1. What are pores?
A pore is a small hair follicle opening in the surface of the skin. A pore leads to a sebaceous gland that lets out oil to lubricate and protect the skin. It also lets some water out, which helps in temperature regulation. On average, each of us has about 5 million hair follicles. The amount of pores visible is in fact relatively quite small. However, this small fraction of pores is becoming the concern of many people. Dermatologists, cosmeticians, and aestheticians are facing challenging questions from customers on how to alleviate pore enlargement, even though pore size is primarily determined by genetics. Such growing concerns are the direct result of the increasing number of factors and intensities of their effects on pore enlargement, including:
- Sun exposure
- Exposure to environmental pollutants
- Natural aging, such as loss of collagen, weakening of skin elasticity
- Excessive sebum secretion
- Slow desquamation (skin peeling)
- Bad habits, for example squeezing pimples, smoking
To assist diagnosis of skin pores, up to 5 images can be taken under the PPL light using the Chowis Skin Analyzer. Our algorithm then evaluates the skin pores for each image and provides the final skin pores grade. A 3D visualization of pores (shown in Figure 1) constructed from the captured 2D image is also available for a more straightforward and vivid close-up observation of pores conditions.
Figure 1. A 3D visualization of pores
2. Chowis skin pores grade
The following Chowis skin pores grade has been co-developed by Chowis and dermatology experts. For each image, we detect skin pores and provide a quantified Result score. The final score for skin pores is computed as the Average of all result scores, and based on the scale shown in Table 1 we then grade skin pores into clear, almost clear, mild, moderate and severe. Also presented is an Average Per Age Group score to help understand how the skin pores condition compares with peers.
| Grade | Scale | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | 0 ~ 5 | Fine skin with little to no visible pores |
| Almost Clear | 6 ~ 15 | Mildly perceptible pores |
| Mild | 16 ~ 48 | Moderate amount of pores, beginning to see some pore enlargement |
| Moderate | 49 ~ 80 | Broadly visible pores on the skin with generally large pore sizes |
| Severe | 81 ~ 99 | Widespread pores with very large pore sizes |
| Clear |  |  |  |  |
| Almost Clear |  |  |  |  |
| Mild |  |  |  |  |
| Moderate |  |  |  |  |
| Severe |  |  |  |  |