How to Care for Your Pores, as Explained by Im Eui-seok Thema Dermatology

How to Care for Your Pores, as Explained by Im Eui-seok Thema Dermatology

Pore care is an area that receives especially more attention from women than from men. Pore care takes up a large part of beauty care, and many of the people who visit our clinic say that pores that were previously hardly visible have suddenly started to stand out, so they want treatment.

However, this condition does not mean that pores have suddenly appeared where there were none; it means that pores that were previously not very noticeable have suddenly expanded for some reason. Pore size is genetically determined from birth, but it often becomes enlarged due to a lack of proper care over time, so it is important to prevent pore enlargement through proper care.

The causes of enlarged pores can largely be grouped into four categories: ultraviolet rays, excessive sebum production after puberty, acne caused by poor sebum drainage, and skin aging. Today, we will talk about these four causes and also introduce care methods.

Ultraviolet rays are the enemy of pores!

Pore size is determined from birth, but it can expand due to acquired causes, and ultraviolet rays can be considered the biggest cause. Collagen and elastin, which give the skin elasticity and serve as support structures, are altered over a long period of time by ultraviolet rays. As a result, the skin loses elasticity and sags under gravity, naturally causing pores to become larger. Therefore, the first step in pore care is to use sunscreen consistently and avoid ultraviolet rays as much as possible.

Excessive sebum production

When you enter puberty and go through secondary sexual development, hormone secretion increases in both men and women. The sebaceous glands are where sebum (oil) is secreted, and when hormone secretion increases, the amount of sebum increases and the pores enlarge to allow smooth sebum drainage. Since sebum is discharged through the pores on the face, pores become enlarged during this period.

Acne caused by sebum not being discharged

It is only natural for pores to become larger after acne develops or after recovering from acne. Acne occurs when sebum produced in the sebaceous glands inside the skin is not smoothly discharged to the outside of the skin, causing inflammation in the pores. Therefore, when acne occurs, pores naturally become enlarged, and people who have frequent acne or a lot of acne make their pores look larger than those who do not.

Skin aging

Everyone goes through the body’s aging process. As people get older, skin elasticity decreases and the skin stretches, so pores naturally become larger. Even if sebum secretion is not high, when skin aging occurs, the components of the epidermis and dermis decrease, reducing the thickness of the skin itself and the number of blood vessels, which leads to sagging. When sagging occurs, pores enlarge and capillaries decrease, so blood circulation does not occur smoothly, preventing proper delivery of nutrients and moisture to the skin. This accelerates skin aging, creating a vicious cycle.

Effective ways to care for pores!

The factor that most strongly affects pore size is sebum. Therefore, it is best to reduce and prevent things that can influence pore enlargement in everyday life. Alcohol, greasy foods, foods high in sugar, cosmetics with a lot of oil, heavy makeup that blocks pores, lack of sleep, and stress are all factors that can enlarge pores, so it is best to avoid them. In addition to simply becoming larger, pores can also become blocked when excess sebum combines with makeup residue, dead skin cells, and dust. In that case, an inflammatory reaction with acne bacteria within the pilosebaceous unit may progress. Therefore, regular pore care is necessary. To reduce sebum secretion and prevent pore enlargement, systematic self-care is essential. When washing your face, you should focus on the T-zone, especially the forehead and nose, where sebum secretion is high.

Ways that help with pore care!

1. Frequency of face washing

The foundation of skin care is cleansing! Washing thoroughly is good, but washing too often can irritate the skin and actually have the opposite effect. Instead of excessive cleansing, it is appropriate to wash your face lightly 2 to 3 times a day with the idea of wiping away sebum. When washing your face, it is best to use a mild, low-foaming, fragrance-free product that does not damage the skin barrier. When washing, do not rub too hard; instead, cleanse gently with a soft rolling motion. However, if you are wearing makeup, you should double cleanse and make sure to remove makeup residue carefully so it does not block your pores. That said, if you rub cleanser on for too long, dissolved makeup residue can enter the skin, so rather than scrubbing hard, it is better to cleanse by gently pinching and flicking the cheeks and jawline with your fingers as if massaging. After wiping off the cleanser, wrap your face once with a steam towel so waste products can come out of the opened pores, and it is effective to remove blackheads that often form on the nose with cotton swabs or nose packs. Along with this, it is good to use natural face packs such as cabbage packs, tomato packs, egg white packs, and yogurt oatmeal packs 2 to 3 times a week or more. After that, since the skin’s moisture content drops below 30% if more than 3 minutes pass after washing, wipe with an alcohol-free toner before the skin becomes dry and finish with a moisturizer.

2. Cosmetics

Do you know the ingredients in the cosmetics you use? Because of the ingredients in basic skincare products that are absorbed into the skin first after cleansing, pores may not shrink. After washing your face, it is better to use products and toners with low oil content or no oil, and products without alcohol. For sunscreen as well, it is better to use water-based products with no oily ingredients and a high moisture content. When going out, if makeup is too thick, it can block pores, prevent sebum from being properly discharged, and cause acne, which in turn contributes to enlarged pores, so it is best to avoid overly heavy makeup.

3. Removing sebum

If your face produces a lot of oil (sebum), do you keep wiping it frequently with oil blotting paper and makeup powder? If you repeatedly wipe it with oil blotting paper and makeup powder that removes oil, your skin will become dry and sebum secretion will become even more active. When sebum secretion becomes more active, the amount of sebum that needs to be discharged increases and pores can become enlarged, so it is better to moisturize the skin first rather than trying to remove oil.

Today, we talked about how to care for pores. Once pores become enlarged, it is difficult to make them shrink again, so they require a lot of attention and care. Based on what we discussed today, I hope you can maintain beautiful and clean skin.

However, if your pores have already become too large to manage on your own, you should consult a specialist and consider treatments such as lasers. Rather than simply choosing whichever procedure is currently popular, it is important to receive personalized treatment based on your skin condition through a consultation with a board-certified dermatologist. If you would like professional pore care tailored to you, please apply for a consultation through the link below or by phone number.