white heads or pore problem?

I have big pores on and around my nose.  It constantly gets clogged and is gross.  I also have little tiny pimple like bumps above my lips and under my lips down towards the chin area.  It looks like whiteheads.  When I run my nails over it the "whiteheads" comes out.  Is there anything I could do to get rid of these gross whiteheads on the nose and around the lip area?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
The problem of enlarged pores on face or facial pores is commonly associated with excessive oiliness and acne. The excessive oiliness of the skin is in turn triggered by the hormonal changes in the body.

Large pores can be easily dealt with proper cleansing and frequent toning and moisturizing of the skin. Other treatments to consider include microdermabrasion, skin resurfacing lasers and chemical skin peels. Or white heads, cleanse the area thoroughly and apply a good mild exfoliating scrub on that. Apply a medicated cream or gel containing resorcinol, salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. This helps is soaking the oil and helps in peeling away the whiteheads. If benzoyl peroxide leaves your skin dry, apply an oil-free moisturizer after 10 mins of applying benzoyl peroxide.

I hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted in case you have any additional doubts. Kind regards.