The main causes of enlarged pores can be divided into two categories: excessive sebum production and decreased elasticity of the dermis layer. During puberty or in your 20s, the sebaceous glands become more active, and the pore openings physically expand to release large amounts of sebum. In contrast, from your 30s onward, aging causes a reduction in collagen in the dermis layer that supports the area around the pores, leading to pores that sag downward under gravity, forming a teardrop shape. If acne inflammation or the habit of squeezing pores is added, the pore walls become damaged, making the enlargement more fixed.
What Really Causes Enlarged Pores?
Can Enlarged Pores Really Be Reduced?
Pores are normal anatomical structures of the skin, so they cannot be completely erased with lasers. However, it is certainly possible to significantly reduce their size by strengthening the support of the surrounding tissue. Enlarged pores are like a stretched rubber band where the elasticity of the pore wall has already decreased. Therefore, methods that only shave off or smooth the surface have a short duration of effect. By repeatedly performing treatments that fill the deep dermis with new collagen and tighten the pores from the inside, you can see pores that are noticeably finer.
Why Combine Sebum Control and Collagen Regeneration for Pore Treatment?
This is because sebum and collagen act like an accelerator and a brake for pore enlargement. If you only reduce sebum production, pores may appear smaller temporarily, but the elasticity of the already stretched pore walls will not recover. Conversely, even if you fill collagen to tighten the pores, if you do not suppress the sebum that is secreted, the excess sebum will push the pores open again and widen them. Therefore, combining both reducing enlargement (sebum control) and firm tightening (collagen regeneration) maximizes the pore-reducing effect and helps maintain it stably.
What Procedures Do Dermatology Clinics Offer for Pore Improvement?
- Collagen regeneration devices and lasers (Pico Fractional, needle RF, ResurFX, etc.): These deliver micro-stimulation or radiofrequency heat energy into the skin to induce collagen and elastin production. They range from Pico Fractional or ResurFX, which are advantageous for improving surface texture, to needle RF, which targets the deep dermis directly with micro-needles to tighten sagging pore walls, and are applied according to the skin condition.
- Sebaceous gland suppression treatments (AGNES, Gold PTT, etc.): When excessive sebum production is the cause, special needles (AGNES) or micro-gold particles and lasers (Gold PTT) are used to shrink and suppress the sebaceous glands themselves, which are the root cause of pore enlargement.
- Skin Boosters (JUVELOOK, Re2O®, etc.): When the problem is thinning of the skin itself, these treatments induce collagen production (JUVELOOK) or directly replenish key structural components of the dermis (Re2O®) to fill and lift the dense density around the pores.
- Needle-free injectors (Mirajet, Skinjet, etc.): These devices use strong pressure to evenly penetrate Skin Booster medication into the dermis without needles. In addition to the drug delivery effect, the physical impact applied to the skin during injection itself provides micro-stimulation, strongly inducing regeneration of the tissue around the pores, creating a two-in-one effect.
Can Home Care Products or Habits Reduce Pores?
It is difficult to fundamentally reduce already enlarged and sagging pores with home care alone. However, it plays a very important role in maintaining the treatment effect for a long time and preventing pores from widening further.
In terms of ingredients, cosmetics containing retinoids (vitamin A), which help regulate dead skin cells and stimulate collagen, or niacinamide, which helps prevent pore enlargement by suppressing excessive sebum production, can be helpful. Above all, ultraviolet rays destroy collagen in the skin and are a major cause of sagging pores, so diligently applying sunscreen when going out is the most basic and excellent preventive habit for protecting pores.
