The 411 on Pores & Keeping Them Clear

One of the most common concerns with our clients. Everyone really hates their pores! ☺️⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So, Let’s talk pores! They are necessary and designed to bring our natural oil (sebum) from the sebaceous glands to the top layer of skin to protect it, moisturize it and create a healthy skin barrier. As young children, our sebum production is lower and pores often can appear smaller. As we enter adulthood our natural sebum production increases. Pores are located all over our skin but the most concentrated area is the nose, forehead & chin. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What makes pores appear larger or drives clients crazy about their pores?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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1. Sebaceous Filaments - Most clients know these as the little gray uniform dots on the nose that when pushed on, a white squiggle come out. They are more obvious on the nose but are in every pore. Everyone has them (except for older skin with oil loss). You often can only see them up close. They really are not meant to be extracted. They drive people nuts so people love to clean them out. This is what Biore Strips do (which we really don’t like)- they rip out the filament. The ironic thing about cleaning out these filaments frequently is 1. They come back the next day, 2. You can do more harm than good.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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2. Inflammation - Pores that have become enlarged, meaning you had smaller pores and recently they became larger can be due to several things. 1. Rosacea inflammation can cause the pores on the nose and cheeks to swell. 2. Other underlying inflammation such as an allergic reaction or Folliculitis can cause the pores to swell.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What can you do to help your pores appear smaller?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
- Apply a Sulfur mask biweekly. We like Face Reality’s Sulfur Spot Treatment used as a mask all over. Sulfur helps reduce sebum which helps with clearing out the sebaceous filaments.
- Reduce inflammation (individualized).
- Apply a AHA or BHA corrective serum daily, as tolerated.: Vivant Mandelic 8% serum along with their Daily Repair Pads