How to Shrink Pores on Face

It is normal to have pores on your face, but when they get larger, than there is a problem. Pores may be more prominent on nose, cheeks, forehead and chin which can be very bothersome and disfiguring. Pores are small openings in our skin which moisturize our dry skin, regulate the temperature and help our body to flush out the toxins. Although there is no permanent cure for large pores, there are several ways you can shrink pores on face or minimize their appearance.

What Causes Large Pores?

Large pores are caused by a several factors, and if we manage to know what they are, it can be easier for us to decide what treatment options will be helpful. Enlarge pore size are often associated with sebum output level age and sex. The more the production of sebum the more are the chances of large pores. In female hormonal changes might also be associated with increase in large pores especially during ovulation. People with naturally oily and thicker skin often tend to develop large pores than those with dry and thinner skin. Another factor is natural aging; as we age our skin loose its elasticity as a result pores tends to look bigger. In addition to aging excessive sun exposure also plays an important role. Excessive and long term exposure to sun damage collagen and elastin which gives structural support to our skin, when the support is lost pores tends to look larger.

Enlarged Pore Treatment

Although there is no magic formula for enlarged pores, several options have been tried with success to treat large pores.

Exfoliating your face 1-2 times a week can help minimize the pores. There are several facial scrubs that are available in the stores or you may visit a beauty therapist or dermatologist for professional microdermabrasion treatment.

Clean your face twice daily with oil-free cleansers and use moisturizer on regular basis. This can be followed by 2-3 weekly application of products containing salicylic acid which will help remove the dead cells and prevent pores from clogging.

Remember, too much exfoliation may cause much larger pores. When excess oil is removed, your body produces more oil to compensate as a result pores gets enlarged. Once or twice weekly exfoliation is enough to get desired result.

Steam your face with warm water once a week, this will help clear the dirt and open your clogged pores and minimize the appearance of pores.

You may also apply ice cubes for 10-15 seconds and keep repeating 5-10 minutes every day. This will also help shrink your large pores.

There are several prescription products that contain retinoic acid which helps minimize the pores. Talk to your dermatologist about the options.

Apply clay mask every two weeks, clay mask helps remove the oil and water out from our skin giving our skin tight, refined texture and minimizing the appearance of pores.

Recent advance in dermatology has lead to the development of several lasers skin resurfacing methods that are effective for reducing large pores, talk to your dermatologist about the laser treatment options.

Large pores can also benefit from chemical peels. A chemical peel enhances and smoothes the texture of the skin giving smaller appearance for enlarged pores.

Finally and very important, you should always use sunscreen to protect your skin from excess ultraviolet radiation and keep large pores from becoming worse.