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Home Skin & Face Skin Texture & Tone Open Pores

Condition: Open Pores

Open Pores symptoms
& causes

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Medically reviewed by Dr Aamer Khan

27th January 2025

The condition

Dealing With Open Pores

What are open pores?

Pores are naturally always open in order to help your body get rid of all the sweat and toxins. Not unlike the colour of your hair or how tall you are, your pores will remain the same size, but you can minimise their size by keeping oil and dirt to a minimum, since both make pores noticeable.

Pores appear to be larger as we get older. This is why our skin that stays firm due to broken collagen and elastin begins breaking. The pores become stretched when skin loses its tightness, then they appear to be larger.

What are the types of pores?

Oil pores are linked to oil glands, which means you can find them almost all around your skin except for the palms of your hands and the feet. These are the pores most people may think of when talking about large or dirty because you can actually see them.
Sweat pores, meanwhile, are everywhere on your skin but they’re much tinier and aren’t typically visible. In the case of hyperhidrosis, these pores are overactive and sweat excessively.

Symptoms
When to See a Doctor
Causes
Risk Factors
Complications
Prevention

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Condition: Open Pores

Contents

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The symptoms

Open pores

Open pores are very easy to see. They can leave your skin with rough or uneven texture and tend to stand out more when clogged with oil, dirt, or makeup. If you have oilier or combination skin, you are probably going to see them more as excess oil in the skin can make it more noticeable.

When to see a doctor?

Examine Your Skin

When should you visit a dermatologist’s office?

Open pores are very easy to identify with some simple checks and a visit to a dermatologist. How to identify them?

Examine your skin: On your skin particularly around the T-zone, forehead, nose and chin. What you see are called “open pores,” or obvious, enlarged pores that appear larger than the rest of your skin.
Touch: Use a light hand to stroke across your face. If some areas appear rough or bumpy, especially on oilier parts of your face, this indicates open pores.
Look for oiliness: If your pores and skin is tremendously oily, you could see greater open pores. Look out for areas that are shiny or greasy as they tend to mean the pores in this region will be more visible.
Dermatologist visit: You should go to your dermatologist for a check. They inspect your skin up close and can even use certain tools if they would like to get a better read of the pore size, and its condition.

Advised treatments

Skin Treatment

Skin Treatment

Skin Treatment

Skin Treatment

The causes

What leads to enlarged pores?

Excess oil: Having oily or combination skin can cause excess oil, which stretches out your pores and gives them a larger appearance.
Having larger hair follicles: This is probably one of the biggest contributing factors. If you already have excess shine, then these can make your pores look even more prominent.
Genetics: The size of your pores can be determined in part by genetics, so if your family tends to have larger or more prominent pores (or smaller ones), you may end up with them, too. Your pores could simply be inherited from your parents.
Acne: Repeated pimples or blackheads will fill in enlarged and infected pores that will widen.

The risk factors

Reasons for clogged pores.

Pollution. Each day your skin is being exposed to pollutants that clog pores, dirt and toxins causing them to appear larger.
Sun Exposure. UV rays from the sun damage collagen and elastin leading to sagging skin and enlarged pores.
Dehydration. If there is not enough moisture in your skin, it can begin overproducing oil to stretch out your pores.
Unhealthy Diet. Excessive sugar and processed foods increase oil production which makes pores look bigger.
Smoking. Smoking also diminishes the elasticity in the skin which pulls down and stretches your pores over time.
Stress. If you are under stress, then your skin will also produce more oil which can make your pores look larger.

The complications

Visible Pores

Having open pores can cause a few problems

Acne prone skin
This means your pores are more likely to trap oil, dirt, and dead skin which causes breakouts.
Blackheads and whiteheads
Pores when open, infect easily and blackheads and whiteheads occur.
Uneven skin texture
It can cause your skin to feel rough and bumpy, which is all a result of enlarged pores.

Scarring
Hyper-active gland production, either sebum or even inflammation in open pores and too much acne can sometimes cause scarring on your face.
Skin irritation
The larger the pores, they more likely they may be affected by environmental factors and possibly make some products too irritating.
Makeup problems
If you do wear makeup, large pores are a huge opportunity for it to settle into making those gaps all the more visible.

The prevention

Clear, Balanced Skin

Why use gentle cleansers for your skin?

A mild skin cleanser helps clean away extra oils as well as dirt that could be the cause of your skin from suffering inflammation. Chemicals in some cleansers can dry out your skin, making you produce more oil and thus clogging pores. Picking out some natural cleanser keeps your skin clean and making pores reduce in size.

Benefits of gentle products

This helps to balance the skin and provides your skin with a clean slate. Cleaning dirt and makeup from the skin’s surface, means clear pores. A well kept skin free from dirt by means of a mild face wash is necessary for clear pores.

Hydrate For Glow

How does staying hydrated help your skin?

The more water you drink, the better hydrated your skin and this helps with skin elasticity. When the skin is nicely hydrated, that can help control oil production and in turn reduce pore size. Hydrating yourself inside out not only supports skin health but also makes your pores appear neat.

Moisturise your skin

Using a light water-based moisturiser helps level out hydration and also stops your skin from making excessive oil. This helps your skin stay hydrated and can reduce the look of large pores by ensuring that you have enough moisture.

Achieve smooth skin with regular exfoliation

Exfoliating regularly using salicylic acid peels away dead skin cells which might have seeped into your pores and lead to breakouts. By removing these cells, your unclog pores will also stay free of debris and keep smaller. It is good for exfoliating and helps in new cell growth bringing smoother and brighter skin.

Clay masks to detoxify pores and boost brightness

Clay masks exfoliate and help draw trapped oil, dirt and dead skin out of your pores to make them appear smaller. Add this routine to your skin care and apply a clay mask 1 to 2x a week. Using clay masks as part of your weekly routine will keep your skin feeling clean and fresh, with smaller looking pores.

Suitable products for sensitive skin

Non-comedogenic ingredients don’t block your pores. This allows you to never get blackheads and large pores. This helps in keeping your skin clean and clear as well as preventing your pores to make them more noticeable.

Never skip removing makeup before bed

Sleeping in makeup may lead to a major congestion for your pores by trapping dirt, oils and even bacteria. No matter how exhausted you are, never go to sleep with your face full of makeup.

If you can, use makeup remover before cleansing to leave a clean finish. This will keep your pores clean and in the process also keeps your skin healthy with a glow.

Move For Glow"

How can exercise help prevent enlarged pores?

Keeping the body active and doing exercise also helps in controlling oil production and improves blood flow. Exercising causes your body to sweat, which is good because sweating also helps to eliminate toxins and keep pores from looking large. Plus, working out boosts collagen production that makes pores smaller.

Foods best for clear skin

Diet should consist of a lot of fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. Vitamin A, C and E in these foods reduce skin oil levels as well as help repair the skin. Eating oily fish, such as salmon that contains omega-3 fatty acids, help your skin stay hydrated and helps to reduce the amount of oil produced.