Open Pores: Causes and Treatment.

What are open pores?

There are multiple glands present on our face which secret oil, these are known as sebaceous glands. These glands are present on the side of the hair follicle. The pilosebaceous unit opening of these glands gives the appearance of open pores. These open pores are nothing but opening of these open pores of the sebaceous glands on our face, especially the area where the glands are more in number there we see the larger prominence of pores. These are present mainly on the T-Zone, over the nose, on the chin area and also on the inner side of the cheeks.

Why do open pores occur?

These pores become prominent when there is increased secretion of oil from these glands, these become more prominent during adolescence and adulthood. And what happens is that with age there is a collagen breakdown and the skin becomes thinner, so the support of these glands and the opening is reduced so they appear larger. This is why the appearance of pores increases as age increases. 

Open pores are more commonly seen in people who have oily skin type, even patients with dry skin type can notice open pores as they age. And these pores are very prominent on the inner side of the cheek and the nose. Open pores are also considered an early sign of ageing.

Other Reasons for Open Pores.

 Other than having an oily skin type, certain genetic predispose you to develop open pores. If you have a family history of open pores of prominent hair follicles or with prominent gland openings then there is a high chance that even you tend to develop them over time.

Open pores tend to become more common during certain phases of the menstrual cycle. Then time, when you develop acne, during your menses because of increased oil production even the pores tend to get more common.so, you will notice that there certain times in a month where your pores appear more prominent compared to rest.

It is natural to have pores because these glands moisturise our skin and keep our skin healthy. So, it is not a disease; it is just that people now have become very conscious and are very bothered by the presence of the open pores, which is just an anatomical location of the glands which moisturise our face. You can not get completely get rid of them means you have to get rid of the gland which is not possible at all. Because people are so bothered by the appearance of the open pores and their prominence there is a multitude of cosmetics, creams, lotions and the market that claim to reduce the appearance of pores. It is not possible to completely get rid of them but it is possible to minimise the appearance of open pores.

Measures to reduce the appearance of open pores.

What are few measures to reduce the appearance of pores? Foremost, use a gentle cleanser. Try not to scrub your face too often or use harsh exfoliators which will further damage the skin and stimulate the skin to produce more oil. Whenever there is an increase in oil production, it will also make glands more prominent. So, try to use a gentle cleanser on the regular basis.

 One of the most important components or drawback for the appearance of open pores is sleeping with your make-up on. The make-up that we apply especially the foundation and the concealer tends to clog these pores and make them appear more in number. Make sure that you minimise the application of foundation and concealer that you use on your face and make sure you remove your make-up before you go off to sleep so that there is no clogging of pores overnight.

Using face washes containing salicylic acid can help in reducing the oil formation on the skin and over time help in shrinking the pores. Salicylic acid gently exfoliates the top layer of the skin so there is no clogging of pores, hence the appearance of pores becomes less. The salicylic acid face wash is the best thing to opt for. Avoid oil-based make -up. Try to use water-based cosmetics and even creams and moisturisers should be con comedogenic which means that they are not going to clog your pores. 

Open pores are a result of increased oil production and also reduced collagen using creams containing tretinoin and vitamin A derivative can help you in improving the appearance of the open pores. Creams containing tretinoin can be applied on areas of open pores at night which help gently exfoliate the skin and also reduce the oil formation from these glands and build up collagen over time. These creams have to be used on the regular basis, there is no quick fix that you apply it overnight and you get the results on the next day. You have to use this for a longer period regularly for good results. It has been shown that even sun damage can lead to open pores. Because sun damage leads to collagen breakdown. If you are in an occupation where your skin undergoes a lot of sun exposure, then make sure you apply sunscreen regularly which will also help in reducing the breakdown of the collagen will prevent the worsening of the open pores.

 Tips to minimise the appearance of open pores. 

• Rubbing ice on your face: If you rub ice on your face it will help in shrinking pores for a short period.
• Make use of a clay mask: If you have a party to attend or a social gathering, you can always apply a clay mask containing bentonite and leave it on for 15 minutes and then wash it off. If you have dry, irritated and sensitive skin then this clay masks can irritate. In that case, make sure you moisturise your face well with a non-comedogenic moisturiser after you wash off the clay mask.

The effects of these tips are only temporary, they absorb the oil and shrink the pores for only 3-4 hours.

It has been shown that consumption of certain food items such as food containing dairy products, sugar, which have a high glycemic index i.e. which increase the blood sugar in the body, can lead to an increase in oil production, therefore which increase the appearance of the open pores.

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