What You Can Do About Enlarged Pores

Once an unsightly blackhead has been removed and a pore is empty, it can take a while for the pore left behind to close up. You can, of course, accelerate the healing of enlarged pores with Renova, Retin-A, or Differin. You can have AHA peels, BHA peels, microdermabrasion, and laser resurfacing of the skin. But what can you do on a budget? Here are some simple suggestions.

Avoid putting moisturizer on open pores. Don't use moisturizer on open pores even if you have dry skin. If you wear makeup, anything that makes skin more "slippery" will cause makeup to fill in pores, causing unsightly accumulations of pigment and possibly starting a new cycle of acne.

If you must use moisturizer, use it in the evening. And if you use both foundation and sunscreen, you will need to get your foundation in your sunscreen. That's because the extra layer on the pore will almost surely cause makeup to "slip" and accumulate.

If you use foundation, use matte or ultra-matte. Matte and ultra-matte foundations keep oil from reaching makeup that would then "slide" into pores.

Think about dabbing just a tiny amount of milk of magnesia onto the pore (under your foundation). A guy's way of explaining this is, milk of magnesia is like spackle. It makes an even surface. Matte creates a more even surface than ultra-matte.

And if you have a really slow-to-heal open pore, blot your face several times during the day, and dust. Powder, particularly pressed powder, can hide a pour. Just be sure to do this with a brush, never a pad or sponge. Pads and sponge can cause powder to cake and look thick on the face.

Answers to Reader Questions

Since I wrote this post in 2009, I have received several inquiries about individual products for enlarged pores. I've communicated back and forth about what works. There seems to be a consensus that face primers like Smashbox’s Photo Finish Foundation Prime, which wasn't as widely available in 2009, is a good way to cover up enlarged pores. A product called Anthony for Men also gets good reviews. I don't sell either one. I'm just passing on what my readers have passed on to me.

I've heard from one reader who got a prescription for Accutane for enlarged pores and wasn't happy with the results. He says that he got itchy, flaky skin replacing enlarged pores. I've also corresponded with a reader who swears by treatments with the Isolaz machine, which sucks debris out of enlarged pores and shines light into the pore to "dry up" the sebaceous gland. But at $200 to $400 a treatment, that's really not a budget treatment!

Thanks for your comments over the past two years. I'll continue to listen.