Open facial pores and solutions

Physiology of skin pores
The skin has a very intricate microanatomical structure. Structurally the skin is basically divided into two layers, the epidermis (outer skin) and the dermis (skin below the surface). The epidermis is the epithelial tissue layer of the skin and contains hair follicles, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands, which originate in the dermis and protrude to the surface of the skin. And these form the skin pores. There are literally millions of pores and associated glands covering the surface of our skin. They represent a route of entry into skin for certain chemicals compounds; and also a route for certain bio-chemicals to excrete from the skin.
Sebaceous Glands
Sebaceous glands are part of the pilosebaceous apparatus, which consists of the sebaceous gland, the hair follicle and the hair shaft. Unlike all other glands, sebaceous glands are holocrine glands, which mean they secrete whole cells. The secreted cells are dead by the time they reach the surface of the skin but whilst alive and on their way to the surface, they absorb lipids (triglycerides and free fatty acids, wax esters, squalene, and cholesterol) which are then secreted to the skin's surface via the lumen (opening/pore) of the hair shaft. The secretion of sebaceous glands is referred to as sebum. This provides a way for the sebaceous glands underneath to lubricate and protect the surface of the skin.
Sebum secretion is under hormonal control and sebaceous gland development occurs during puberty. Pores enlarge during puberty, when oil glands in your skin begin to increase the amount of oil that they pump through your pores. The pores get bigger to handle the increased output. Most likely enlarged pores noticed around nose area as that area has more oil glands per square inch than any other part of your body. Excessive build up of sebum can lead to acne which is of primary concern to many teenagers and can reoccur during mid-life as 'adult acne'.
Functions of Sebum secreted:
As mentioned earlier, sebum is composed of triglycerides and free fatty acids, wax esters, squalene, and cholesterol. The secretion of sebum performs several functions. Firstly, the water-holding power of cornified epithelium depends on the presence of these lipids to prevent skin from dehydration. And secondly, sebum protects the skin against fungal and bacterial infections. This is sometimes referred to as the 'Acid Mantel' of the skin. The 'Acid Mantel' for example is a key immune defense of the body protecting the inside from the external environment and thus reducing the chance of infection.

Causes of enlarged pores:
Genetics determine pore size, as do skin type and age. Barely visible on those prone to drier skin, individuals with oily, thicker (glabrous) skin tend to have larger looking, more noticeable pores. This is often hereditary.
For people with oily skin, there is higher possibility for them to have enlarged pores. The excessive oiliness of the skin is in turn triggered by the hormonal changes in the body. It happens when the male hormones (testosterone) in the body become overly dominant during puberty. The activity of oil glands which is controlled and regulated by the male hormones increases fervently. And this causes over activity of the sebaceous glands and excessive oil secretion by the glands. As the traffic of the oil effusion increases, the mouth of the pore enlarges. Besides, the excessive secretion of sebum thicken the pores. All these results the facial pores become bigger and more obvious.
Blackheads medically termed "open comedones" - are an all too common outcome. Dead skin cells, oils and bacteria choke the follicular opening, thus stretched to accommodate the hardened sebum and hence expanding the diameter of the pore and lose their natural resilience. Contact with air allows oxygenation to take place, turning the plugs black, further heightening visibility of pores.
Acne problems usually come along with oily skin. And this also contributes to enlarged pores. Deliberate Picking and Touching of Acne - The worst scarring and pits are a direct result of this. Artificial openings made in the skin to release the effusion from the whiteheads, pustules by squeezing, turn into pits and uneven indentations. Repeated squeezing of blackheads and pimples may also lead to permanently widened pores, some of which may actually be tiny, pitted scars.
Other than that, improper skin care regime and products can lead to enlarged pores. Proper cleansing is foremost in every kind of skin-care routine. Unless the dead skin surface, make-up and grease are removed, they tend to deposit in the skin pores and restrain the flow of oil. The oil deposits attract grime and grease and apply pressure on the mouth of the pores to widen it. Besides, beauty soaps enriched in oil, make-up products that are oil based, and creams worsen the oily skin condition and therefore their use is prohibited. Acne and enlarged facial skin pore conditions are aggravated with the use of such cosmetics.And age factors into the equation because this is a natural biological processes to lose the supporting framework composed of collagen and elastin protein fibers. Collagen and elastin protein fibers are two main components of the dermis, acts as structural support system for the nerve fibers, hair follicles, blood vessels, and oil and sweat glands located in this layer, and also provide the skin with strength and elasticity. A decreasing of procollagen content during aging may be related to the increase dryness and elasticity, as do enlarged pores as skin is losing its support to shrink the pores. They begin to stretch and sag around the edges, which can make the pores look bigger.
Sun damage is another cause. As we age, one of the ways sun damage affects the skin is through the enlargement of the pores. Sun damage and aging cause the epidermis to thicken and a rim of cells are more likely to collect around individual pores. While microscopic, these rings exaggerate pore diameter.
Other than aging, other reasons to cause the depletion of collagen and elastin including frequent skin inflammation, and improper diet and lifestyle such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
Treatments of enlarged pores:
Targeting the key factors that cause exaggerated pore diameter and providing the key solutions can quickly minimize visibility of pores. An inordinate amount of time seems to be devoted to facials and physical extractions to cleanse cellular matter caught beneath the surface to prevent the formation of enlarged pores and also further enlargement of facial pores. The treatment has to be followed with ingredients that targeted to stimulate the biosynthesis and secretion of the collagen and elastin. In this way, skin has its supporting matrix and enables the shrinking of the pores. Sometimes a strategic combination produces the best results.
Below are ingredients that can help to refine the pores by controlling oiliness and oil-related skin problems:
Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide)
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) has many qualities that make it useful for acne medications. It has properties that make it effective for: anti-inflammatory, oil control, skin lightening, skin brightening, to increase ceramide levels, to prevent water loss in skin. Fewer studies exist to examine niacinamide's anti-acne properties. An older study compared a gel containing 4% niacinamide with the prescription acne medicine Clindamycin and found it works just as well as the prescription, but without the risk of antibiotic resistance. Topical application of niacinamide also has been shown to increase ceramide and free fatty acid levels in skin, prevent skin from losing water content, as well as stimulate micro-circulation in the dermis and help in barrier repair.


Oleanolic Acid
Oleanolic acid is a naturally occurring triterpenoid, related to betulinic acid. Oleanolic acid is applied to open pores product as it is powerful inhibitor of cellular inflammatory processes. It can be found in American pokeweedand and garlic, etc. They work by the induction by IFN- of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and of cyclooxygenase 2 in mouse macrophages. They are extremely potent inducers of the phase 2 response (e.g., elevation of NADH-quinone oxidoreductase and heme oxygenase 1), which is a major protector of cells against oxidative and electrophile stress. It is relatively antitumor, and hepatoprotective, as well as exhibiting antiviral properties.

Topical Vitamin A Treatments
Topical Vitamin A (retinoid acid) treatments work by normalizing the keratinization process. It also works as potent pore minimizers. They help prevent the cells lining the gland from sticking together, promoting more effective exfoliation. Used on blackheads, they work to loosen the plug as well as chemically "peel" the rim of the pore ideally all without seeing flaking skin or irritation.
Retinol is an OTC form of Vitamin A. While not as potent as it's prescription counterpart, it still offers help in reducing pore visibility and improving skin texture. However, it’s still as potentially irritating, so use any of these treatments sparingly, every other night and wait 30 minutes after washing before application. All increase sun sensitivity and none should be used while pregnant or nursing.
Retinyl palmitate is another OTC form of topical Vitamin A used in skin care and is less potent than retinol.

AHAs & BHA
Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) is a blanket term for a variety of fruit acids including Glycolic, Citric, Lactic, Malic and Tartaric. AHAs help disintegrate the "glue" that hold dead, dry skin cells to the surface of the skin. By doing so, the epidermis is exfoliated leaving a silky texture. Removal of this external barrier enables easier, deeper penetration of other skin treatments as well.
BHA (beta hydroxy acid) is the trendy term for salicylic acid, a natural acid derived from willow bark, wintergreen leaves, and sweet birch bark. It also works to exfoliate cellular debris and unplug pores. It's a golden oldie effective ingredient often used in dermatology for acne therapy.
Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA)
NDGA is a naturally occurring bi-phenolic compound that is a component of the resinous exudates of many plants. It is a potent antioxidant and a potent inhibitor of lipooxygenase that reduces cell damage by free radicals. It is useful as an anti-irritant, an anti-inflammatory agent and for the prevention of UV- and inflammation-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in human skin where inflammation may cause breakdown of collagen and thus enlarge the pores.

Peony Extract
Peony is a thousand-year-old remedy used as an anti-inflammatory ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine because of its exceptional soothing power.
Oleanolic Acid, Witch Hazel (Hamamelis Virginiana) Extract, Zinc PCA, Meadowsweet (Spiraea Ulmaria) Extract, Peony Extract, Arginine, Allantoin, Beta-Carotene,Vitamin C (Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate)

Meadowsweet Extract
Meadowsweet with its anti-inflammatory, astringent and analgesic properties to invigorate the skin and tighten body tissues thus promotes pore shrinking. The main constituents of the extract include salicylic acid, flavone-glycosides, essential oils and tannins.
Witch hazel Extract
Witch Hazel Extract is an astringent and strong anti-oxidant produced from the leaves and bark of the North American Witch Hazel shrub and it tends to shrink or constrict body tissues to fight acne, facial pores and swelling. The main constituents of the extract include tannin, gallic acid, catechins, proanthocyanins, flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin), essential oil (carvacrol, eugenol, hexenol), choline, saponins, and bitters.

Zinc PCA
It is an anti bacterial, infection fighting amino acid that is derived from zinc, to prevent infections and other germ related problems. Zinc PCA is truly a breakthrough for many different skin conditions that include acne, blackheads, whiteheads, pimple, zits, blemishes, oily skin, severely oily skin, and seborrheic dermatitis which can further lead to facial pores problems. Over 21% of skin is made up of zinc and this ingredient inhibits the dihydratestosterone enzyme which controls the sebum production. Zinc is needed by the body to beef up the immune system and is an essential trace mineral and micro element mineral.

Physical Exfoliation
Physical exfoliation has its place in minimizing pore appearance. But this has to be performed gently. If aggressive exfoliation is patient passion, consider investing in a series of medical microdermabrasions or medically performed chemical peels.

Instead of oil-controlling agents, Patient can combine the treatment with collagen and elastin synthesis-stimulating agents as below to enhance the efficiency of the treatment:
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3
It can activate Collagen I, III and fibronectin synthesis and promote new cells migration to encourage the supporting system of sebaceous glands, more exactly to shrink the enlarged pores. It can also thicken the skin, reveals the skin elasticity and tension.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient where ascorbate (an ion of ascorbic acid) is a cofactor in several vital enzymatic reactions. In living organisms, ascorbate is an anti-oxidant, since it protects the body against oxidative stress and free radicals damage on skin collagen and elastin fibers.
The synthesis of collagen, for which vitamin C is essential, proceeds in the body. A precursor form of collagen called procollagen is produced initially. These nonhelical portions of the procollagen molecule make it very soluble and therefore easy to move within the cell as it undergoes further modifications, post-translational modifications in Golgi compartment of the ER.
One of the first modifications to take place is the very critical step of hydroxylation of selected proline and lysine amino acids in the newly synthesized procollagen protein by hydroxylases to form hydroxyproline and hydroxylysine. The hydroxylase enzymes require Vitamin C and Iron as cofactors. Then glycosylation process takes place. The intact procollagen is very soluble and transports easily within the cell where it is secreted into extracellular spaces.
As the procollagen is secreted from the cell, it is acted upon by specialized enzymes called procollagen proteinases that remove both of the extension peptides from the ends of the molecule. Portions of these digested end pieces are thought to re-enter the cell and regulate the amount of collagen synthesis by a feed-back type of mechanism. The processed molecule is referred to as collagen and now begins to be involved in the important process of fiber formation.
With gain of sufficient amount of collagen and elastin fibers also indicates the structural support system for the sebaceous glands with strength and elasticity. Thus, the facial pores will shrink and become obvious-less.

Asian 8 common types of skin problems and solution

Top 8 types of skin problems
And skin conditions keep vary according to skin types, regions and age. Flawless skin is the result of inherited genes and appropriate skin care routines. The skin is vulnerable to skin problems, and the 8 types of skin problems as below.

Acne is a common skin care problem for many individuals of all ages and all skin types. It is caused by blockage in hair follicle due to excess sebum secretion by sebaceous gland via testosterone stimulation and hyperkeratinization. This forms a plug of keratin and sebum, namely comedones (blackheads and whiteheads) to be the first level of acnes. While occurrence of bacteria can cause inflammatory lesions, they are pastules, pustules, cysts and nodules. Using bactericidal products containing benzoyl peroxide, glycolic acid (AHA), salicylic acid (BHA) and tea tree oil may be usefull in mild to moderate acne, combined with non-comedogenic moisturizer to prevent over-drying.

Congested skin also refers as comedones or first level of acne problems. There are 2 types of comedones, closed comedone (white heads) and open comedone (blackheads). Both are non-inflammatory acne which forms due to the blockage of sebum and dead skin cells inside the hair follicle. Closed comedone remain beneath the skin surface and been de-oxygenated and hence remain whitish or yellowish colour. While open comedone occurs in open pores. The sebum has been oxidized and turned into brown or black colour. Products with AHA and BHA can help to dissolves the congested material. Regular exfoliation and product with oil control properties may help to prevent and improve congestion and clogged pores.

There are 2 distinct types of aging contribute to aging skin. Aging caused by inherited genes is called intrinsic (internal) aging while extrinsic (external) aging is caused by environmental factors including photo-aging, smoking, facial expression, gravity etc. Aging skin can be categorized by the loss of collagen and elastin and decrease of skin turn-over rate. The signs of aging skin including fine wrinkles, thin skin, freckles, age spots and spider veins. Aging process cannot be stopped but the signs of aging can be reduced by products with active anti-aging ingredients such as Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3, polypeptide, Acetyl hexapeptide, Hyaluronic Acid, and silk peptides. For visible signs of aging, a number of treatments are available, for instances, injectable filler, radiofrequency, dermabrasion, and botulium toxin.

Skin Discolouration is referred as skin pigmentation abnormality where large portions of skin turn unusual shade, lighter or darker. It affects patches of skin or entire body. This results from several factors. Some are natural, such as birthmarks. Others are related to factors such as hormone, medication, and sun exposure which causes melanin (pigment substances) becomes damaged or unhealthy. Types of pigmentation problems are age spots, solar lentigines, freckles and Melasma spots. Products contain glycolic acid, bearberry extract, kojic acid, L-ascorbic acid, and licorice extract may help lighten the pigmentation by interrupting melanogenesis; and preventing erythema indued by UVB.

Sensitive skin can be caused by a genetic predisposition or by a lifestyle that lacks minerals and antioxidants. And these lead to reduced barrier function, heightened neurosensory function or increased immune responsiveness. Sensitive skin is thin and fine textured. It often feels tingly, tight, or uncomfortable without any visible signs of stress. Meanwhile it reacts quickly temperature changes, and become red and blotchy after contact with some detergents, fragrances, or alcohols that are used on the skin. Hence, people with sensitive and dry skin can be treated by avoidance of all soap or detergents. And many AHA products should be treated with caution, particularly glycolic acid products, as these will also aggravate skin dryness. While a moisturiser containing skin’s physiological fatty acids, cholesterol and ceramides may increase skin barrier repair and functions.

Enlarged pores are concern for many women of all ages and skin types, especially for those with oily and combination skin. This is due to the hormonal changes, previous acnes, skin congestion, dehydration and improper diet. UV exposure causes the skin cells to collect around the pores, meanwhile causes the breakdown of collagen and elastin. Hence, the pores begin to enlarge. Further ignorance will cause the pores become larger and larger and may be easily clogged which usually leads to congestion, acne and skin discolorations. Active ingredient such as L-ascorbic acid is very effective in refining open pores and improving skin resilience. As high concentration of L-ascorbic acid can cause dehydration, good moisturizing agents should be followed after the usage.

Scars, also called cicatrices, are area of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin tissue after injury and is natural part of wound healing process. The body cannot re-build the tissue exactly as it was, so scar formed and have a different texture and quality than the surrounding normal tissue. Acne scar is form when wound healing takes place in the area of injured tissue due to inflamed acne. The greater the inflammation, the more likely scarring is to occur. There are treatments to expedite the fading process of acne scar from the skin such as Vitamin E, dermabrasion and collagen injection.

Dry skin, also referred as xerosis, is a condition of rough, dehydrated skin with fine scaling of skin and, occasionally, with small cracks in the skin. Often itchy, dry skin is caused by environmental factors, such as sun exposure and frequent bathing, and by medical conditions, such as atopic dermatitis and malnutrition. Dry skin develops due to a decrease in the natural oils (ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids) in the outer layer of skin, which makes the skin lose water. Products with high concentration of hyluronic acid and essential amino acids can help bind moisture in the dermal connective tissue.

Different kinds of skin problems developed due to different causes and different products with specified ingredients which are specially designed for that particular problems should be use accordingly to solve the base of your problems.