A Facialist's Notes On Pore Size
- 22 hours ago
- 5 min read
Have you ever looked in the mirror in the morning and thought your pores suddenly look huge overnight?
This is one thing I get asked about a lot in clinic. In fact, it could potentially be one of the biggest skin concerns I hear about in my treatment room.
One of my pet peeves with the industry is the number of products that claim to “shrink pore size”. As lovely as that would be, unfortunately it doesn’t work like that. Now, don’t get me wrong, we can absolutely reduce the appearance of pores. Think exfoliating the skin to reduce congestion and hydrating the skin to plump it out. What we can’t do is permanently shrink them.
So, quick science lesson for you. What actually is a pore and why do they look bigger on some people?
Your pore is your hair follicle and sebaceous (oil) gland together. Where there is a hair, there is a pore. We all have them. They are there to help keep our skin moisturised. The sebum (oil) is released from the sebaceous gland, travels up the hair shaft and is then released onto the surface of the skin. They are an essential part of healthy skin and we’d be in trouble without them.
Larger pores are mostly genetic. I would say that if one of your parents has larger pores, there is a good chance you will too. Unfortunately, like I said earlier, we cannot permanently shrink them. We can reduce the appearance, but we can’t physically shrink them through skincare products alone.
Along with genetics, if we have oilier skin our pores can appear larger too. This is why the oilier parts of our face, such as the T-zone, tend to have more visible pores. Hormones also play a huge role here. When we get surges of testosterone or progesterone, oil production can increase significantly, which can make pores appear larger.
The problem is that when these larger pores start filling with excess oil, dead skin cells and debris, blackheads can develop. These can stretch the pore further, making it appear even larger. This is why I think gentle but regular exfoliation is so important. It helps keep pores clear and prevents congestion from building up. Plus, a classic clinic steam and extraction can still do wonders for some skins.
Another thing to remember is that as we age, we start to lose collagen and elastin. Yes, I know… it just keeps getting better and better doesn’t it?
Because of this, our skin isn’t as strong and supportive as it once was. Think back to the mattress analogy from my collagen and elastin posts. If the structure supporting the pore starts to weaken, the pore can begin to look larger too.
Then of course we have good old sun damage. UV rays help break down collagen and elastin and can also change the texture and quality of the skin. The result? Larger-looking pores once again.
One of the biggest mistakes I see clients make when trying to improve their pores is using harsh scrubs and over-exfoliating. There seems to be this idea that if you scrub hard enough you’ll somehow remove the pores altogether.
You won’t.
I remember a client many years ago who had microdermabrasion twice a month for ten years. Her skin was like tissue paper and, surprise surprise, her pores were still there and still large.
How did we treat her skin?
We focused on repairing her barrier because it was completely shot after years of over-treatment. I also switched her onto my Cleansing Beauty Balm, which I think blew her mind slightly.
How can someone with oily skin use a balm cleanser?
Well, actually, it helped enormously because her previous cleanser was stripping her skin and leaving it dehydrated. The more dehydrated her skin became, the more obvious her pores looked.
Once her skin was properly hydrated and her barrier restored, those pores reduced massively in appearance. To be completely honest, I was so proud of the transformation.
So what actually helps improve the appearance of pores?
Like I always say, gentle but regular exfoliation can make a huge difference. It helps keep pores clear, supports healthy cell turnover and prevents congestion from building up.
Products such as the SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Peel Pads and Nimue Active Rejuvenating Wipes are brilliant for this. I’m also a huge fan of the Nimue Exfoliating Enzyme and Nimue Conditioner to help keep pores looking refined.
Focusing on products that support healthy cell turnover can also help. Think SkinBetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream and Nimue Retinal Power+ Serum to keep the skin functioning well and looking brighter and clearer.
Then there is collagen support. Products such as Calecim Multi Action Cream and Skinade can help support the overall structure and strength of the skin around the pores.
Of course, we also have to protect the skin daily with SPF to prevent further collagen breakdown. Nimue Sun-C SPF 40 and SPF 50 are always my go-to choices, along with Revision Intellishade SPF 45.
Antioxidants are also incredibly important. Products such as SkinBetter Science Alto Advanced, my Emmaline Tsui Skincare Vitamin C Serum and Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Antioxidant all help defend the skin against environmental damage.
When it comes to treatments, I always focus on gentle peels that support barrier repair at the same time (and no peels from Amazon please!).
LED therapy is another great option to help support collagen production, and of course regular facials can help keep everything on track. Remember though, it’s what you do consistently at home that makes the biggest difference long term.
Personally, I would avoid at-home microneedling devices as they can worsen the skin if not used correctly.
Dermaplaning, as we all know, is a huge pet peeve of mine and something I would never recommend. Why? You can read all about that in my dermaplaning blog post.
I would also be cautious with aggressive treatments such as microdermabrasion, or any type of dermabrasion really. We need to treat the skin with consideration and care. I think we’re often far too eager to obliterate everything in sight.
Personally, I think pores are something we can overthink. They are completely normal and every skin has them.
Please stop obsessing over them so much and focus on looking after your skin barrier and overall skin health instead. When you have healthy, functioning skin, your pores will naturally appear smaller anyway.
If you’re completely unsure where to start with your skin and pore concerns, why not book an online consultation with me here or fill out my free Skin Check-In Form? We can create a skincare plan that’s suited to your concerns, budget and yes… your pore size too.
Thank you so much for reading,
Emmaline
Comments