pores opening and closing

[FireDragon76]

I hear this alot and I think it's just a myth and based off old ideas in skincare. Pores don't really open or close all that much.

What I really think happens is when you use shaving soap, it over-hydrates the outermost layer of skin and alters the protein structure, softening it, so that the barrier function of the skin is damaged (which is why people with sensitive skin might notice their skin becoming more sensitive when using shaving soap, the skin's nerves are more exposed to irritants). Using an aftershave with astringents dehydrates this outer layer and alters the proteins, hardening them and helping to restore the skin's barrier function.

 

[ScottChapin]

In every other physical environment, heat causes objects and holes to expand and cold causes them to contract. I find it hard to believe that skin is impervious to that.


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[naughtilus]

Soap removes the skin's sebum (secreted to lock in moisture from evaporating) in order to allow water to penetrate whiskers, making them easier to cut. You replace the skin oils with lotion or moisturizer after a shave to avoid skin drying.

 

[kingfisher]

Pores don't open and close. They don't have musculature to do that. Hair follicles actually do have little muscles in them that can cause the hairs to stand up (erector pili muscles). That's what happens to the hair on your arms when you get really scared. Blood vessels also have smooth musculature that allows them to open wider or contract and get narrower.

Skin can certainly swell when it is hydrated and contract some when it is dry.

But I agree with the OP that the oft-repeated saw of "opening" and "closing" pores is a myth.

 

[BigJ]

..... the oft-repeated saw of "opening" and "closing" pores is a myth.

+2! This is my understanding also!

 

[ScottChapin]

Pores don't open and close. They don't have musculature to do that. Hair follicles actually do have little muscles in them that can cause the hairs to stand up (erector pili muscles). That's what happens to the hair on your arms when you get really scared. Blood vessels also have smooth musculature that allows them to open wider or contract and get narrower.

Skin can certainly swell when it is hydrated and contract some when it is dry.

But I agree with the OP that the oft-repeated saw of "opening" and "closing" pores is a myth.

Steel doesn’t have musculature either.


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[FireDragon76]

Steel doesn’t have musculature either.


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Steel also isn't living tissue. The temperatures ranges for healthy living skin are allot narrower.

 

[ScottChapin]

Steel also isn't living tissue. The temperatures ranges for healthy living skin are allot narrower.

But they still expand and contract with temperature changes. Even growing up in Ohio, I can testify to that.

Doctors always said to treat acne with warm face washes and cold splashes to keep dirt out of pores. That might be debatable, but watching how my skin responds to temperst changes is not.

My hands will swell in the heat and shrink in the cold. Pores will definitely get larger and smaller in the process.


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[kingfisher]

Scott,

The question is not whether things expand in the heat and contract in the cold. The question is whether a pore can "open" and "close," and the answer is no. If you are saying that as the skin swells/expands, the pore, being a part of the skin, will get larger and smaller, I think that's probably true, but that is not what is meant by "opening" and "closing."

The prevailing myth is that a hot towel on the face will cause the pore to physically open itself up. But it can't, because it lacks the physiologic capacity to do so.

 

[ScottChapin]

Scott,

The question is not whether things expand in the heat and contract in the cold. The question is whether a pore can "open" and "close," and the answer is no. If you are saying that as the skin swells/expands, the pore, being a part of the skin, will get larger and smaller, I think that's probably true, but that is not what is meant by "opening" and "closing."

The prevailing myth is that a hot towel on the face will cause the pore to physically open itself up. But it can't, because it lacks the physiologic capacity to do so.

Well, that’s probably true, but the net effect is that the pores enlarge and in essence open up, so maybe I’m missing the point.


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[FireDragon76]

What would be the point of opening pores, anyways?

I like a warm towel on my face sometimes but I think that has more to do with the relative relaxation it offers, vs. cold water.

Warm water might help loosen some oil but I don't think any dermatologist is going to recommend hot water on skin. If you have sensitive skin, that's a good recipe for redness and inflammation (rosacea sufferers in particular are prone to this).

 

[emwolf]

these are the times I really miss my dad. I could end this debate with just a phone call if he were still with us.

 

[ScottChapin]

these are the times I really miss my dad. I could end this debate with just a phone call if he were still with us.

Me too.


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[ScottChapin]

What would be the point of opening pores, anyways?

I like a warm towel on my face sometimes but I think that has more to do with the relative relaxation it offers, vs. cold water.

Warm water might help loosen some oil but I don't think any dermatologist is going to recommend hot water on skin. If you have sensitive skin, that's a good recipe for redness and inflammation (rosacea sufferers in particular are prone to this).

I don’t know other than when the skin puffs up, the whiskers stick out further and you can shave closer. When I’m done shaving and showering I can feel a little bristle. After my face drys and shrinks, I don’t. The whiskers retract a bit.


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[emwolf]

Me too.


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don't tell me your dad was a dermatologist too!

 

[ScottChapin]

don't tell me your dad was a dermatologist too!

LOL. No, but the old timers knew. They’d probably worry about us for obsessing.


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[Billy T.]

This thread is gonna be great. I can already see it.

 

[kingfisher]

I don’t know other than when the skin puffs up, the whiskers stick out further and you can shave closer. When I’m done shaving and showering I can feel a little bristle. After my face drys and shrinks, I don’t. The whiskers retract a bit.


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Skin puffing up could also lead to a shave that is not as close, provided you are cutting the hairs at their exit from the skin. As the swelling of the skin resolves, the hair would be no longer be cut at skin level, although I suppose everything could just retreat about the same as the swelling resolves.

In general, I don't think really hot water is good for the skin in any way; it tends to remove natural oils and cause irritation. I never use really hot water in my shaving routine. I agree that a hot towel feels good on the face, especially in the winter, but I don't think it's a good idea for daily or every other day shavers.

Ted, sorry about the loss of your father. And you, too, Scott. My father is, thankfully, still alive and well at 86. My mother passed in 2012.

 

[ScottChapin]

Skin puffing up could also lead to a shave that is not as close, provided you are cutting the hairs at their exit from the skin. As the swelling of the skin resolves, the hair would be no longer be cut at skin level, although I suppose everything could just retreat about the same as the swelling resolves.

In general, I don't think really hot water is good for the skin in any way; it tends to remove natural oils and cause irritation. I never use really hot water in my shaving routine. I agree that a hot towel feels good on the face, especially in the winter, but I don't think it's a good idea for daily or every other day shavers.

Ted, sorry about the loss of your father. And you, too, Scott. My father is, thankfully, still alive and well at 86. My mother passed in 2012.

I don’t use hot water, just comfortably warm. I can feel my shaved whiskers before entering the shower. After I’m out and completed my post shave, the whiskers are gone. They retreat for whatever reason. I figure they recede a bit more than the skin does.


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[FireDragon76]

I'm a lukewarm/cool water shaver (72-77F). While hot water might produce a marginally closer shave (perhaps), the reduction is skin irritation is worth it. I also notice fewer cuts than when I used hot water.