See your skin care specialist
Your skin care specialist can recommend certain procedures to help with enlarged pores, such as microneedling and laser treatments. If severe acne is a contributor to your large pores, your skin care specialist may prescribe antibiotics or retinoids to help clear your skin.
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advises against touching, picking, or popping any type of clogged pore or acne.
Clogged pores can be the result of your glands producing too much oil. More oil on your skin increases the risk of clogged pores. But lots of other things can lead to enlarged pores, including age, skin products, hair follicles and sun damage.
The only thing that you can do is to reduce the appearance of enlarged pores by cleansing the debris, such as daily dirt or makeup that has been trapped inside of the open pore, making them less visible to the naked eye.
Cucumber is a natural skin hydrant; the high water content of cucumber helps replenish the skin and tightens it. It is an excellent home remedy for open pores on oily face and skin. Both besan and turmeric are equally effective in shrinking pores. Mix 1 tablespoon of besan with 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder.
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.
This is probably because the collection of excess oil, dead skin cells, and grime in your pores makes them swell up and appear larger. Fight back by ensuring you wash your face regularly with a gentle cleanser and use glycolic acid to remove grime and dead skin.
Nose pores are naturally larger than those that are located on other parts of your skin. This is because the sebaceous glands underneath them are larger, too. You're also more likely to have enlarged nose pores if you have oily skin. Enlarged nose pores are also genetic.
Toners can help close pores and tighten cell gaps after cleansing, reducing the penetration of impurities and environmental contaminants into the skin. It can even protect and remove chlorine and minerals present in tap water. It acts like a moisturizer.
Exfoliating acids are going to be your best friend when it comes to actively minimizing the appearance of pores. "AHA and BHA exfoliating toners both work well," says Butler. She likes to look for products with a high concentration of salicylic acid or glycolic acid.
It never hurts to keep in mind that you need your pores, even if you don't love how they look. They're a natural part of your skin, not a flaw. It can also help to come to terms with the fact that your genes play a role in their size. In other words, you can't make them smaller or get rid of them entirely.
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.
Pores get stretched when clogged with blockage like dead skin cells, excess oil, and bacteria, so using the right cleanser and exfoliating regularly can help reduce their size.
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.
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.
Overstimulating the sebaceous gland by using physical or manual exfoliants (like harsh scrubs) can actually increase the production of oil, which as previously mentioned can lead to enlarged pores.
Dehydration affects your skin's ability to perform essential functions like cell turnover. Without adequate hydration, your skin does not shed its most outer layer frequently enough, and dead cells accumulate on its surface. This contributes to clogged pores, congestion and a lackluster complexion.
There's nothing richer than clean, healthy pores—and like other elements of appearance, it's common for people to stress over their size. The smaller the pores, the clearer your skin appears. And in many cases, size does matter: enlarged pores, for starters, can indicate clogging and/or oil and bacteria buildup.