Enlarged Pores and Acne

Blackheads

Blackheads, a form of non-inflammatory acne, appear as tiny, brown or black plugs of foreign matter within the hair follicles. These deposits, or plugs within the follicles, mainly consist of keratin (a natural protein found in hair, nails and skin) and oily secretions from the sebaceous gland. Oxidation then causes the deposits to darken in color. When blackheads break the surface of the skin, they are medically referred to as open come done. Blackheads often remain on the skin for extended periods of time because of their inability to drain and disperse through the skin’s surface. Manual extraction is usually the best way to remove them completely.

Whiteheads

Whiteheads, another form of non-inflammatory acne, typically appear as small, white-colored bumps or pimples on the skin. The bumps develop after trapped bacteria and sebum form a blockage beneath the skin’s surface. A whitehead is considered a closed come done because the lesion does not break the skin’s tissue. Many whiteheads are often invisible to the naked eye. With proper care, most can be easily drained through the skin surface. If left alone, whiteheads and pimples are prone to regression, and usually eliminate themselves through the skin’s surface over time.

Inflammatory Acne

Papules are the mildest form of inflammatory acne and appear as tiny, pink bumps on the surface of the skin. They form when white blood cells begin to collect around sebaceous bacteria and break the follicular wall. This attack of infection causes inflammation and irritation, which can lead to more severe forms of acne if the lesion collapses into nearby pores. Papules are often the first sign of a future pimple.

Pustules are an inflammatory collection of white blood cells that have made their way to the surface of the skin, often appearing as enlarged and pus-filled bumps. This moderate, often severe, form of acne is otherwise known as the common “zit.”

Nodules and Cysts are the most severe forms of inflammatory acne. The lesions are usually painful to the touch and appear as large and swollen red bumps on the surface of the skin. Nodules and Cysts contain pus and sebaceous matter that has ruptured deep within the follicle walls. These infections can last weeks and months, and are extremely prone to scarring.

 The three main contributing factors to enlarged pores include oily skin, age and sex. Our bodies produce sebum, which is an oily substance used to waterproof the skin and prevent it from drying out. People who tend to have naturally oily skin tend to have larger pores. This happens due to the oil collecting in the skin, which swells and causes the pores to look larger.

As you get older your skin looses its elasticity, which can cause your pores to appear even larger. Sun damage, which typically occurs more as we age, can also affect the appearance of pores. Sun damage thickens your epidermis, causing skin cells to collect around the edges of your pores and making them look enlarged. Males tend to have larger pores than females. Women may experience changes in skin texture during hormonal changes, particularly during menstruation.

Genetic predisposition may also be a contributing factor to pore size. If one or both of your parents have enlarged pores, you may experience them too

Like enlarged pores genetics and hormones are the primary causes of acne, though diet and certain medications can also cause flares.

Both adult and teenage acne are fundamentally caused by hormones. In the case of teenage acne it’s the ‘arrival’ of hormones, in adult acne it’s due to a change in hormone levels. In both cases this changed hormonal activity stimulates the sebaceous glands to over produce sebum.

Sebum is naturally occurring oil within the body. Acne Vulgaris is caused by a blockage of keratin and sebum in pores due to overactive sebaceous glands.  Any enlargement of the glands or increase in sebum and dead skin cells can affect the onset of acne.

An accumulation of bacteria in the pores, skin irritation or scratching, stress, hereditary factors and other forms of hormonal activity, such as menstrual cycles, also play a crucial role in the development of common acne.

 Skin treatments

Sufferers of either enlarged pores or acne tend to have an oily skin type and therefore an effective at home skincare routine is extremely important. Elixxir’s enzyme cleanse and clarity A are designed specifically for blemished oily skin.

Medi-facials

The formulations used in medical-grade skin treatments are effective at smoothing and cleansing the skin, healing scars and acne and balancing oil production in skin cells to reduce future acne outbreaks.

Skin needling for large pores

Skin needling is a non invasive procedure that involves using a roller that has many fine, very sharp medical quality needles. The rolling action over the skin causes fine holes punctured into the deep layers of the skin. This promotes your skins own healing mechanisms to stimulate new collagen growth, improve skin texture and reduce the appearance of scarring.

Fractional treatment for large pores and Acne scaring

Fractional laser treatment for textural irregularities such as enlarged pores and acne scaring uses fractional laser light to create micro-columns of coagulated tissue that extend deep into the dermis without ablating the epidermis (top layer of the skin).

This triggers a wound-healing process that replaces the disorganized, compacted scar tissue with healthy new tissue, greatly diminishing the appearance of the scar tissue and enlarged pores. Advanced Contact Cooling protects the epidermis, promoting safer, more comfortable treatments.

Our team of highly trained nurses and aestheticians under the direction of Dr Michael Miroshnik combine the latest medical grade products and technology to help you address your aesthetic concerns. We are results driven and strive to ensure every patient leaves our clinic, educated, refreshed and confident