Day in and day out, we all see and hear a continuous cycle of commercials that talk about shrinking or covering up pores. Yet, what do we really know about pores? Face it; we don’t know much about pores.
Follicle or Pore?
Follicles and pores are often used interchangeably. Our skin is porous—filled with millions of tiny little holes known as pores. A hair follicle is a sheath of cells and tissue that surround the root of a hair. Imagine a chimney, the pore would be the opening at the top and the follicle would be emitting the smoke. In other words, follicles and pores are like fingers and nails—you can’t have one without the other. For every single hair follicle you have, a pore is there to match. Feeling low about those large pores? Consider this, the average human has 5 million hairs on his/her body, so in actuality you have roughly 4.9 million pores that look beautiful and tiny! That’s something, right?
What Causes my Acne?
Underneath our complex layer of skin lies the sebaceous gland. This gland releases an oily substance called sebum, which lubricates and protects skin. However, while this oil is necessary for us to keep soft skin and shiny hair, it is also a leading cause of acne. But, before you go blaming sebum for all your skin woes, you should know that there is a mixture of dead skin cells that cause acne, too. Roughly every minute, we shed 30,000 skin cells and a lot of them are shed inside the pore. And to top it off, bacteria feed off of the dead cells inside our pores. Eww.
Read about fighting acne in our blog post “Acne—Fighting the Good Fight!”
Shrinking Pores
Since our pores are here to stay, there are a few ways to help them appear smaller. To start, wash your makeup off EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT! Make no excuses! Leaving makeup on will only clog pores and stretch them out. Next, stop competing with every tan person you see. You are not the “girl from Ipanema.” The sun is wonderful, but it also causes severe and irreversible damage to the skin. This damage will make your pores look larger than they really are. Lastly, oily skin tends to make pores look larger. Wash your face at least twice a day to cut back on that shine.
Large Pores—Friend or Foe?
So, we just learned that large pores can be a result of dirt and damage, but some people are just born with large pores. While this is depressing, it also has its benefits! As we age, our skin produces less oil, which leads to dryness and that causes wrinkles. However, if you have large pores and produce more oil, you got a jump start on aging and may love it later in life! Hello, less wrinkles and youthful skin! Join me as we give a shout out to our FRIEND, Large Pores! Woot, woot!
Ask us How to Clear Clogged Pores!
The answer is simple—a facial! Bellezza Spa offers a Signature Facial. Not only will you get pampered from head to toe, but also you will rejuvenate your pores! An experienced aesthetician will remove the dirt, bacteria and oil from your pores, resulting in smoother and clearer skin that is free of whiteheads and blackheads. You will leave our spa refreshed and relaxed! Just do us a favor, don’t go back to the office after your facial. Your skin deserves to see the world!
Call or contact Bellezza Spa online and refresh those pores! Don’t forget, we opened a new location in Clifton, VA! Be sure to visit us at our new home!
