Pore-fection

The age-old idea that you can shrink your pores—using anything from a splash of ice-cold water to an egg-white mask—is a fantastic one. Sadly, it’s also a fantasy. Pore size is genetically determined and you can’t make pores physically smaller. So to a certain extent, you have to accept what you were given. Those tiny dots you see on the surface of your skin are actually the openings of hair follicles. Each one contains a sebaceous gland, which produces your skin’s oils. (Pores are more noticeable on parts of the face, like the forehead and the nose, where the sebaceous glands are bigger.) The size of your pores depends primarily on your genes. Typically, fair-skinned people have pores on the small side; those with olive or darker skin have larger pores. Your skin type, too, can play a role. Naturally dry skin tends to appear poreless, while oily skin often has more-visible pores. Several other factors can affect pore size. Dead skin cells and trapped sebum—which, put together with bacteria, form a pimple—can stretch out pores. UV rays weaken the collagen that supports pores and keeps them tight, so they can also make pores look bigger. Similarly, the collagen loss that comes naturally with aging can increase the appearance of pore size. And picking at or squeezing a pimple can cause trauma to the skin, which may permanently widen the pore. But there are things you can do to minimize the appearance of your pores 👏🏼 - The key to making pores appear smaller is to keep them clear. During the day, stick with noncomedogenic moisturizers and makeup; avoid products that contain heavy ingredients, like petrolatum and mineral oil, both of which may irritate pores and make them look bigger. Always wash your face with a gentle cleanser before bed to prevent the day’s dirt and makeup from clogging pores. Hydrafacial is a 🔑 treatment for pore management -blasting them to a squeaky clean state. Microneedling is also a top notch choice for over all appearance of pores - combine these two treatments for our beloved Holy Grail treatment and you will be looking like a pore-less 👽✨... in a good way!