Why is my face so oily and my pores so visible?
Because the sebaceous glands of the face, especially in the T-zone, produce a lot of sebum, and sebum makes pores more visible. A review points to three main causes of very visible pores: a lot of sebum, less elasticity in the surrounding skin and a bulkier follicle. Age, sex, the menstrual cycle and genetics also count. It is not a lack of hygiene, and washing more often does not reduce sebum. The assessment helps to work out which cause weighs most in your case.
What is the difference between oily skin, enlarged pores and acne?
They often occur together, but they are not the same thing. Oily skin is a matter of sebum production. Enlarged pores are a matter of appearance, of how visible the pore is. Acne is a disease of the hair follicle, involving blockage, inflammation and bacteria, and it can appear on skin that is not very oily. You can have one without the others, and telling them apart matters, because the care and the treatment differ. The doctor examines your skin and tells you where you stand.
Why do I have acne in my 30s and 40s?
Acne is not only a teenage matter. In adults, and especially in women, it may be a continuation of acne from youth or appear for the first time in adulthood. There are genetic and hormonal factors, and it tends to concentrate on the chin, jawline and neck, often with closed comedones. It tends to be chronic or recurrent and calls for follow-up. Adult skin is also more sensitive to irritation, which means products must be chosen carefully. Only the assessment tells what is behind it.
How do I know if my acne is hormonal?
There is no single sign. Common clues are pimples on the chin and jawline that get worse around menstruation, and onset after the age of 25. But only the doctor can assess it. Irregular cycles, excess hair or hair loss call for a hormonal or gynaecological assessment, because they may have another cause. If so, the doctor may request tests and suggest the way forward. In-clinic rituals do not treat the hormonal cause, they only support the skin.
How do you remove blackheads from the nose?
A blackhead is an open pore whose contents have oxidised, not dirt. Squeezing with your nails, or using strips or tools without care, can injure the follicle, cause inflammation and mark the skin. When comedones need to be extracted, it is done with the right technique and equipment and by professionals, and the team explains at the assessment what is part of each ritual. At home, what helps is cleansing gently, keeping a regular routine and asking the doctor for a product suited to your skin type.
Skin cleansing at the clinic or at home: what is the difference?
At home you do the daily cleansing, which keeps the skin's surface clean. In the treatment room, the cleansing is deeper: the Ritual Pureza frees the skin of impurities, oiliness and dead cells and prepares it for the care that follows, and it is carried out by professionals. It does not replace the daily routine, and one does not make the other unnecessary. The frequency is not the same for every skin, and after the assessment the team tells you what makes sense for you, so as not to irritate.
Acne treatment: at the clinic or with a doctor?
It depends on the acne. When lesions are mild, with comedones and blemishes, an in-clinic ritual can support the skin. When they are inflamed, tender, deep or leave marks, treatment is medical, with a prescription, and may include products applied to the skin or oral medication. Clinical guidelines describe several options, and the choice is always individual. At Luxmed, the doctor assesses the skin and decides whether the ritual is enough, whether medical treatment is needed, or both.
Can enlarged pores close?
No. The pore is the natural opening of the follicle, it has no muscle and does not open or close with heat or cold. It cannot be eliminated, and any promise to «close pores» is misleading. What can be achieved, in some cases, is to soften the look: reduce oiliness, unblock the pores and protect the skin from the sun, which degrades the elasticity around them. That is the realistic aim of the Ritual Sebo Balance, which regulates oiliness and softens the look of pores, and results vary from person to person.
Should I wash my face two or three times a day if I have oily skin?
There is no single answer. In a trial in men with mild to moderate acne, washing once, twice or four times a day showed no statistically significant differences, with some support for twice a day with a gentle product. Washing too much and scrubbing can irritate the skin, and irritated skin tends to react with inflammation. In general, morning and evening, with lukewarm water and a gentle product, plus one extra wash after sweating a lot. If your skin feels tight, it is too much.
How are acne marks removed?
It helps to separate dark or pinkish marks, which are changes in skin colour, from scars, which are changes in texture. The former tend to fade with time and sun protection, and the doctor assesses what helps most. Scars are a different matter, and the best way to avoid them is to treat inflamed acne early and not to squeeze. We do not promise scar treatment here. Blemishes and skin texture have their own page, and the assessment tells you which path to take.
Can I squeeze blackheads and pimples?
Better not to. Squeezing an inflamed pimple pushes the contents deeper, increases inflammation and is one of the causes of marks and scars. Comedones can be extracted, but with the right technique, clean equipment and by professionals, not with your nails. If a lesion bothers you a lot, you can ask for help instead of treating it yourself. And if there is infection, active herpes or very inflamed skin, no ritual should be done until the situation has cleared.
When should I see a doctor first?
When the pimples are large, painful and under the skin, when they appear suddenly and intensely, when they leave scars or marks, or when they do not improve with suitable care over a few months. Also if the acne comes with irregular cycles or excess hair, or if there is fever and malaise. In these cases, the first step is an assessment consultation with Dr. Michelle Campagnoli, and only afterwards do we discuss whether an in-clinic ritual has a place. If you have doubts, book the assessment and we will talk it through.
How many sessions are needed and how soon will I notice results?
There is no single number, and we do not promise one before the assessment. It depends on the skin, the type of complaint and the ritual, and the team sets the plan and the interval with you. In general, oily skin and acne vary over time, so the aim is to balance and maintain, not to resolve everything at once. Some rituals can be noticed from the first session, in freshness and texture, and others are more gradual. Results vary from person to person.
What should I bring and tell the doctor?
Bring the list of products you use and your daily routine, and say since when your skin has been like this. Tell the doctor about medication you take or have taken, especially isotretinoin, antibiotics, oral contraceptives or corticosteroids, and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding. The waiting times for peels or other procedures after isotretinoin vary and the decision is the doctor's. Also say if you have cold sores, if your skin reacts easily and how your menstrual cycles are.
