For many of us, those little holes on our faces known as pores are little more than an unsightly nuisance. But aside from blemishing our complexions, they do serve a purpose: pores house a hair follicle and sebaceous gland and serve as a gateway for sebum, our skin’s natural oil. “A pore is just a route or a channel for these things to reach the skin’s surface,” say our Nexus doctors.

While the size of our pores is largely determined by genetics, some pores tend to be bigger than others because of the size of the hair follicle and oil gland. Poor hygiene and the resulting dirt, oil and dead skin cells that often build up can also make pores look bigger. “Pores are generally clogged with sebum and dead skin cells, which naturally slough off from the side of the pore,” claim our doctors from Nexus Clinic. “If a pore becomes clogged, that will temporarily stretch the pore and make it more apparent.”