil and can travel deep within pores," Dr. Feely says. You can also talk to your dermatologist about a stronger in-office chemical peel to further clear out pores.
During the normal skin cell turnover process, your topmost layer of skin sluffs off every 30-40 days or so. As you age, this process takes longer, up to 50 or 60 days. Retinoids like retinol speed up the process, bringing your skin turnover back to 20-30 days as in your youth.