Well, if have you ever googled if you can shrink pores, you would know the answer is “No”. This is because the size of your pores depends primarily on your genes, so you can’t make pores physically smaller unless using laser treatment. (Don’t worry at least we can talk about how to maintain clean pores & improve your skin^^)
Pores – tiny dots on the face – are actually hair follicles which contains a sebaceous gland, the forehead & nose sebaceous glands are bigger so more noticeable than on other parts of face. Pores become enlarged because of sebum production in your follicle, causing blackheads and even breakouts.
<What’s the difference between whiteheads and blackheads? >
Whiteheads, also referred as comedones, are considered to be as a milder form of acne and caused by the build-up of bacteria, dead skin and oil within the pores. (More information will be posted next blog – Acne Treatment)
Blackheads are basically clogged hair follicles that are visible on the skin’s surface and occur when pollutants, grime, dead skin cells, sebum and certain germs accumulate in the open pores and form a plug. The excess oil gets stuck inside the pores and get oxidized, this oxidation turns the brown color to black.
Both are clogged pores, but the opening of the pore is different in each. If the top part of the pore is open, this is the blackheads – the scientific term for a blackhead is an open comedone – and unlike a blackhead, the top of the pore is not stretched open and exposing the clogged portion, that is the whiteheads (a closed comedone).
And there are several factors can affect pore size.
1. Dead skin cells and trapped sebum – which, put together, form a pimple – can stretch out pores.
2. UV rays weaken the collagen that supports pores and keeps them tight, so they can also make pores look bigger. Similarly, the collagen loss that comes naturally with aging can increase the appearance of pore size.
3. Picking at or squeezing a pimple can cause trauma to the skin, which may permanently widen the pore.
4. Heavy makeup & huge gap of temperature like a super humid climate are also main factors to contribute blackheads.
As there are different causes to enlarged pores, the treatments are also different. For example, oil-free moisturizing products & deep cleansing/detoxifying products for excessive sebum (especially for combination/oily skin types), and rich hydrating & (oil-containing)anti-aging products for aging pores. – Oily Skin types can’t double up oil with moisturizer and deep cleansing & multiple detoxifying (skin) as make worse skin dryness.
Here, we’ll discuss in general ways to treat blackheads and pores.
1. Pore strips & facial masks (peel-off masks, bubble masks & clay masks)
These are an instant method to get rid of existing visible blackheads. Pore-strips & peel-off masks are easy to use and quite smart (2~3 step solution) & convenient ways to remove blackheads safely, as well as prevent further occurrence. Clay masks are great for sucking excess sebum out of pores (sadly it comes back – you can’t stop that)
This is a result from Papa Recipes Bubble Tok Mask (great for removing whiteheads & deadcell)
2. Softer and Gentle methods – Melting Gel & Pore Essence
I’ve tried Laneige Pore Melting Gel & Swanicoco Pore Clear Essence – these are a bit of a slow process however it’s safer than manually plucking blackheads and works quite well. You will see day by day pore improvement especially in the nose area.
(Leave the pore essence on for 2~3 mins – use a cotton pad or dry mask sheet. You can also just wipe across several times to cover.)
3. Natural Home Care – Egg White pack
Eggs prove miraculous in improving skin tone, texture and in minimizing fine lines and wrinkles.
This face mask helps remove white/black heads and also a great deal in improving blood circulation as well as helps in skin tightening. Recipes? Click Here!
4. Preventing Method – Pore tightening serum & Firming/Anti-aging Cream
Pore tightening serums are designed for tightening the size of your pores and making them less noticeable. Some of them contains anti-aging key ingredients to restore skin’s elasticity and help in cellular renewal processes. This makes skin more firm and sagging pores get tighter so overall your skin will glow and be healthy. One sure thing is that they will Not clog your pores and these products below both control excess sebum & oil. Effectively skin’s texture is transformed revealing a smoother and shine free appearance.
*Summary
1. Use Sunblock Daily & Do Not Squeeze any white/blackheads
– Squeezing either one of these may seem satisfying in the moment, but is a bad idea in the long run. Over time, repeatedly squeezing black heads or white heads only makes pores larger and larger, also the easist way to infect your pores.
– No need to explain how important to use sunblock and I regret this now^^;;
2. Regular Exfoliating
The key to making pores appear smaller is to keep skin clear, and exfoliating is also crucial – it removes pore-enlarging dead cells from the skin’s surface. Choose an item which contains Alpha Hydroxy Acids, Retinol or Fruit Enzymes. Using a cleansing brush – is more than twice as effective as using your hands.
Please remember: when you exfoliate, you need to use an SPF 15 or higher product daily, since removing dead cells can make the skin more sensitive to UV light.
3. Simple skincare & makeup
– Only use Products you need (Toner – Essence/Serum – Moisturizer – Eye Cream – Cream) and skip the unnecessary items. For example, when your skin looks dull, try boosting essence and then you can skip using toner. Or try facial mask sheet and follow with moisturizer. That’s all you need.
– Use Multi-tasking Products like a bb cream or foundation which provides UV protection & pore minimizing rather than using all sunblock, primer, bb and foundation. (Just get some ideas like this)
4. Don’t get stressed & Keep Healthy Drinking habits (I’m referring to alcohol here)
Now that you have some information/tips to get rid of blackheads, you shouldn’t worry about them anymore. Make sure you use only the recommended usage to ensure the maximum benefit – this will not only prevent blackheads, but also make your skin fair, healthy and glowing.
Tip!!
[Definition of white/blackhead – source from makeup.com & realsimple.com]
(published on Feb. 2016)
BBlog 