Your skin makes a significant contribution to your overall health serving as an organ of protection, regulation, and sensation. There are small pores present in the skin, which in most cases are barely visible to the naked eye. These skin pores play a very important role in regulating your body temperature and maintaining fluid balance. However, large skin pores that are not hygienically maintained can result in a breakout of acne, rash, and other unwanted skin conditions.

Causes of large skin pores could be:

• Excessive oil production which results in clogging of pores.
• Protracted sunlight exposure which damages collagen
• Genetics
• Advancing age

The following tips can help you minimize and shrink your pore size:

• Steam Treatment: The moist heat from steam will penetrate the pores softening the hard deposits that are causing blockage, making them easy to remove while moisturizing your skin at the same time.
• Exfoliation: Removal of dead skin cells can be performed by mechanical exfoliation at home after washing your face with warm water and using a mild cleanser to prepare your skin. This prevents clogging of skin pores. Make sure you do not scrub too hard as that will cause irritation and inflammation of your skin. If you are unsure about the process of exfoliation, At Home Peels are available at One Skin Clinic that can be used safely and effectively for all skin types. When damage to the external layer of skin is more severe, chemical peeling may be performed as an in-office procedure.
• Retinols: Vitamin A based topical products decrease the oil gland secretions in addition to plumping up your skin which make the skin pores appear smaller.
• Sunscreen: Regular application of sunscreen prevents the damaging effect of sunlight, which is the breakdown of skin collagen leading to loss of elasticity and enlargement of skin pores.
• Getting Regular Skin Care: To get clogged pores and blackheads removed nothing works better than receiving regular treatments and check-ups from an experienced medical aesthetician. Your skin is a very important organ and regular skin care should be made a priority!

If you suffer from clogged or large skin pores and would like to have your skin evaluated, please do contact Dr. Najia Shaikh at One Skin Clinic for an appointment.