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Pore Obsession Hitting Dermatology Clinics

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – People have been obsessed with wrinkles and sun spots for years, but a new obsession on the health front is actually leading to a problematic new condition.

Many people today have become obsessed with the pores on their face and using any means possible to try to keep them from rearing its ugly head.

"I was definitely obsessed with the size of my pores," said Ana Farano.

Doctors have coined a new term for the obsession, calling it porexia.

"Actually, people have an obsession with a certain body part that actually is normal but they think is severely disfiguring," said dermatologist Dr. Andrea Trowers.

Even Dr. Trowers admitted that she has become obsessed with her pores.

"I did and probably still do to a certain degree," Dr. Trowers said.

Dr. Trowers said that many people with porexia are seeking out temporary fixes with home remedies including aloe, honey, or a cucumber to fix pores. But, Trowers said those solutions would only see a change for a day or two.

Dr. Trowers said the proper method would be using medication to unclog your pores, using microdermabrasion to exfoliate and literally vacuum your skin.

"You don't want to go for flawless you use want to go for improved," Dr. Trowers said.

Ana's been following Dr. Trowers advice for about 5 years and has seen a major difference in her skin and some improvement with her porexia.

"It can regress so I prefer to prevent that situation to make sure my pores don't go back to being so much larger like before," Ana said.

But, as Ana and even the medical profession continues to obsess with the problem, remember, even the best remedies may only be temporary.

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