“How can I shrink my pores? I’ve been blessed with these big holes in my skin, and what can I do about it? The short answer is it’s really tough to fundamentally change the structure of your skin. The longer answer is though that there are some things that we can do to help minimize the appearance of your pores and to give you a regimen that you can do at home to promote ongoing sort of smoothing of your skin. So the first thing is it’s really important to incorporate a topical retinol or a retinoid product into your nightly regimen. Retinols are over-the-counter and retinoids are by prescription – these are all derivatives of vitamin A. The second thing is it’s really important to maintain just a good cleansing regimen. Things like glycolic acid and salicylic acid can also help by removing the debris from your pores and therefore allowing them to relax a bit. Procedure wise, there are some things in the office that can be useful: chemical peels, which we do in our practice here, typically beta hydroxy or alpha hydroxyl acid peels. There are some laser treatments that can also be helpful for shrinking your pores, and this would be something to bring up with your dermatologist. But something, for example like a fractionated laser, or an intense pulse light laser, might be helpful for minimizing the appearance of your pores. Then the last piece, which is maybe a bit of common sense. Adopting a healthy lifestyle is really important: making sure you hydrate well, making sure you get enough rest, and eat enough fruits and vegetables – those b-complex vitamins are great for promoting a glowing skin.”
Reena Rupani, MD, is a board certified dermatologist at Mount Sinai Doctors, seeing patients Monday-Thursday. She has written several publications, including two textbooks, on dermatology and has contributed to multiple peer-reviewed articles. She has a particular interest in both adult and pediatric medical and surgical dermatology, as well as cosmetic care, including Botox, chemical peels, injectable fillers, and laser therapies. Mount Sinai Doctors is an organization of clinical relationships and multi-specialty services that expand the Mount Sinai Health System’s footprint beyond the seven main hospital campuses into the greater New York City area.