Expert-approved ways to shrink your pores

Let pores be a thing of the past

Rachel Sharp

2 min read

July 16, 2024 - 4:08PM

By increasing skin cell turnover and promoting collagen production, you can reduce the appearance of pore size. Image: Pexels

Lifestyle

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No, you’re not imagining it. Your pores are becoming more noticeable with age. So we quizzed beauty pros for a solution.

Not so fun fact: the pores on your face expand as you get older, especially if your skin’s experienced sun damage along the way – which is pretty much all of us.

However, it’s not that your pores are growing, says leading plastic surgeon, Dr Lara Devgan. The collagen around them is shrinking, causing them to dilate.

What Devgan also emphasises? Pores are totally normal and your skin actually needs them. However, if their visibility is getting you down, there are ways to reduce their appearance.

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“You can never completely get rid of your pores because they are dermal channels in the skin and you need them to function,” she tells Body+Soul. “The way that we think about [shrinking] pores is to support the [surrounding] collagen.”

So despite the fact oil production does exacerbate things –meaning cleansing is important – without a collagen boost, no amount of scrubbing is going to bring the resolution you seek.

“Loss of skin elasticity with age is a common cause of large pores,” agrees Sydney-based aesthetic doctor, Maryam Ronagh, who often uses in-clinic treatments like ablative and non-ablative lasers to reduce pore size by tightening the skin.

Not so fun fact: the pores on your face expand as you get older. Image: Pexels.

Both doctors also suggest using a topical retinoid, which helps reduce sebum (aka oil) production. “The main recommendation I would have is to use a good retinol serum,” adds Devgan. “By increasing skin cell turnover and promoting collagen production, you can reduce the appearance of pore size.

Ronagh also suggests retinol peels to her patients. “When sebaceous glands get blocked, they cannot drain the oil properly which leads to open pressure over time. That’s why chemical peels like a retinol peel are another favourite treatment.”

That’s why chemical peels like a retinol peel are another favourite treatment. Image: Supplied

The other remedy both experts suggest in the pore-shrinking trifecta is microneedling. Commonly available as an in-salon or in-clinic treatment, the procedure helps stimulate collagen and improve tone, especially when paired with an active serum.

Keen to reduce pore visibility at home? Try one of these collagen-packed products for a more refined-looking face, fast.