Introduction
Pores are opening of the ducts that connect to the sweat and sebaceous (sebum production) glands. Under certain conditions, these can become enlarged and even more visible. These funnel-shaped pores are physiologically present in all individuals, but in a growing number of patients the pores may be perceived as enlarged. Recently, affected patients have complained of these pores as a cosmetic problem, the so called ‘orange peel skin’ effect, and seek treatment.
Enlarged pores can be seen at all age groups. In young people, they are caused by oily skin. Acne is also associated with large pores. Large pores themselves will be more proned to blockage and further aggravates the acne. On the other hand, matured skin will have enlarged pores due to loss of collagen and skin elasticity.
Factors that may lead to enlarged pores include:
. increased sebum production
. hair follicle size (gender, genetic predisposition)
. use of comedogenic (pores-blocking) products
. loss of skin elasticity with age
. uv exposure and sun damage
In order to prevent enlarged pores, a proper skin cleansing habit should be observed daily. Also, try to avoid skin creams that are too rich. Young people with oily skin should only use water-based skin care, either in gel or lotion form.
Topical retinoids and chemical peels are also effective in preventing and shrinking large pores. But they are not as fast and effective if compare with other modalities of treatment. Oral treaments that are used to control acne and sebum production will also reduce enlarged pores.
Treatment which focused on reducing the amount of sebum produced while increasing dermal collagen production might have an effect in reducing pore size. Therefore, physical treatments targeting the sebaceous glands will help. These are by far giving the most promising results. For example, laser treatment and microneedling. Both Q switched Nd Yag laser and Fractional CO2 laser work on reducing pore size.
The exact mechanism of the effect of the Q switched Nd YAG laser on pore size reduction is still unclear. However, researchers have hypothesized that dermal collagen deposition and remodeling in the perifollicular (surrounding the hair follicles) area may result in reducing the size of the pores. They also suggested that a direct photothermal (heat) effect of the laser energy resulting in some shrinkage of the sebaceous (sebum production) gland may be responsible for the long-term maintenance of both the reduced pore size and sebum level. An extra advantage of this laser is no downtime. Patients can go back to work immediately post-laser.
Fractional CO2 laser and microneedling work by stimulating collagen production and resurfacing the skin and leaves the skin feeling smooth and looking radiant. The main difference between these two treatments are their downtime. Fractional CO2 gives a downtime (severe sunburn look) of 5 – 7 days while microneedling produces a less noticeable downtime and faster healing period of about 3 – 5 days. As fractional CO2 laser resurfaces the skin and produces heat during the treatment; this heat will further induce more collagen synthesis and shrink the sebaceous glands further, therefore, fractional CO2 laser will result in a better out come compare with Q switched Nd YAG laser and microneedling.
The Best Experience Ever
Pore size treatments that are availbale at our centre are Q swiched Nd YAG laser, Fractional CO2 laser, MesoGlow BB Microneedling and Algae Peel.
Written by Dr Tan WW
