Everyone keeps saying ‘My pores are clogged!’, ‘You have acne because of your pores’, ‘Wow, nice pores!’. Okay, not so much the last one, but still – pores are mentioned in the beauty industry frequently. But what are pores, exactly and why do we have them?

What are pores and why do we have them?

I actually mentioned a type of pore way back when I was talking about sweat, and how it exits our body through sweat pores. Pores are tiny little holes in our skin where oil, in addition to sweat, reach the surface from whatever glands released them. This release of oil and sweat allows for the homeostatic response of cooling down your skin when you’re feeling really warm, or when exercising in addition to rehydrating your skin. Other pores can provide an opening for a follicle for hair growth.

But wait, oil? Why is oil being released through our pores? Remember that specific gland that is missing from your lips, the sebaceous gland? This gland is responsible for releasing the oil, called sebum, which allows for the rehydration or moisturization of your skin. Sadly, it can sometimes result in oily skin.

Pore Size

Pore size is generally determined by a person’s genetic makeup – that is, the size of your pores are biologically inherent so thank your parents and  their parents and your ancestors for whatever beauties you have there on your skin.

There are other factors though, so before you point the finger, take a look at what skin type you have. If you have oily skin, your pores will tend to be larger (because more sebum is being released, causing your oily skin!), while people with dry skin have smaller pores. Okay, so skin type can ALSO be hereditary but taking care of your skin is also a factor! Make sure you keep your skin clean, because dirt and other things can cause some pesky problems.

Unfortunately, there isn’t really a way to make your pores physically smaller, but you can make them LOOK smaller (but we’ll talk about that next week).


3 thoughts on “Pores

  1. Pingback: Smaller Pores | Know Your Body and Health

  2. Pingback: Acne | Know Your Body and Health

  3. Pingback: Acne – Types | Know Your Body and Health

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