Video Transcript

Hi, I'm Dr. Lisa Benest, a dermatologist in Los Angeles, California, and today I'd like to talk to you about how to cleanse pores. Pores are very tiny openings in the skin, and they're lined by skin cells, and have oil glands producing oil into the pore, and thus lubricating the skin. Now, regularly, the oil comes out, and the skin cells shed, and go out of the skin, and our skin looks nice. But, there are certain factors that could lead to pores getting maybe sticky, or blocked up, and then the pores can open up, and look larger. So, I'd like to describe to you the things that we can do to cleanse the pores, to keep your skin looking nice. The first thing you can do is a nice, cleansing regimen. There are certain products that contain ingredients such as salicylic acid or glycolic acid, and these will help to keep the pores clean, and the skin cells flushed out of the area. There are prescription creams your doctor may prescribe, mainly Vitamin A based, and these do something very similar, they help to exfoliate the top layers of the skin , as well as the linings of the pores, so nothing blocks up and enlarges the pores. The other thing we can do if the pore actually blocks up is an extraction in the doctor's office. We use a specific tool, where we press on the pore, and get out the plug of dried skin. A facialist can help you clean your pores on a routine basis. Some people like to get facials once a month, and have the face steamed, and any blockages extracted, and keeping things nice and smooth so that the pores don't enlarge and stretch out. Finally, a good diet is going to help go a long way to keep your skin healthy. A diet full of fresh vegetables and fruits, cutting back on the processed foods such as refined carbohydrates, and the sugars, especially the sodas and the fruit juices, and even the sports drinks. Thank you very much for listening today. I'm Dr. Lisa Benest, a dermatologist in Los Angeles, California, and this is how to cleanse pores.