Hey guys, I've had moderate acne since about 15. The past few years it's settled down (I'm 31 so about time) but my skin texture is horrible. It's hard to leave the house some days but I do it because I refuse to let bad skin rule my life.
My pores are clear for the most part, but they're big. It's not only one area either, they're huge everywhere & I feel kinda like a freak.
I'm not sure if they're scarred pores or just large ones. I've been reading about intradermal Botox to shrink pores but it doesn't work on scarred ones...
Can anyone tell if these are scarred pores or just open ones? I took this after a hot bath & made it side/backlit so the horrid texture will show up.
Thanks in advance!
It would help if I had a picture.
Some pores look bigger because of the gunk in them. Chemical exfoliants like salicylic acid would help with this.
It's possible that they're scars. I have a few of them on my cheeks too that look like enlarged pores. You can reduce the pore's appearance and the scars through "extreme" measures such as strong chemical peels or lasers.
lol, oops I guess it didn't upload correctly from my phone. Eek it's even worse on the computer screen.
I've tried pretty much every acne medication out there. I'm kinda accepting of my skin how it is now, but if there was a way to shrink my pores/scars safely I'd try it. I may look into peels/lasers/botox but it's expensive and I don't want to make it worse.
lol, oops I guess it didn't upload correctly from my phone. Eek it's even worse on the computer screen.
I've tried pretty much every acne medication out there. I'm kinda accepting of my skin how it is now, but if there was a way to shrink my pores/scars safely I'd try it. I may look into peels/lasers/botox but it's expensive and I don't want to make it worse.
A professionally done procedure is well worth it. Dermatologists and plastic surgeons help minimize the side effects and risks. The nice thing about your skin is that you're so pale that you have more treatments available to you! Unless, of course, you have some other contraindications.
I have an appt with a Derm next week, I'll ask them about it. I think I'd trust a Doctor with it, but probably not a beautician.
From the picture, would you say they're enlarged pores or scarred pores?
Thanks for your help.
Mostly enlarged pores. Icepick scars tend to have larger openings.
To keep the pores from getting larger, you should diligently wear SPF 30+ every day. Photoaging causes the skin to lose elasticity, which would make your pores look bigger!
i think your face looks great. i would kill for your skin it looks like you have no scarring at all. when you get older the skin changes so that might be what you are seeing. i am 36 and my pores now are a lot bigger than when i was in my early 20's. your skin is pretty typical for your age so dont worry one bit about it just add in some sort of AHA daily and you should be fine.
good article here about pore size as we age:
http://www.dermadoctor.com/blog/the-secret-why-pores-get-worse-with-age/