Season 2 Ep. 23 - Pesky Pore Problem

Stop letting companies benefit from your lack of knowledge of pores! In this episode, Sam shares all of the facts & info about pores. Its time to have real conversations and real expectations when treating the skin for large pores.

No, pores cant be erased.

No, pores cant open & close like a door.

But....pores CAN be treated! If you've ever struggled with treating pores, this episode is for you!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Hey y'all, welcome to the Skintrovert. I'm your host, Sam Bazile. So, what if I told you that there are a lot of companies out there that benefit from your lack of knowledge? They benefit from the fact that you don't know a damn thing about pores. So, today we're gonna change that. Today we are gonna talk about a pesky pore problem that a lot of you deal with and don't really know how to treat because there's just so much misinformation and so many false promises. And oh, this can erase your pores, this is gonna get magically get rid of your pores, and it's just not true. But there are things that you can do to help. So let's talk about it today. Let's dive into the pore problem and how you can be a little bit more aware for those marketing schemes that people are trying to take advantage of for your lack of knowledge. So let's get in. So, first, what are pores and why do we have them? Pores are tiny openings in the skin that are related to your hair follicles and your sweat glands. So, when it comes to sweat glands, pores help with thermoregulation when we sweat. So they're gonna help to regulate our skin's body temperature. So kind of important there. Now, how are they important in the hair follicle? Well, pores are attached to your hair follicle. Now, hair follicles produce oil. This oil is produced down at the bottom of the bulb, and it actually lubricates the hair shaft so it can exfoliate up and out. This allows that oil, the pore allows the oil to travel up to the skin surface. So pores serve a purpose, right? We need them. Well, then can we elect not to need them? Can we elect maybe not to have them? Or can we decide when we want them to open and when we want them to close? Sadly, my friends, the answer is no. Pores do not have muscles. So they cannot contract and expand, they can't open and close the same way that a door would open and close, or a window would open and close. So we have to have them. They can't go away, they're going to be there. So then why do some of us have visibly large pores and maybe some of us don't? Well, sad to say, but genetics is going to be the biggest factor there. So if your mom, your dad, your grandparents, your aunt, your uncles, if they have large pores, chances are, my friend, you are also going to have large pores. So it's already embedded in your DNA. Now, another factor is aging. So as we age, we lose collagen, we lose elasticity in the skin. The skin starts to starts to lose its support. And then those pores start to get larger, appear a bit larger. Also, the sun. I know we are always blaming the sun on everything, but it's true, friends. The sun is definitely a factor here. Specifically, UVA. We've talked about this before, but UVA, we've dubbed that the aging ray because it penetrates down to the dermis. And what's in the dermis? Collagen and elastin. So the sun is going to degrade that collagen and elastin and it's going to make the skin look more aged, lose all of that support. So then those pores start to get larger. Another reason that pores are more visible in the skin is congestion. So when you get excessive amounts of oil, trap dirt, debris, you know, all of that causes problems with the pore. It can expand. So excessive amounts of oil, it's gonna stretch the pore. Lots of compacted, dead skin, buildup, trapped, gonna expand the pore. So that's another issue when it comes to seeing visibly large pores on the skin. But people have a hard time digesting, they just don't understand. Like, okay, for example, here's a really sad, sad pore story, right? So I am genetically predisposed to large pores, okay? It's in my DNA. So if I am genetically predisposed to having large pores, then how come 12-year-old Sam didn't have a pore on her face? But now that Sam is like in her 40s, you're starting to see pores. Well, that's because when Sam was young, when she was 12 years old, she had tons of collagen, tons of elasticity. So her skin was super tight, okay? When everything's nice and tight, you don't see the pore. But sadly, now Sam is aging. So she's losing collagen, she's losing elasticity, and there it is. That pore is very much visible. And then life is cruel. On top of that, you start to get this buildup of cell around the pore. So then the pore looks deep and large. That is the sad, sad pore story. But am I stuck with this? Can I erase the pores now or can I shrink the pores? Well, according to some companies that are out there, they promise you the moon, they promise you the stars, and they say, Yes, this can erase your pores, this can magically poof be gone, and then your skin is smooth as an Instagram filter. Guys, it's not true. Okay, listen, what is the truth? The truth is the Lord gave you those pores, and only He, in fact, can take them away. All we can do is just improve the health of the poor just to make it a little bit less visible. That's what we can do. So, what should I do to help with the large pore size? Well, let's reflect back on what makes them larger and then what we actually can control and what we can't. So, first and foremost, genetics. Can't control that, friends, right? We are not the Lord. So we take what we get, okay? So genetics is gonna be there. You're gonna have them, they're gonna be there, but how can I take control of that and maybe slow it down? Here's one way to do it. So let's talk about aging. Remember, as we age, we lose collagen, we lose elasticity, the skin starts to lose its shape, the pores become more visible. So I would suggest using topical products that are gonna boost collagen, boost elasticity. So things like retinoids, retinoids speed up that cellular turnover. Also, anti-aging products like growth factors, peptides. These are things that are designed to boost collagen and elastin. And I would consider products that are clinically backed that you know actually work. Okay. I would also consider sebum control ingredients. Okay, so things that are going to topically remove surface oil. And then if you are a patient that has excessive amounts of oil, it's just what you are. Then I would also maybe consider some oil oral treatment if needed, things like um oral isotretinone or accutane, spirinolactone, things that are going to internally slow down that oil production. Now, there's also some in-office treatments that you can do that help to boost collagen and elasticity. So microneedling, that's my favorite to do minimal downtime. It helps to boost collagen. You could do radio frequency, radio frequency microneedling, other lasers that are designed to build collagen in the tissue, thicken the dermis. And then maybe some certain chemical peels are targeted for that. So that's for aging, right? Now, what about the sun? Duh. Wear your damn SPF, protect your skin. Protect your skin from those UV rays that degrade the collagen and the elastin in the skin. Also, use antioxidants. Okay, make sure you have an antioxidant in your routine to help protect you from environmental assaults, free radical damage. Now, what's another thing with large pores? Remember, congestion. So if you are someone that experiences blackheads, sebaceous filaments, white heads, acne, buildup, congestion, impactions, then you need to use chemical and physical exfoliance. Bringing exfoliance into your routine is going to help reduce that congestion so the pores are not as visible. So for me, I you guys know I've just said it. I've got large pores. That's really my main concern. It's the bane of my existence. It makes my texture look bad. It just makes me unhappy with my skin because I do all the things that help me look better, right? I have a great plan. I do Botox to help relax the muscle. I do all these things to help treat my skin and target my concerns, but pores are always my most difficult thing to treat. So a really great pore treatment plan would include number one, home care. And in my home care, I'm always gonna have a cleanser, a physical exfoliant, some type of oil controlling toner, an antioxidant, anti-aging correctives, and a sunscreen. And then my in office would be microneedling. I love microneedling. I like to do it every six weeks to keep things kind of nice and right and tight. So that's a really great treatment plan. If you are a provider and you're looking for a targeted pore treatment plan, that's a solid one. If you're a patient that's tuning into this and you suffer with pores and that's one of your main concerns, then find a plan that includes those things. So again, home care of cleanser, physical exfoliant, oil controlling toner, antioxidant, anti-aging correctives, and an SPF. And then your in-office treatments are going to be microneedling every six to eight weeks. It's a great one. And believe me, I understand the frustration of well, I did all of this. I did the treatment plan, the home care, the in-office stuff. I've done all of this and I still see my pores. You have to have very realistic expectation when it comes to treating your pores. And I know how hard that can be. Okay. I'm a victim of it too here. I fall victim to the Instagram filter. It's hard. It's hard to have a tool that can completely remove every pore, every imperfection of your skin to present yourself in the best light. I understand that pressure. But with that pressure comes high expectations because then I have to turn around and actually look at myself in a mirror and say, well, there's my skin again. There's the pores, there's that texture. So I completely understand, but your concerns of doing all this and maybe not feeling like it's it's working. But understand when it comes to pores, you're never going to be able to take them away. We can only make the skin as healthy as we possibly can. And that treatment plan is going to be focused on exactly that. So give yourself grace and understand that those people you see on Instagram, they have pores too. Your favorite dermatologist, she has pores or he has pores. Your favorite injector, he or she has pores, they have texture. It's just part of having actual real skin and having real expectations. But Sam, what about those products that promise to erase the pores? Are they all bad now? Should I not use any of them? No. I would recommend if you're using targeted pore products, just take a peek at the active ingredients. Are those active ingredients designed to boost collagen? Are they designed to speed up cellular renewal? Do they protect the skin? Do they address oil production or mattifying the skin? Do they contain exfoliants? If you answered yes to any of those, then great. You're golden. Just keep your expectations realistic. Just understand that nothing out there is going to erase your pores. Nothing out there is going to shut the pores closed. It's not real. What is realistic is getting your skin healthy. And that's something that all of you out there, provider or patient, can absolutely do. All right. So now you guys know everything there is to know about pores, so nobody can bamboozle you. Now you know all the real deals, okay? Now, before we go, let's play yes, no, maybe so. I got this little game with some pour myths that I think are gonna help you next time you choose an at-home product or in an office procedure. So, first things first, yes, no, maybe so. Do pores open and close? We learned this, and the answer is no. They don't have muscles, so they cannot open and close. Next, cold water or ice closes the pore. No, but ice, cold, it can decrease inflammation, which absolutely makes the skin appear to be in much healthier, better shape, and can make pores appear to be smaller. I love doing ice. Ice is like my free magic trick for anybody that has problematic skin, especially those of us that suffer with oil, acne, inflammation, redness. So the ice is going to bring down the inflammation. It also helps reduce the urge to pick. It's a really great tool that costs you nothing. Just make sure that the ice you use is filtered water and that you do it um glide it, glide it. I couldn't think of the word, glide it. I know a lot of people want to like if you get a breakout, you hold it on there, don't do that. Okay. You want to glide the ice across the skin to help reduce the inflammation. And when it comes to pores, yes, decreasing the inflammation can help it appear smaller and tighter, but no, it doesn't actually close the pore. All right, next one. Yes, no, maybe so. Oily skin has larger visible pores. Maybe so. Remember, when you have excessive amounts of oil, it can impact, it can cause impactions, it can also stretch the pore, it can also make things appear to be larger. I've always said lots of oil, you're gonna have lots of pores, or vice versa, because they just kind of go hand in hand. It's just what it is. All right, yes, no, maybe so. You can permanently shrink your pores. No, your skin is still gonna skin, guys. If you are genetically predisposed to large pores, even if you have a rock solid treatment plan that can improve it, it will still come back. Aging is still happening, the sun is still happening, your genetics are still happening. So nothing is permanent here. We're just doing things to make it healthier. Remember, that's the key word here. Healthier. All right, yes, no, maybe so. Sabaceous filaments are pores. No. So sebaceous filaments are in the pore. They are not the pore. Sabaceous filaments are normal, they're healthy. They are just little tubes that guide the oil to the surface. And some people see the sebaceous filament, it might be yellow, tan, or gray, and they want to hurry up and exfoliate them or extract them, but it's kind of a waste of time because they immediately just fill. Okay, so just remember sebaceous filaments are normal, they're healthy. All right, yes, no, maybe so. Blackheads and sebaceous filaments are the same thing. Incorrect. Blackheads are actually considered acne, whereas sebaceous filaments are not. Blackheads are a result of congested, impacted pores when sebaceous filaments are just natural oil channels in the skin. So they're not the same thing. All right, here's another one that I hear a lot steam or heat can open the pores. No, not true. Again, pores don't open and close like a door or a window. So steam is not gonna magically open the pore. But what steam does, which is why a lot of estheticians use it in treatment, that heat can soften what's inside of the pore, making an exfoliating treatment or exfoliating facial a lot more effective. All right, last one. Skin care can make the pores look better. And we know that is maybe so. So depending on what product you choose, whether it's targeted specifically for those things we mentioned, yes, it can help. But if it's a skincare product that doesn't mention some of those things that we talked about, it probably won't be effective for treating large pores. All right, guys, I hope this was helpful to you. And I'll drop a little nugget. What is my most favorite at-home product to treat pores? It's a product called Instant Porifiner by Zio Skin Health. And why do I love it so much? I like it because it targets the main concerns of pores. So Instant Purifiner has an ingredient in it called salastiloil phytosphenocine. It helps to smooth the skin, knock down that cell wall so everything's nice and smooth. It also has rosaquinina in it that tightens that pore back up. It also has a mattifying effect, so it's kind of targeting everything in that product. And they did a clinical on that product and it clinically proved to boost collagen in the skin. So that product is something that is very, very inexpensive and targets all of the concerns of pores. So if you're somebody that's struggling with pores and you want a really inexpensive product to help, that's a really great one to add into your toolbox. All right, guys, that's it. That's everything you need to know about a pesky pore problem. Anything else you guys need from me, any more questions, you know where to find me. Until next time. Bye y'all. Think of the skin trovert as your aesthetics roundtable, not a training manual. This podcast is for professional education and discussion. It's not medical advice. 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