What causes clogged pores and pimples?
Clogged pores are one of the most common skin care issues. Clogged pores occur when the pores of the hair follicles become clogged with deposits and lead to pimples.
In my practice, I see patients with clogged pores and acne every day.
Whether clogged pores appear on the nose, chin, forehead, or other skin areas, this guide will walk you through prevention and treatment strategies and help you identify different types of clogged pores.
To ensure you only buy products that are appropriate for your skin type, always pay attention to your Baumann Skin Type Octagon when shopping. Don’t know your Skin Type Octagon? Take the quiz!
Causes of clogged pores
Clogged pores occur when the skin’s natural exfoliation process, known as desquamation, is disrupted.
The problem can be caused by:
Dry, flaky skin that clogs pores
Using skin care products with comedogenic ingredients
Environmental pollution, dirt, and deposits
Habits such as over-exfoliation
Hormonal fluctuations
Buildup of sebum or other oils on the face
Using skin care products in the wrong order
What is pimples?
Comedones are the scientific term for clogged pores. They often appear on the face, especially on the nose and forehead, where the skin has a higher number of sebaceous glands.
Oily skin is more prone to clogged pores. But dry skin is also more prone to clogged pores. Here we explain why dry skin can lead to clogged pores.
Clogged pores can be caused by comedogenic ingredients in skincare products, over-exfoliation, or using skincare products that are not suitable for your skin type.
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Names and Terms for Clogged Pores
While there are technical differences between most of the following terms, there are many names for clogged pores on the chin, cheeks, forehead, and nose, such as:
Blackheads (closed comedones)
Whiteheads (open comedones)
Millias
Acne cysts
Sebaceous plugs
Skin clogs
Sebaceous lines
“Whiteheads” is my favorite term to use with my dermatologists. It’s a great description of what it looks like when you squeeze white pus out of a pore.
What do clogged pores look like?
Clogged pores can be white, pink, brown, or black.
Pores with whiteheads are clogged with dead skin cells and oils like sebum.
Blackheads are dead skin cells that have oxidized. Air causes a chemical reaction that turns the pores black.
Antioxidants can stop oxidation, which prevents the pus in the pores from turning black. That’s why you’ll find antioxidants in moisturizers to prevent clogged pores.
Clogged Pores on Nose
Can You Squeeze Clogged Pores?
Clogged pores are best cleared by a trained medical aesthetician.
If you do want to squeeze pimples yourself, you can find out how to properly squeeze pimples in our blog post.
If you have acne scabs from over-scratching your clogged pores, check out our blog post on acne scabs here.
Can a scrub clean my pores?
In my dermatology clinic, many patients may think that exfoliation helps unclog their pores.
However, over-exfoliation can actually cause clogged pores.
Excessive exfoliation disrupts the exfoliation process, causing pores to fill with dead skin cells.
What is the white discharge from pimples?
When the pores are squeezed, white pus comes out in the form of threads or small shotgun shells.
Blackheads are dead skin cells mixed with sebum and dirt. This white thread-like discharge can have an unpleasant odor if the pores have a lot of skin bacteria.
Skin bacteria have a characteristic odor.
The thread-like pus should be washed away with a cleanser to prevent the bacteria from spreading to other follicles.
The black fluid that comes out of the pores is made up of dead skin cells and sebum that have oxidized and turned black.
Why do my pores keep getting clogged?
Pores get clogged when the exfoliation process in the hair follicles doesn’t work properly. This is called dyskeratinization or abnormal follicular keratinization.
The most likely reason for your constantly clogged pores is that you’re not using the right cleansing and skincare routine for your skin type.
Take your free Baumann Skin Type Test today to find the best products for your skin!
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How Pores Get Clogged with Shedding Skin Cells
During dyskeratinization, keratinocytes clump together and clog hair follicles.
How Pores Get Clogged
What causes keratinocytes to clump together and clog hair follicles? Why does dyskeratinization occur?
Dyskeratinization, or skin cells sticking to each other and clogging hair follicles and pores, can occur for many reasons, such as:
Using the wrong skin care products for your skin type
Inflammation
Dehydration
Excessive peeling
Genetics
Medications
Increased sebum (oil) production—depends on the lipids in sebum
The lipids found in sebum (may be related to diet)
Growth factors such as epidermal growth hormone
Low levels of vitamin A
Hair Products and Clogged Pores
Many hair products that smooth hair and prevent frizz can clog pores. If you are prone to acne, avoid hair products that contain comedogenic ingredients such as isopropyl myristate and coconut oil. Wash your face after rinsing out conditioner.
Wash your face thoroughly at night to remove sweat, dirt, oil, hair products, and makeup.
How to unclog clogged pores?
Remember: every product you put on your skin is important. The order of application is crucial.
To learn how to cleanse your pores, read this blog.
The best way to clear clogged pores is to prevent them through proper skin care.
Using the wrong cleanser or moisturizer can cause breakouts because they can cause inflammation and/or moisture loss, which can lead to clogged pores.
If you have problems with clogged pores, pimples, and milia, avoid comedogenic ingredients.
If you can no longer prevent it, salicylic acid and retinol are the best ingredients to cleanse your pores. Before using them, though, make sure they are suitable for your Baumann skin type.
A list of comedogenic ingredients in cosmetics can be found at this link.
These are our favorite pore-clearing products:
To prevent and eliminate acne, use skin care products that are suitable for your Baumann skin type!
