How to: Minimize large pores.

First, a disclaimer: I suffer from mild Trypophobia. During my research for this article, I experienced some of my common symptoms, so if you have Trypo, I might advise reading this without looking at the pictures...or thinking too much about it.

I had a question from a reader during the week, about how to minimize the size of her pores. it really got me to thinking, because there are many causes of large pores, and many ways to assist in shrinking them away. For this post, I want to concentrate on non-hereditary causes, and non-cosmetic treatments.

The most common cause of large pores is clogged pores. Naturally the pore is open to allow toxins to travel away from the dermal layer and out of your body. This is where a daily hygiene and skin care routine comes in. Our bodies aren't all that good at really getting rid of everything that's inside the pore, especially when our hormones are fluctutaing (such as during puberty, or in the later stages of life, the use of contraceptive pills, pregnancy, and eventually menopause). This is how we form blackheads, whiteheads, acne, all of those beautiful, lovely, awesome skin conditions. A buildup of sebum, toxins, skin cells and other pollutants become trapped inside the pore.

I'll stop my skin story right there at what happens before that buildup becomes infected (and becomes a pimple). The pore expands in an attempt to release its contents, causing the appearance over over-large pores externally.

Here's how to fix the problem before it gets worse. Stick to a weekly routine of cleansing away the toxins and buildup of oils and dead skin cells from your face (and your body!!!) This should include using a gentle cleanser every day, and exfoliating at least once a week with a product specifically designed for the purpose. OR you can exfoliate your skin very nicely using baking soda. Pour a little into your hand, mix with warm water to form a paste, and use in a circular motion over your face, paying special attention to the sides of your nose, your chin and your forehead. Please be very gentle near your eyes, as the skin there is very delicate.

If the cause of your large pores was indeed toxin buildup, you should see an improvement in pore size almost immediately.

Sometimes, it's due to other factors and can be hereditary, and in those cases, there are other products that we can look at for the temporary treatment of large pores. I'll leave that for another post.

What other treatments do you know of for large pores?