Hi, thank you for your question and photo.
Looking at the photo, some of the large pores may actually be atrophic acne scars. It is best to consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis before commencing treatment.
Coming back to your question, the primary causes of enlarged pores are ;
1) Excessive sebum : Overactive sebaceous glands produces a lot of oil (sebum), causing oily skin and large pores
2) Decreased elasticity around pores: Lose of elasticity around pores, causing them to look larger
3) Increased hair follicle volume: Pores at the hand of hair follicles can become clogged with sebum, dead skin cells or dirt, causing them to be enlarged.
Based on your photo, your skin looks to be on the oily side. Hence, excessive sebum and increased hair follicle volume are likely to be the causes of your large pores. At age 26, it is unlikely you have decreased elasticity around your pores as that usually occurs in older women.
Management can be divided into home care and clinic procedures. Lets talk about home care first. Since you have oily skin, avoid oil based products and choose water based products instead. Cleanse your face twice a day with a gel based cleanser and exfoliate once or twice a week. Moisturizing daily is also important. Although it may sound counter intuitive, moisturizing after cleansing hydrates and softens the skin and reduce overactivity of the sebum producing sebaceous gland. Regular application of retinoids should also be done as retinoids reduce sebum production. Medical grade topical retinoids are available at your doctor's office.
On top of home care, there are also clinic treatments that you can consider to reduce the size of your pores;
1) Chemical peel: A glycolic acid peel is a great peel for large pores. It deep cleanses pores, removes blackheads, fights acne and smooths out rough skin. All these helps to reduce the look of enlarged pores.
2) Skin lasers or light treatment such as the q switch lasers, long pulse lasers or BBL . These work by stimulating collagen production and reduce activity of the sebaceous glands . After a few sessions, pores may appear smaller and the skin less oily. Carbon dioxide or erbium lasers may also be used to provide a light laser peel of the skin to smoothen out the acne scars, resulting in a smoother complexion .
3) Rejuran Skin Healer: Rejuran Skin Healer is made of salmon derived polynucleotides(PNs) and polydexyribonucleotides (PDRNs) After injection into the skin, these PNs and PDRNs, by virtually of being the building blocks of DNA, stimulates cell regeneration for newer and younger looking skin. Reduction in pores size is one of the benefits of this treatment. Other benefits include improvement in skin texture, smoothing over of fine wrinkles, reducing blemishes and breakouts and improvement in skin elasticity.
It is best to speak to your doctor regarding the appropriate treatment regime for you. Hope this helps!
