How to Minimize Pores: Why Your Pores Look So Big and What Actually Shrinks Them

On this page

1. The three types of large pores at a glance
2. Why are my pores so big?
3. Can you actually shrink your pores, or do they open and close?
4. How do you minimize pores on your face?
5. Does retinol or tretinoin really minimize pores?
6. Why do the pores on my nose look so large?
7. How do you get rid of large pores for good?
8. What makes pores look bigger?
9. How long does it take to minimize pores?
10. Your next step

Quick answer: To minimize pores, match the fix to the reason they look big. Oily pores: cleanse twice a day, use non-comedogenic products and try niacinamide. Clogged pores: a 2% salicylic acid leave-on or a retinoid. Sagging pores: daily SPF 30 sunscreen and a nightly retinoid. Give it 12 weeks. Pores get less visible, not permanently smaller.

We read 12 studies and sources on how to minimize pores, from a 2006 study that measured the pores of 60 volunteers to a 2023 review of 19 clinical trials, so every claim below links to where it came from. (There is also an ice cube tray in my freezer labeled PORE CLOSERS in permanent marker. It has never closed a single pore. It has chilled a lot of iced coffee.)

The three types of large pores at a glance

	Oily pores	Clogged pores	Sagging pores
What you see	Round, open-looking pores with shine, mostly on the nose, forehead and chin	Pores filled with dark or pale plugs	Pores that look stretched, alongside looser skin
Main cause	High oil (sebum) output	Oil and dead skin cells packed into the opening	Skin around the pore losing firmness with age and sun
Who gets them most	Teens, younger adults, men	Anyone with oily or acne-prone skin	Usually from your 40s on, plus heavy sun exposure
Try first	Gentle twice-daily cleanse, non-comedogenic products, niacinamide	2% salicylic acid leave-on, then a retinoid	Daily SPF 30+ sunscreen, nightly retinoid
Clinic step	Prescription pills that lower oil	Extraction, chemical peels	Lasers, microneedling, peels

Sources: Lee 2016, Parvar 2023, AAD on large pores, Cleveland Clinic on shrinking pores, Cleveland Clinic on sebaceous filaments.

Why are my pores so big?

Your pores are mostly sized by your genes. On top of that, three things make them look bigger: a lot of oil coming out, plugs of oil and dead skin stretching the opening, and skin around the pore losing its firmness with age and sun. Men, oily skin and the center of the face have the most visible pores.

“Genetics mostly determines your pore size.”

Jane Wu, MD, dermatologist, Cleveland Clinic

So the first thing to blame is your family, which is a sentence I have been waiting my whole life to type. A 2016 dermatology review names the three main causes of enlarged pores: “high sebum excretion, decreased elasticity around pores, and increased hair follicle volume” (Lee 2016). Translation: too much oil, looser skin, and a bigger hair follicle under the opening. Every pore on your face is a tiny chimney for a hair and an oil gland, and apparently some of us got the industrial model.

Oil is the strongest link anyone has measured. In a study of 60 volunteers, the amount of oil the skin made matched pore size more closely than anything else, followed by being male (Roh 2006). The same study found pores were bigger around ovulation, which means pores have a calendar and I do not. [Checks phone. Has no idea what day it is.]

A second study of 60 people agreed: more oil and less skin bounce went with more visible pores (Kim 2013). And Cleveland Clinic explains why the middle of your face gets the spotlight: “Pores appear more prominent in the center of your face. That’s because more oil-releasing sebaceous glands are located there” (Cleveland Clinic). The T-zone, in other words, is the busy downtown of your face, and I have never once found parking there.

Ethnicity plays a part too. A study that photographed the cheeks of 2,585 women in several countries found pore size and number “varied greatly with ethnicity” and mostly leveled off with age (Flament 2015). That last bit surprised me, since I assumed my pores grow a little every birthday, like my collection of unopened sheet masks.

Can you actually shrink your pores, or do they open and close?

No. Pores do not open and close, and no cream makes them permanently smaller, because their size is mostly genetic. What you can change is how visible they are: clearing out oil and plugs, and keeping the skin around them firm. Ice and cold water only tighten things for a few minutes, and hot water can make pores look worse.

“Despite the fact that pores do not open and close, they can become stretched out, which is likely how the misconception originated,”

Anna Chacon, MD, dermatologist, in NewBeauty

This is where my freezer gets bad news. Cleveland Clinic says: “It’s true that running an ice cube or a chilled skin roller over your face helps. But the tightening effect lasts only a few minutes and lessens once your skin warms back up” (Cleveland Clinic). A few minutes. The PORE CLOSERS tray takes four hours to freeze, which is the worst return on investment in my kitchen, and I own a bread maker.

Steam is the same story in reverse. Medical esthetician Amy Peterson told NewBeauty that the myth “likely stems from the temporary effects of heat or cold on the skin,” and that the changes don’t mean pores are actually opening or closing (NewBeauty). The American Academy of Dermatology goes further: “Use warm water. Hot water can irritate your skin, causing pores to look larger” (AAD). So the scalding face-steam I do for the “spa feeling” has been working against me. Fantastic. Love that for me.

How do you minimize pores on your face?

Start with the basics everyone needs: a gentle cleanser twice a day in warm water, products labeled non-comedogenic or oil-free, and broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen every morning. Then add one active ingredient matched to your pore type: niacinamide for oil, salicylic acid for clogs, and a retinoid for oil, clogs and sagging.

The AAD puts the clogging problem plainly: “When pores clog, they expand, which can make your pores look more noticeable” (AAD). Its rule for products is that if you don’t see “non-comedogenic”, “oil free” or “won’t clog pores” on the label, don’t use it. I checked my shelf against that rule and had to sit down for a minute. [Quietly moves the rich night cream to the back.]

If your pores are oily, niacinamide is the gentle place to start. In a trial of 100 Japanese adults, a 2% niacinamide moisturizer lowered how much oil the skin made after 2 and 4 weeks compared with a placebo, and in 30 Caucasian adults it cut surface oil at 6 weeks (Draelos 2006). The honest catch: that study measured oil, not pore size, so the jump from less oil to smaller-looking pores is a reasonable step, not a measured one. Niacinamide is the coworker who does solid work and never once asks for credit, which is more than I can say for my phone charger.

If your pores are clogged, reach for salicylic acid. The AAD says “Studies show salicylic acid can unclog pores”, and it suggests a gentle salicylic cleanser at night if daily use dries you out (AAD). It’s oil-soluble, so it can work inside the oily pore, which is why it’s the usual pick for clogs over glycolic acid (our AHA vs BHA guide explains the difference). A leave-on toner or serum stays on longer than a wash, which is practitioner consensus, not something a pore trial has tested. For the plugs themselves, our guide on how to get rid of blackheads covers the full routine and why squeezing backfires.

If your pores are sagging, sunscreen and a retinoid do the heavy lifting. The AAD: “The more sun damaged your skin, the less firmness it has. When skin starts to lose its firmness, pores look more noticeable” (AAD). Retinoids help with all three types at once, which makes them the overachiever of this whole post and, frankly, of my bathroom.

Does retinol or tretinoin really minimize pores?

Yes, and it has the best numbers of any cream. In one study of 60 women, prescription tretinoin 0.025% once a day improved pore scores from 3.2 to 2.0 by day 84, with changes visible from day 28. A retinol 0.2% formula did about as well in a matching group, with fewer people getting irritated.

Here’s the scorecard. (I wanted a row called One Ice Cube, Zero Effort. The freezer and I looked everywhere. It isn’t in the literature.)

Option	What the evidence shows	Worth knowing
Tretinoin 0.025% cream (prescription)	Pore score 3.2 to 2.0 at day 84 in 60 women, improving from day 28	3 people stopped early for dryness, peeling, burning or redness
Retinol 0.2% with a jasmonic acid ingredient	Pore score 3.6 to 2.5 at day 84, no significant difference from tretinoin (60 people)	One specific formula. 8 people irritated vs 15 on tretinoin
Niacinamide 2% moisturizer	Lower oil production at 2 and 4 weeks vs placebo (100 people)	Measured oil, not pore size
Glycolic acid 30% peel, every 2 weeks, 5 times	Conspicuous pores improved 34.6% in 22 women	A clinic-strength peel. Small study
Fractional laser (1410 nm), 3 sessions	Pores reduced by more than 51% in 14 of 15 people	Clinic only, usually a series
Fractional laser (1440 nm), 6 sessions	17% average improvement in pore score (20 people)	Clinic only
Birth control pill with an anti-androgen	Visibly enlarged pores fell from 43.2% to 9.1% of 44 women over 6 cycles	Prescription. Not prescribed for pores alone

Sources: Dong, Lanoue and Goldenberg 2016 in Cutis, part 1, Cutis, part 2, Draelos 2006.

Retinoids work two ways: they help clear the dead cells that plug pores, and over months they firm the skin around them. If you’re choosing a strength, our retinal vs retinol guide walks through the over-the-counter ladder. Start two or three nights a week, since a red, peeling face just swaps one thing to stare at for another, and I have enough of those.

[Takes off the funny hat.] The AAD says: “If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you shouldn’t use a product containing retinol or retinyl palmitate” (AAD). Ask your doctor before starting any retinoid. No jokes in this paragraph. It’s the one place I behave.

Why do the pores on my nose look so large?

Nose pores look large because the nose has more oil glands than almost anywhere on your face, so its pores carry more oil. Most of the gray or tan dots you see are sebaceous filaments, a normal lining of oil and skin cells in every pore, not blackheads. Squeezing them doesn’t help: they refill within about 30 days.

Cleveland Clinic says that if you squeeze them out, “your pores will fill up again within 30 days” (Cleveland Clinic). Thirty days. It’s a subscription service, and I can’t find the cancel button. They also get more obvious with age: Cleveland Clinic notes that “As you reach your 40s and 50s, your skin starts to sag or loosen. Your pores may start to get bigger, which makes your sebaceous filaments more obvious” (Cleveland Clinic).

So nose pores are often two types at once, oily and, later, sagging. Salicylic acid and a retinoid cover both, and our guide to sebaceous filaments shows how to tell them apart from real blackheads. Pore strips pull them out for a day, which feels incredibly satisfying and does approximately nothing, a description that also fits most of my hobbies.

How do you get rid of large pores for good?

You can’t get rid of large pores for good, because pore size is mostly genetic and pores are needed to move oil to the surface. What lasts longest is a daily routine you keep, plus clinic treatments like fractional lasers, microneedling and peels, which rebuild collagen around pores. Even those need repeat sessions and upkeep.

Cleveland Clinic is blunt about it: “As your pore size is mostly a result of your genetics, you can’t permanently shrink them” (Cleveland Clinic). I took that personally for about an hour, then made a snack. The same page says dermatologists’ microneedles are 1.5 to 2 mm long, while at-home rollers are usually 0.5 mm or less, so the clinic version reaches further. Lasers usually come as a series, one session every four to eight weeks. That’s more commitment than I have ever shown a houseplant, and the houseplants know it.

A 2023 review of 19 clinical trials covering 591 people found that multiple sessions and combined treatments worked best, and it had a useful rule of thumb (Parvar 2023).

“In young patients, the focus should be on controlling sebum production, while in older patients, the focus should be on rejuvenation in addition to the control of sebum production.”

Parvar et al., Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology

One honest warning before you book anything. The Cutis review says the pore studies are shaky across the board.

“most studies are low in power, lack control groups, use nonuniform methods of reporting outcomes, and do not report complete adverse events. Thus, all results should be interpreted with caution.”

Dong, Lanoue and Goldenberg, Cutis

In plain words: the numbers in the table above are real, but small, so treat them as a direction, not a promise. If pores are part of a bigger texture issue, our skin texture guide covers the overlap. Red light masks, by the way, don’t make the cut either: Cleveland Clinic’s dermatologist says “the research hasn’t proven that this is an effective treatment to reduce pore size” (Cleveland Clinic).

What makes pores look bigger?

Squeezing, scrubbing, hot water, sun and heavy, pore-clogging products all make pores look bigger. Squeezing and scrubbing inflame the skin around the pore, sun breaks down the firm tissue that holds it tight, and thick oily products plug it. Skipping these does as much as any serum.

The AAD’s line is the one I’d frame: “Never scrub, rub, pick at, or squeeze the skin on your face” (AAD). Four verbs, all of which I have done before 8 a.m. on a single Tuesday. The AAD adds that scrubbing doesn’t make skin any cleaner, it only irritates it, and irritated pores look bigger.

Toner sits in a gray zone. Some toners carry salicylic or glycolic acid and genuinely help clogged pores, while plain ones mostly feel nice. Our explainer on what toner does sorts the useful ones from the pleasant ones. And Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Wu has one more tip that costs nothing: “No one else is looking at your face that closely” (Cleveland Clinic). I found that weirdly comforting, and also slightly insulting to my efforts.

How long does it take to minimize pores?

Expect 4 to 12 weeks. Niacinamide lowered oil production within 2 to 4 weeks in a trial, tretinoin improved pores from day 28 with the measured result at day 84, and clinic lasers or peels come as a series spread over several months. Ice and cold water work in seconds and wear off within minutes.

Twelve weeks is long enough to forget you started, which is why I stuck the plan on the freezer door. The PORE CLOSERS tray has been relabeled, by the way. It now says ICED COFFEE, WEEK 12, which is both more honest and much better handwriting. [Opens freezer. Admires label. Closes freezer. Opens it again just to look.]

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• American Academy of Dermatology: What can treat large facial pores?
• Cleveland Clinic: How to shrink pores
• Cleveland Clinic: Sebaceous filaments
• Lee et al. 2016, Facial pores: definition, causes, and treatment options (Dermatologic Surgery)
• Roh et al. 2006, Sebum output as a factor contributing to the size of facial pores (British Journal of Dermatology)
• Kim et al. 2013, Sebum, acne, skin elasticity, and gender difference and facial pores (Skin Research and Technology)
• Flament et al. 2015, Facial skin pores: a multiethnic study (Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology)
• Parvar et al. 2023, Treatment options for facial pores: a review (Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology)
• Dong, Lanoue and Goldenberg 2016, Enlarged facial pores: an update on treatments, part 1 (Cutis)
• Dong, Lanoue and Goldenberg 2016, Enlarged facial pores: an update on treatments, part 2 (Cutis)
• Draelos et al. 2006, The effect of 2% niacinamide on facial sebum production (Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy)
• NewBeauty: Debunking pore myths