One of the most common skin issues a lot of people face is clogs in their pores. These pores can become clogged with a lot of oil as well as dead cells, making them super irritable and making it uncomfortable for anyone. With the help of the right skin treatments and care techniques, you’ll be able to easily clear your pores.
If you’re someone who is looking for a pore tightening toner, you need to understand everything about clogged pores and how they work. This requires you to know all about your glands. The glands on the face create a substance that is known as sebum. This is a sort of natural oil that coats the skin in order to seal in the moisture. The pore function brings the oil to the surface of the skin, where it can effectively hydrate and protect the skin.
However, the sebum and dead skin cells can become trapped within a pore, and this may look larger or feel bumpier. This blocked pore can end up leading to acne, especially if it becomes inflamed. Acne is one of the most common skin conditions all across the world and affects hundreds of millions.
When you’re looking to clear your bumpy congested skin, you need to ensure that you understand the causes for the same. There are various types of blemishes, which include:
Whiteheads: These are spots that occur when the pore closes and becomes filled with a certain amount of white pus.
Blackheads: These occur when the dead skin cells and the oil end up getting stuck within the pore, but they remain open
Pimples: This is a sort of acne that occurs whenever the dead skin, bacteria and oil end up being trapped within the pore to cause inflammation or swelling
Cysts: This is a type of acne that occurs whenever cysts end up developing right underneath the skin surface.
Sebum and the dead skin cells end up blocking pores, but the other factors that make it more likely include:
Skin Elasticity: When your face decreases skin elasticity, you can end up having larger pores which can end up being more visible. The larger pores can become clogged in a much easier way.
Comedogenic products: Most dermatologists refer to the substances that block pores as comedogenic. Certain skin products such as sunscreen, lotions and makeup can end up in the category.
Sebum production: Some people produce a little more sebum than others. The more this is produced, the more likely are they to show visible pores on the face. Some of the factors that affect skin oil production include genetics, age and hormones too.
Ethnicity: It was also concluded that a lot of people from varying ethnic backgrounds had a higher chance of having larger pores. Researchers also observed that the pores that belonged to people of various ethnic groups varied in size by a large margin, and this factor played a major role.
The most common age for acne was marked as anywhere between 12 to 24 years, but people in their 30s and 40s also faced acne issues. These include issues such as pores on their face and clogged pores on the nose.
How to clear clogged pores on the face?
There are many pore cleansing face wash products that are available, but you’ll be better off if you knew about the other methods available too. With them, you can enjoy better skin that ensures you remain hydrated at all times.
There are a few techniques that can be employed in order to clear the clogged pores. These include:
Non-Comedogenic products: These are products that don’t clog the pores. You can look for them across categories, including skincare, makeup, sun protection products and more.
Avoid picking or scratching: It can be tempting to pick, rub or scratch the clogged pores or the acne. This won’t clear any of the skin concerns but actually make them even worse.
Cleansing: Using a pore cleansing face wash can help you too, where a pH-balanced cleanser that’s gentle can be used twice a day with warm water. You can remove the excess oil or the dead cells as well from the skin. Washing the face gently is a good idea, and the scrubbing can cause redness which can draw attention to the pores.
Exfoliation: This is another technique where you can use a clay face mask or soft cream which removes the dead cells right from the surface of the skin. This can reduce the overall texture of the clogged pores and even unblock them. The two types of exfoliation include physically removing the dead skin with the help of a brush or cloth or chemical exfoliation, where you can use a pore reducing cream or acid to dissolve the debris. Salicylic acid is another popular exfoliant that can help in the unclogging process. It is useful to treat issues such as hyperpigmentation, acne and other skin conditions. Use sunscreen along with the exfoliants as they make the skin a little bit more sensitive to UV light.
Retinol: People who have ageing or oily skin along with large pores can find that their skin is far less elastic, which can contribute to these clogged pores. By increasing the elasticity, you’ll be able to reduce the blockages of the pores. Retinol is also an ingredient used in skincare that is recommended by dermatologists for people with oily, mature or even acne-prone skin. People can try these products, which list retinyl palmitate or retinol. It’s better to start with a product that comes with lower strength and use it before it becomes bad. Retinol also causes skin irritation initially, and it’s important to note that pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid it.
Dermatologists at home can aid with the skincare methods when the home methods don’t work. Some of their suggested routes to treat these clogged pores include:
Extractions: Using certain special tools, dermatologists can easily extract the sebum plugs, which could cause whiteheads and blackheads from the pores.
Skin peels: There are certain skin peels which can be used to treat rough or dull textured skin.
Microdermabrasion: This is a treatment which involves the exfoliation physically using crystal or diamond-tipped tools. Dermatologists use these methods to improve skin texture that is uneven.
Hyaluronic treatment: Injections that contain hyaluronic acid can reduce the size of the pores with certain side effects.
With time, you’ll notice the positive effects of the same, allowing you to have clear skin that doesn’t require any foreign interference and one that takes care on its own.