The pores in our skin are essentially pathways for sweat, natural oils, called sebum, and hair to reach the surface. These are vital in maintaining a steady body temperature as well as protecting and moisturizing the skin.

Healthy pores are free of debris and fairly small, barely visible to the naked eye. However, when they become clogged with dirt and dead skin cells, they can grow in size and become breeding grounds for acne-causing bacteria. Enlarged and clogged pores detract from the beauty of your complexion, adversely affecting skin texture and quality resulting in roughness, breakouts and an undesirable shininess.

While the size of your pores are genetically predetermined, the gunk that clogs them can make them appear larger. Fortunately, there are a variety of treatments available that can remove the debris clogging your pores and improve the quality of the skin. At our cosmetic surgery clinic in Toronto, we offer a number of nonsurgical treatments that have been designed for this express purpose.

Pore Tightening Treatments

Chemical Peels performed routinely can help cleanse the pores and reduce their size. It can also brighten the complexion and target pigmentation irregularities. The procedure gently removes the damaged uppermost layers of the skin with an exfoliant based on one or more specific types of acid, such as trichloroacetic, glycolic or lactic. Once these layers are removed, the fresher, newer skin underneath is revealed in the days following. Sessions are generally about 30 minutes and scheduled on a weekly basis.

Microdermabrasion is another method that removes the skin’s superficial layers. Exfoliation is performed by a device that emits a steady stream of fine crystals which are then gently suctioned away, along with the dirt, debris and dead skin cells that they have helped to remove.

Laser and pulsed light technology, utilized in such treatments as laser resurfacing and photofacial rejuvenation, have also been clinically proven to help clear pores, thereby making them visibly tighter. These technologically advanced methods often achieve results faster, with the added benefit of stimulating collagen and rejuvenating the complexion.