Don't squeeze your pores!

I brought this because there is a good news article about pore care.

One of the common skin concerns during the summer is enlarged pores. Both patients visiting the clinic due to loss of elasticity and those seeking treatment for acne are concerned about enlarged pores. This is because the hot, humid, and prolonged summer weather increases sebum production, causing pores to enlarge, and these enlarged pores are easily visible at a glance.

According to a report published last year regarding "perspectives on good skin," the report classified skin into four categories: skin elasticity, skin surface uniformity, skin tone uniformity, and skin radiance. It also included reports on methods to objectively measure specific symptoms contributing to these categories and treatments to improve them. Among the skin factors that negatively affect skin surface uniformity, enlarged pores were identified as a major cause, allowing for an examination of the level of interest regarding enlarged pores.

Pores are openings from which hair emerges and simultaneously secrete sebum, and they come in various forms. The causes of enlarged pores can be broadly classified into two categories. The first one is When there is a lot of sebum ...is. Since androgen hormones are a significant cause of the proliferation of sebaceous gland cells and sebum secretion, men have higher sebum secretion than women, and in the case of women, the amount of sebum relatively increases due to hormonal changes during ovulation in the menstrual cycle. The second cause is Decrease in skin elasticity As we age, MFAG (Microfibril-associated glycoprotein)-1, which plays an important role in the binding of skin elastic fibers, decreases, causing the supporting tissue around the pores to become looser and acting as a cause that makes the pores appear larger.

It is not easy to leave blackheads on the sides of the nose alone. When seeing those slippery pores that look like embedded strawberry seeds, most people are inclined to squeeze them out with their fingernails. However, if this becomes a habit, it damages the normal skin tissue surrounding the pores, causing them to become scarred, enlarge, and reduce the response to pore treatments; therefore, you must break this habit of squeezing. It is also advisable to avoid excessive irritation caused by scrubbing with exfoliating products. This is because the area around the nose has a rich blood vessel distribution, and excessive irritation can cause blood vessels to dilate, leading to redness easily.

Among the keratolytic ingredients used in pore care, salicylic acid is lipophilic, so it is selectively absorbed into the sebaceous glands and helps improve enlarged pores. However, since these ingredients can irritate the skin if used at high concentrations or too frequently, it is advisable to follow the instructions according to your skin condition. Among the oil ingredients used in cosmetics, squalene requires caution as it can cause comedones. Also, because even oil-free products may contain ingredients such as complex lipids, applying a cushion foundation or a greasy BB cream over oil-free products can cause pores to enlarge. Using an excessive amount of pore-covering primer requires caution, as silicone clumps can clog the pores. Applying light makeup is helpful for enlarged pores.

Squeezing sebum from pores with fingernails is strictly forbidden. This is because the sharp pressure from fingernails can cause small cuts on the skin, which can turn pores into scars. If you feel the need to squeeze out sebum, gently push it out with a cotton swab and apply a pore care product to avoid further irritation; this helps maintain healthy skin.

source

https://m.health.chosun.com/column/column_view.jsp?idx=10193