Increasingly I have clients who are concerned about the size of their nose pores. If you are concerned here’s some info that might help.
When you squeeze something out of a nose pore usually it is not a blackhead, but a sebaceous filament. The filament is made up of sebum & dead cells. Although similar in appearance to blackheads, the purpose of the filaments is to direct oil. You cannot get rid of these filaments as they are part of your skin, but you can minimize their appearance.
What causes increased pore size?
Oil in the pores
Change in elasticity/collagen - pores start to sag. This is caused by aging & consistent sun damage.
Too many hairs in the pore
It runs in your family & you inherited the pore size
Picking & squeezing- it's bad to squeeze pores because any kind of picking, squeezing, or pulling stretches the elastin around the pores which can enlarge them. With constant squeezing, the pore can remain more stretched and enlarged over time without the ability to bounce back. Squeezing pores can also cause damage to the surrounding tissue leading to scarring, and the enlarged pores can make sebaceous filaments appear even larger.
What can you do about the pore size?
First, you can help make them look smaller. Clogged pores - ones consisting of oil & dead skin, need to be unclogged so they don’t create a hard plug that makes the pores larger. Filaments also need to be treated.
Tips:
Remove makeup before bed
Cleanse twice a day
Exfoliate dead skin cells with alpha (glycolic) or beta-hydroxy (salicylic) acids
Deep-clean your skin with a clay mask
After cleansing apply cool water to constrict the pore
Second, treatments to reduce the size of the pores because they stimulate collagen & elastin. These include:
Use a retinol product (also has an exfoliating action)
Chemical Peels
Micro-needling
Radio frequency
Topical product with ingredients to stimulate collagen & elastin
I see many clients that had oil in their skin when they were younger, so they have larger nose pores. Now their pores are sagging because of sun damage. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of help at this point. Remember, at any age, protect your pores by wearing a sun screen every day, all year long.