It’s common to see patients with naturally oily skin, to have larger pores than patients with dry skin. Our skin starts swelling when oil and dirt collects in our skin, therefore the pores will start to look bigger than what it is. Large pores should not always be associated with severe acne.  Sometimes small scars formed after acne, can be wrongly identified as large pores. Ageing skin, which is losing its elasticity can also contribute to enlarged pores, as can sun exposure and skin that is out of balance due to incorrect product use, health issues, medication use or other reasons.

TREATMENT SELECTIONS

We’ve seen considerable improvements for patients with enlarged pores with the use of the BroadBand Light -BBL™, MicroLaserPeel® and Dermapen treatments

• BroadBand Light -BBL™, MicroLaserPeel® and Dermapen ;– are useful in treatment of enlarged facial pores. This treatment is triple-benefit with skin smoothing, collagen encouragement and pore minimizing.
• Oral isotretinoin (Accutane) and topical tretinoin (similar to Retin-A)  have shown to be effective in decreasing pore size.
• Glycolic acid peels, with or without vitamin C, have been shown to decrease pore size appearance. Salicylic and Pumpkin acid peels are also helpful for acne patients because this type acid penetrates plugged pores.

AT HOME TREATMENT TIPS

• Exfoliate regularly. But don’t use the highly abrasive ground shell formulas – they’ll just tear your skin.
• If you use cream-style cleansers and notice clogged pores, switch to a water-based foaming cleanser.
• Try a low level exfoliating moisturizer (eg Retinol which can cause mild flaking).
• Kaolin clay masks can help keep pores clearer. Steer clear of the highly fragranced products.
• Pay attention to diet and get adequate fruits, veggies and fiber.
• Don’t sleep in your makeup.
• Fabric softeners used for sheets and pillow cases can leave a film on your skin. If you notice more pores or small bumps on the sides of your cheeks, try skipping fabric softener and see if you notice an improvement.
• Don’t try extractions without knowing how. You can easily push thickened oil deeper into the pore, making matters worse.

When you visit Atlantic Dermatology and Laser for your initial consultation, our skin specialist Cherie Cochrane will assess the depth of treatment required. From there we will discuss the best treatments for your skin, how many treatments are needed and the healing time if applicable. We are committed to providing you with the most advanced procedures in aesthetic medicine. By integrating the latest cutting-edge lasers and skin devices into our treatments enables us to be ahead of the curve in so many ways and the results we are achieving for our patients really do speak for themselves. Set in the heart of Sea point, Atlantic Dermatology & Laser welcomes patients from all over Cape Town