Two decades ago, the “Mean Girls” movie told us all that pore size was yet another beauty standard we weren’t living up to.
“My pores are huge,” Regina George (Rachel McAdams) complains, while looking in the mirror.
“Apparently, there’s a lot that can be wrong with your body,” Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) muses.
Pores are small openings in the skin that exist to release oil and sweat, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It’s common for the ones on your face to get clogged due to to a buildup of dead skin cells, oil or dirt, which can lead to acne.
We’re breaking down what exactly causes pores to appear larger, and what skin experts say you can do about it.
What causes open pores?
Having visibly larger pores isn’t through any fault of your own, dermatologists stress.
It mostly has to do with genetics, board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D., tells USA TODAY. And “larger pores usually correlate with more oily skin types,” she notes. As you age, the pores can also start to appear larger as the body begins to produce less collagen, the protein that gives your skin structure and support.
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How to minimize pores
The bad news, Dr. King says, is that the size “can’t truly be changed.” But there are things you can do to help a bit.
“Keeping the pores clear by cleansing and exfoliating regularly” is one key practice to minimize the size as much as possible,” King says — particularly for those oily skin types. The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) recommends gently washing your face twice a day with warm water in order to keep the skin clean without irritating it.
When shopping for skincare products and makeup, the AAD recommends looking for products with one of the following descriptions: “non-comedogenic,” “oil-free” or “won’t clog pores.” They all mean the same thing — they won’t clog your pores, which can cause them to expand and look more noticeable.
As you age, King says protecting the skin from the sun and using topical retinoids, both of which “help maintain healthy collagen in the skin, can be helpful for minimizing the appearance of pores.”