‘Skin pore’ is a term used by lay people and in the field of cosmetology. It remains misleading when it is not clearly defined. Indeed, lay people use it with at least 3 different meanings. Basically, invisible pores represent the openings of the sweat gland apparatus. By contrast, the visible pores represent enlarged empty funnel-shaped or cylindrical horny impacted openings of pilosebaceous follicles. This review describes some of the current objective methods used to describe skin pores.

Keywords:
Pilosebaceous follicle, Sweat gland, Microtopography, Skin pore, Ultraviolet-light-enhanced visualization method
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Piérard GE: Rate and topography of follicular sebum excretion. Dermatologica 1987;175:280–283.
29.
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© 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel
2005
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