☀️ Solar Comedones: The Sneaky Summer Skin Concern You Need to Know About

☀️ Solar Comedones: The Sneaky Summer Skin Concern You Need to Know About


☀️ Solar Comedones: The Sneaky Summer Skin Concern You Need to Know About

You may have noticed a stubborn pore that keeps filling up—no matter how often you extract it or how good your cleanser is. It’s not a typical blackhead. It doesn’t seem irritated like acne. So, what is it?

Welcome to the world of solar comedones, also known as senile comedones or Favre-Racouchot syndrome—a sun-damage-related skin issue we see all the time at Skin by Tatum, especially in sun-soaked cities like Miami.

🌞 What Is a Solar Comedone?

A solar comedone is a permanently dilated pore caused by chronic sun exposure. These pores stretch out due to the breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin—a condition known as solar elastosis, which also gives the skin a thick, leathery, yellowish texture over time.

What makes solar comedones different?

  • They’re not inflamed, unlike acne.

  • They’re open and constantly refill with oil, SPF, moisturizer, dead skin cells, and debris.

  • They often feel like a tiny pit or hole in the skin—very satisfying to extract, but they always return.

📍 Common Locations

Solar comedones appear in areas with high sun exposure and lots of sebaceous (oil) glands, including:

  • Forehead, nose, and chin (T-zone)

  • Temples and around the eyes

  • Earlobes, shoulders, and neck

  • Chest (décolleté) and upper breasts

  • Forearms and backs of hands

  • Cheeks near the hairline

They’re most common in middle-aged and older adults, but younger people who live near the beach or pool, tan often, or skip SPF can develop them early—even in their 20s or 30s.

🔎 What Causes Them?

☀️ Sun Exposure

The #1 culprit. UV rays break down collagen and elastin, weakening the skin’s structure and stretching pores.

🚬 Smoking

Heavy smoking accelerates oxidative damage, further degrading the skin’s support systems.

🧴 Product Build-Up

Layers of thick SPF, moisturizers, and sweat clog these permanently open pores—especially on the chest and shoulders where body products are used heavily and exfoliated less often.

🧬 When It’s Too Late for Skincare: What Actually Works

If caught early, solar comedones can be managed and improved with regular facials, collagen-stimulating treatments, and consistent home care.

But once a pore becomes a full-blown solar comedone—a visibly stretched, gaping hole that constantly refills—there is no non-surgical fix.

Not lasers.
Not retinol.
Not microneedling.
Not even Jet Plasma.

👉 At this advanced stage, the only permanent solution is surgical stitching.
A cosmetic or dermatologic surgeon can literally stitch the pore closed like a tiny wound.

That’s why early intervention matters—while the skin still responds to care.

💆♀️ Skin by Tatum’s Top Treatments for Solar Comedones

Whether you’re dealing with early-stage stretched pores or stubborn, advanced solar comedones, we have a protocol to match your skin’s needs.

🧖♀️ For Maintenance & Prevention (Before the Pore Fully Stretches)

Keep skin clean, exfoliated, and supported to prevent early signs of solar damage from turning into permanent comedones:

  • Regular Deep Pore Cleanings

  • Hydrafacial to flush out buildup and infuse hydration

  • AHA Chemical Peels for gentle resurfacing

  • Skin by Tatum Signature Ultrasonic Facial to lift away debris without irritation

💉 For Early-Stage Solar Comedones (When You Can Still Make a Difference)

At this stage, the goal is to stimulate collagen and elastin while keeping the pore clear:

  • Microneedling
    Creates controlled injury to activate fibroblasts, rebuild collagen, and tighten the pore structure.

  • Jet Plasma Therapy
    A gentler, no-downtime option that stimulates regeneration and kills bacteria.

  • Combination Protocols
    For more impact without aggressive downtime, we often combine Microneedling + Jet Plasma to address both surface texture and deeper elasticity.

⚠️ For Advanced Solar Comedones

If the pore is significantly stretched and constantly refilling, the goal is to regenerate tissue, stimulate deep collagen, and manage oil and inflammation—even though the pore cannot be permanently closed without surgery.

  • Microneedling
    Stimulates fibroblasts to rebuild collagen and elastin, improving skin’s ability to support the stretched pore.

  • Jet Plasma
    Delivers targeted plasma energy to tighten skin, kill bacteria, and encourage regeneration with no downtime.

  • Exosome Infusion
    A next-level enhancement that delivers regenerative cellular signals directly into the skin.

    ✅ Wharton’s Jelly Exosomes — Derived from inside the umbilical cord, these activate Collagen Types I, II, and III, the essential structural proteins that give skin firmness, bounce, and strength.

    • Stimulate deep tissue repair

    • Improve pore wall resilience and elasticity

    • Diminish inflammation

    • Control oil production

    • Accelerate skin cell turnover

This advanced combination—microneedling + jet plasma + Wharton’s Jelly exosomes—is the most effective non-surgical approach to improving the appearance and behavior of an advanced solar comedone.

🛍 Best Products for Solar Comedone Homecare

While in-spa treatments are essential, what you do at home every day makes a major difference—especially for prevention and early intervention.

🌀 Salicylic Acid & AHAs
Break down oil buildup and gently exfoliate dead skin to keep pores clear.

→ Try: AHA Exfoliating Pads by Luzern and SkinSculpt Luminescence Peel

🌙 Vitamin A or Retinoids
Encourage cell turnover, strengthen skin structure, and improve elasticity.

→ Try: Osmosis Renew or DNA Skin Institute’s Organic A

🌿 Glow by Tatum Acne Exo-serum
A powerhouse serum for both acne-prone and sun-damaged skin. It does two key things to improve solar comedones:

  1. Builds elastin and collagen to tighten pore structure and improve skin elasticity.

  2. Diminishes acne activity by reducing oil production, killing bacteria, and speeding up cell turnover.

Perfect for regular use on the face, chest, neck, and shoulders—where solar comedones are most likely to appear.

🌤 SPF 30 or Higher (Daily!)
Prevents additional UV damage and protects all your hard work.
→ Try: COOLA Mineral Matte or Luzern La Defense SPF

☀️ Preventing Solar Comedones

✅ Wear SPF 30 or higher daily—even indoors or in the car. Apply to face, neck, chest, and ears
✅ Avoid smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke
✅ Cleanse twice daily with a gentle, pH-balanced cleanser
✅ Exfoliate 2–3x a week, including the décolleté
✅ Schedule regular skin treatments customized to your condition and goals

💚 Final Thoughts from Skin by Tatum

Solar comedones aren’t painful, but they’re a red flag: your skin is calling out for help after years of sun exposure. The good news? They’re preventable—and the sooner you act, the better.

💬 Not sure if that enlarged pore is a solar comedone? Let us take a closer look with our VISIA Skin Analysis.

🌿 Book your custom facial consult today and let’s clean, treat, and protect your summer skin—one pore at a time.


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