How to Shrink Large Pores

When acne is bad enough, some of us end up with large, unsightly pores. Anti-acne treatments don’t seem to work on the pores themselves.In fact nothing seems to work: exfoliators, anti-aging creams or even complete facials. Those blackheads and that shiny nose seem like a permanent part of our faces.

And we begin to wonder: is it possible to shrink pores?

The Role of Genetics

The short answer is no, you can’t shrink pores, at least in the way that you’d want. Pore size is both genetic and age dependent. It has little to do with the chemicals on your face.

The primary factor of pore size is genetics. It is an inherited trait, and can be prevalent in any race or skin type. If you have oily skin, your pores need to be larger to allow the oils to moisturize your skin.

Age and Time

The other player in pore size is time. First of all, as you get older, collagen production in your skin depletes, and your skin becomes less firm, allowing your pores to “sag”.

As well, your pores will be forced to expand over time. As pores become clogged, they are pressed outwards like a balloon, but because they’re clogged, they only swell under the skin.

Over time this can drastically increase your pore size. And because this process is irreversible, treatments can only slow or stop this process.

What Works?

The best thing to do is to keep your pores clean throughout your life. Regular daily face washing will do more to keep your pores from being clogged than anything you can do once they are clogged.

Make up will also clog your pores, so try to limit its use to special occasions. Even make-ups that claim they won’t clog pores will still hinder your face’s natural ability to secrete its oils.

How to Clean out the Pores

If you have oily skin, dirt may stick to your face even though you’re a faithful face-washer. An exfoliator will help clean pores once they’ve become dirty.

Products that remove the outer layers of skin, like Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA’s) and Benzoyl Peroxide, can help those with either dry or oily skin too keep the dead skin away from the pores.

Mud masks (or even a home remedy of honey) can pull blackheads out and nourish inflamed pores. This can reduce pore size a little bit, helping your pores to relax.

Prevention vs Appearance

Many products or remedies can shrink pores temporarily, but fade quickly. Expanding the pores with a sauna-like effect is good for cleaning out your pores, but trying to close the pores with cold will do nothing once your face warms up again.

In the end, prevention really is the only cure for large pores. If appearances are important, there are moisturizing concealers that will reduce the appearance of larger pores without causing them to expand in the future.