“I have huge pores” is one of the things I hear most in my practice, especially from patients with oily skin. Large pores on the face show up most on the nose, cheeks and forehead, and they usually come with blackheads and shine. The good news is that their appearance can almost always improve. The bad news is that no product makes them disappear. Here is why they get bigger and what actually works.
What are large pores?
A pore is the opening of a hair follicle, the tiny channel that carries sebum from the sebaceous glands and fine hair to the surface. Everyone has pores, and skin needs them to stay lubricated. Enlarged pores, often called open pores, are simply pores that look bigger than usual, visible without leaning into the mirror.
“Open pores” is a misleading name. A pore doesn’t open or close like a door. What changes is how much the opening stretches and how much it shows, and that depends on what is inside it and on how firm the surrounding skin is.
What causes large pores?
Oily skin and excess sebum
This is the number one cause. Oily skin produces more sebum, and that excess oil widens the pore opening on its way out. That is why enlarged pores concentrate in the T-zone (forehead, nose and chin), where sebaceous glands are densest. A tendency to oily skin is largely genetic, and it also shifts with hormones.
Clogged pores: blackheads and dead skin cells
When sebum mixes with dead skin cells and dirt, it forms a plug inside the pore. The plug stretches it and, as it oxidizes in contact with air, turns dark: that is a blackhead. A clogged pore looks larger and darker than a clean one, even when its actual size is the same.
Sun damage, age and collagen loss
With age, skin loses collagen and elasticity, and the edge of the pore is no longer held taut, so the pore looks wider and more elongated. Unprotected sun exposure speeds up that collagen loss, which is why sun-damaged skin tends to show more pores and a rougher texture.
Large pores on the nose
The nose is where pores show the most. It has a high concentration of sebaceous glands, so it produces a lot of oil, and in a nose with large pores most of them hold a blackhead. Squeezing them makes things worse: it irritates the skin, can leave marks and doesn’t remove the whole plug.
Can you shrink or get rid of large pores?
No, and be wary of any product that promises to. A pore can’t be closed because it has no muscle to move it. What you can do is make it look smaller:
- Keep it clean. A pore without a plug of sebum and dead skin cells regains its shape and shows less.
- Control excess oil, so it doesn’t fill up again so quickly.
- Protect your collagen from the sun, so the edge of the pore stays firm.
If you are looking for how to get rid of large pores, the honest answer is that you don’t get rid of them, you keep them under control. And because sebum keeps coming, the care has to be ongoing.
A simple routine that helps at home
A simple skin care routine does more than a shelf full of products:
- Cleanse your face morning and night with a gentle cleanser for your skin type. Washing too often or with harsh products dries the surface, and the skin answers with more oil.
- Exfoliate in moderation. Removing dead skin cells helps prevent plugs, but exfoliating every day irritates. A few times a week is enough.
- Moisturize, even if your skin is oily, with light products that don’t clog pores.
- Wear sunscreen every day, because the sun breaks down the collagen that keeps the edge of the pore firm.
- Don’t squeeze blackheads. It is the fastest way to inflame the skin and leave marks.
DIY remedies such as lemon, baking soda or kitchen masks don’t close pores, and they can irritate your skin.
Large pores treatment in the clinic
When a home routine isn’t enough, or there are many built-up blackheads, the next step is a professional treatment.
Deep facial cleansing with HydraFacial
A deep facial cleansing with HydraFacial combines microdermabrasion, extraction of impurities and an infusion of actives chosen for your skin type. It unclogs pores and removes blackheads that you can’t reach at home, and your skin leaves brighter, with visibly cleaner pores, the same day. For oily or acne-prone skin it is usually repeated every 3 to 4 weeks, and every 4 to 6 weeks otherwise. A session takes 60 to 90 minutes, so it also fits into a short trip to Bogotá. Prices start at COP 200,000 (≈ USD 70); see the details of our deep facial cleansing in Bogotá.
If you also have superficial dark marks along with enlarged pores, another option is Blackpeel, a Nd:YAG Q-Switch laser with carbon that we use for superficial spots and enlarged pores. At your assessment I’ll look at your skin and tell you which one makes sense for you.
My recommendation
If large pores bother you, start with the basics: gentle cleansing, exfoliation without overdoing it and sunscreen every day, and leave your blackheads alone. If after a few weeks they are just as visible, a professional cleansing and an assessment will tell you what your skin needs and how often.
Dr. Tatiana Leal is an aesthetic medicine specialist in Bogotá, Colombia.
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Large pores: what my patients ask most
Does hot water open pores?
No. Pores have no muscle, so heat can't open them and cold water can't close them. Warm water and steam soften the sebum inside the pore, which can make cleansing easier, and cold water may make pores look slightly smaller for a short while. Neither changes their real size.
Can you get rid of large pores permanently?
No. Pores are a normal part of the skin: they let sebum reach the surface. What you can do is reduce how visible they are by keeping them clean, controlling excess oil, exfoliating in moderation, wearing sunscreen every day and getting professional cleansings that unclog them. Because sebum keeps being produced, the care has to be ongoing.
Why are the pores on my nose so big?
The nose has more sebaceous glands than almost any other part of the face, so it produces more oil. That sebum mixes with dead skin cells, fills the pore, stretches it and darkens at the surface into a blackhead. That is why nose pores are usually the most visible.
What treatment helps large pores?
In the clinic, a deep facial cleansing with HydraFacial unclogs pores and removes impurities and blackheads; for oily or acne-prone skin it is usually repeated every 3 to 4 weeks. When there are also superficial dark marks, Blackpeel is another option. At your assessment I'll tell you which one suits your skin.