How To Treat Enlarged Pores & Blackheads On Your Skin.

Blackheads and enlarged pores are among the hardest to treat skin problems . It's a very tricky business trying to totally eradicate these. Maybe you feel like you have tried every available option to no avail. The truth is that the majority of sufferers are applying treatments that can, in fact worsen the condition.

Without proper treatment, dark spots and acne scars can sometimes appear on the skin if the enlarged pores are not dealt with effectively.

To get the best possible results, you need to be very aware of what works and what doesn't. Using the correct products and treatments daily, can certainly lead to vast improvements in your skin.

So....

How Come My Pores Are Enlarged Then?

The oil glands that produce the oil or sebum are regulated by your hormones. This sebum travels through the lining of the pores and then out on to your face. When the oil is produced normally, it flows easily through the pore lining and then out of the pore. It then, naturally spreads over the surface of your skin. The problems start when your oil glands produce too much oil. This extra oil combines with dead skin cells and debris on the skin inside the pore which then forms into a clog. Unsurprisingly, this clog prevents the oil from flowing freely. This effectively causes the pore to enlarge.

The pore enlarges to create extra space for the oil to flow out. However, in most cases, it does not prevent the oil from becoming trapped by dead skin cells. Once this happens, the combined oil and skin cells towards the end of the clogged pore is exposed to the air. This then oxidizes, thus forming a blackhead.

What can I do to correct this?

The following steps describe the most effective treatments for enlarged pores and blackheads. If you stick with the methods in the tips below, you should eventually see some spectacular results. The enlarged pores should be greatly reduced and you should also see a significant reduction in blackheads.

1) First of all you must stop using products that clog pores or make the oil glands produce excess oil. You must also avoid using skincare products that are thick, creamy or greasy. Use serum type products instead.

2) Do not use products with drying or irritating ingredients. These type of products will only stimulate more oil production directly in the pores which will just make your skin oilier!

3) Stop using bars of soap and replace with gentle, water-soluble or foaming cleansers only. Soaps are drying which can hurt the skin's healing process. This can result in the red marks from blemishes lasting longer. Also, the ingredients that make a bar of soap solid will most likely clog your pores.

5) Use a PURE salicylic acid (BHA) exfoliant, in liquid form. If you gently exfoliate your skin with Salicylic acid, it will remove excess skin cells from the surface of the face. This will prevent them from building up in the pore. The inside of the pore will also be exfoliated, will result in the oil flowing more evenly. Beta Hydroxy Acids such as Salicylic are more effective to AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids, like glycolic acid) because a BHA will exfoliate inside the pore where the clogs form as well as the surface of the skin.

6) Use a dedicate 'pore tightening' treatment - tightening up your pores could make them less likely to get clogged up

7) You want products that absorb excess oil. Clay masks are very effective at this, so long as they don't contain ingredients that cause irritation.

8) Use treatments that are formulated with loads of antioxidants. These will help heal and protect your skin. Antioxidant based products provide the skin with the tools it needs to look healthy, even toned and clear from blemishes and acne scars.

Remember, if you are prone to blackheads and enlarged pores you should only apply products in liquid, gel or serum form!  

Cleanse your skin - apply a BHA exfoliator - use a pore tightening cream - apply a clay mask