Your skin is the body’s largest organ and is often one of the first things others notice about you. While taking good care of your skin can seem like a chore at times, it is important to consider pore cleaning. In addition to washing your face and removing your makeup daily, a professional pore cleaning can provide benefits in how your skin looks and feels, and by extension affects how confident you may be about your appearance.

What Skin Pores Do

Everyone has pores, or small openings of the skin, but some men and women become frustrated with the challenge of keeping them clean from debris and irritants. Maintaining clean skin and unclogged pores is about more than beauty, as properly caring for pores can play a significant role in keeping the skin healthy.

Pores keep our bodies naturally moisturized through a release of oil in the skin. This generally enhances the skin’s appearance, making it look and feel healthier. Without this oil, the skin can become dry and show advanced signs of aging.

Pore Myth Busting

A simple glance at pore care products at your local beauty store should tell you that as a society we are becoming increasingly aware of our pores and would like our skin to look healthier. However, in the movement to do so, some myths have surfaced about pores that need clarification:

Myth #1: With the right products you can close your pores.

In reality, pores do not open and close like windows. They can however shrink or enlarge in size. If you see a product that promises to close your pores for better skin health, consider it a red flag and walk away.

Myth #2: Over the counter products can shrink pores.

Products like nose strips and face masks are designed to remove debris from the pores, but do not affect the size of pores.

Myth #3: If you have clogged pores, you don’t take good care of your skin.

While daily face washing and makeup removal can help contribute to healthier skin, most clogged pores come from environmental debris.

Bottom line, even those who take excellent care of their skin on a daily basis can still be at risk for clogged pores that trap debris and yield troublesome acne.

How Pore Cleaning Works

For individuals with enlarged pores or mild acne, a professional pore cleaning may be in order. When a person’s pores become enlarged from dirt and oil and then trap some of that debris, it can result in blackheads, whiteheads, and acne in general.

Since your skin is one of the first things people notice about you, it is critical to have well placed trust in your beauty provider. While a general pore cleaning is usually considered to be non-invasive, it is still important to seek treatment from a credentialed and experienced provider such as a licensed aesthetician. By being selective in who you choose as a provider, it can put you at ease and make the entire experience a more pleasant one.

When undergoing a professional pore cleaning, many aestheticians choose to administer one of the following treatments to a patient based on their unique needs and desired outcome:

Acne Facial:

With the use of salicylic acid, an acne facial can assist with killing pore bacteria responsible for causing acne. In that respect, it can also lessen the appearance of some facial acne.

Aqua Facial:

Particularly for those who have sensitive skin, the aqua facial can be the best option. During this treatment, the pores are flushed with water and essentially vacuumed out.

Chemical Exfoliation:

This treatment is frequently done via a chemical peel. The goal of a chemical exfoliation is to both soften the skin and improve its texture.

When it comes to a professional pore cleaning, most patients find that it results in little to no pain but could yield some redness or swelling, depending on the specific type of treatment they receive. Chemical peels and dermaplaning procedures may require several days or more of down time as the skin can become red and peel before rejuvenating.

Those patients who suffer from whiteheads and blackheads and choose to undergo an acne extraction procedure may experience some mild discomfort.

Regardless of which of the above skin treatments a patient receives, their skincare routine at home must continue after the procedure. One of the most critical parts of that routine should be the regular application of SPF to protect tender new skin from sun damage.

When to Schedule A Professional Pore Cleaning

Some individuals choose to do a professional pore cleaning once a month as a way of ongoing caring for their skin. Others may prefer to do a pore cleaning prior to a special occasion such as a social event or wedding. In either scenario, individuals should be clear on what to expect as part of the healing and recovery process before getting a treatment.

  • Many pore cleaning treatments require little no downtime and allow a person to resume normal activities the same or next day.
  • Those who undergo blackhead or whitehead extractions, could experience redness or irritation at the site for a couple of days or so.
  • Patients who opt for a chemical peel or dermaplaning procedure should plan to schedule a treatment at least a few days to a full week before a special occasion

Whether you are doing spring cleaning for your skin or simply want to look your best, reach out to a reputable med spa for more information and to schedule a professional pore cleaning treatment that is best for you.