Medically reviewed by Derek Truong, NP, Medical Director at Infinite Medical Spa.
You can’t change the actual size of your pores, but you can make them look noticeably smaller. How big a pore looks comes down to three things: how much oil fills it, how firm the skin around it is, and your genetics. Skincare keeps pores clear. Treatments rebuild the collagen that holds them tight. Used together, that’s how people in London, Ontario get a real, visible change in large pores.
A 2016 review in Dermatologic Surgery named three main causes of enlarged pores: too much oil, loss of elasticity around the pore, and a larger hair follicle. Each cause needs a different fix, which is why a new cleanser on its own rarely does much. This guide covers what works at home, what works in the clinic, and how the two fit together. If you’d like to see every option for texture and clarity in one place, browse the full menu of skin treatments at Infinite Medical Spa.
No product or treatment makes a pore disappear. Pores are the openings of hair follicles, and each one connects to an oil gland underneath. Every face has them, and they’re there for a reason.
What changes is how visible they are. A pore looks bigger when it’s stretched with oil and dead skin, when the skin around it loses firmness, or when debris inside it turns dark. Cleveland Clinic dermatologist Jane Wu, MD, explains that genetics mostly decide pore size, but keeping pores clear and supporting collagen and elastin can minimize how they look. So the realistic goal is pores that look smaller and smoother. Not pores that are gone.
A 2006 study in the British Journal of Dermatology measured 60 volunteers and found that sebum, the skin’s natural oil, was the strongest predictor of pore size. That’s why pores usually show most on the nose, forehead and inner cheeks. Those areas have the most oil glands.
Collagen and elastin work like scaffolding around each pore. As they thin with age, the edges of the pore lose support and the opening looks wider. Pores that were never an issue at 25 can start to stand out years later, especially on the cheeks.
UV exposure breaks down collagen and elastin, according to Cleveland Clinic. Years of summers add up, even without a single bad burn.
Men tend to have oilier skin and more visible pores. Pores often become more noticeable from puberty on, and some women see them change across their cycle. Family genetics set the starting point for all of it.
The 2016 Dermatologic Surgery review lists chronic, recurring acne as another factor in pore size. Day to day, a clogged pore packed with oil and dead skin also looks larger and darker until it’s cleared.
Four ingredients do most of the work, and each one targets a different cause.
Give a routine about three months before judging it. The retinoid studies behind these numbers ran from 90 days to 24 weeks, because skin needs several renewal cycles before the change shows.
Infinite Medical Spa carries ZO Skin Health, a medical-grade line built around a first phase ZO calls Getting Skin Ready (GSR). Several GSR products line up directly with the ingredients above. A typical pore-focused routine looks like this.
Morning
Evening
Add one active at a time. Some redness, flaking or dryness is common in the first few weeks of retinol, and retinol makes skin more sensitive to the sun, so daily SPF isn’t optional. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, check with a provider before starting any retinoid.
You can look through the full ZO Skin Health range in the Infinite online shop. The right mix still depends on how oily and how sensitive your skin is, which is exactly what a skin assessment sorts out.
Some popular fixes make pores look different for a few minutes and then fade.
In-clinic treatments go further than skincare in one of two ways. Some clear the pore more deeply than you can at home. Others trigger new collagen in the skin around the pore, which is what makes the change last.
Hydrafacial combines a mild glycolic and salicylic acid peel with suction extractions, so blackheads come out without manual squeezing. Pores look clearer right away, and the glow lasts about a week. It doesn’t rebuild collagen, so it works best as monthly upkeep alongside home care. You can see what each Hydrafacial level includes at Infinite if congestion is your main concern.
Stronger exfoliation in the clinic can take things a step further. In a small study cited in the 2016 Cutis review, 22 women who had five 30% glycolic acid peels saw conspicuous pores improve by about 35% on average. Peels suit oily skin with mild texture and congestion.
Microneedling creates tiny, controlled channels in the skin that prompt it to make new collagen. As that collagen fills in around stretched pores, they look tighter. Cleveland Clinic notes that professional devices reach 1.5 to 2 mm, far deeper than at-home rollers at 0.5 mm or less. At Infinite, microneedling can be paired with a booster such as NCTF, and a series of three sessions spaced four to six weeks apart is typical for pores and texture.
RF microneedling sends radiofrequency heat through the needles, so it tightens deeper in the skin than standard microneedling. A 2024 study in Lasers in Medical Science followed 22 patients through three sessions of fractional microneedling radiofrequency for enlarged cheek pores. Blinded dermatologists rated the average pore grade improving from 3.55 to 2.59 on a six-point scale. Infinite uses the Potenza by Cynosure, and you can read how RF microneedling with Potenza works and what recovery looks like before deciding.
For pores that haven’t budged, especially alongside scarring, laser resurfacing can produce stronger results with more downtime. Cleveland Clinic notes it usually takes a series of treatments every four to eight weeks. It tends to be a later step, not a first one.
The best plan follows the cause behind your pores.
Most people have more than one cause, so plans often combine both. For many patients the first in-clinic step is a microneedling series, and you can see how microneedling with NCTF and other boosters works at Infinite Medical Spa before you book. A VISIA skin analysis scores pores separately from texture and compares them with people your age and skin type. That shows which cause is driving yours and gives you a baseline to measure progress against.
Infinite Medical Spa, London, Ontario
Every new patient at Infinite starts with a complimentary VISIA skin analysis and a treatment plan mapped by our team under Derek Truong, NP, Medical Director. You leave knowing what’s making your pores look bigger and which mix of skincare and treatment fits it, with no obligation to book treatment.
No. Heat softens the oil inside a pore and cold briefly tightens the skin around it, which is why a hot shower or an ice cube can change how pores look for a few minutes. The pore itself stays the same size.
Retinoids can make pores look smaller over time by speeding up skin turnover and supporting collagen. In a randomized trial of 568 people cited in the 2016 Cutis review, 42% of those using tazarotene 0.1% improved by at least one point on a physician-rated scale at 24 weeks, compared with 20% on placebo. Pores were one of the features assessed. Results build slowly, so consistency matters more than strength.
Most people need a series of three sessions, spaced four to six weeks apart, followed by maintenance two to three times a year. RF microneedling usually runs three to four sessions. If you’re deciding between the two, this guide to RF microneedling versus regular microneedling breaks down how they differ.
Not right away. Actives like retinol, exfoliating pads and scrubs are paused for the first few days after microneedling, and for at least 48 hours after RF microneedling. Your provider will tell you when to restart and in what order.
Partly. Genetics set your starting point, but oil, age, sun exposure and breakouts all change how visible pores become. That’s why two people with similar skin can see very different results from the same routine.
A good first step is the Infinite skin quiz, which suggests treatments that may suit your skin in a few minutes. It isn’t medical advice, and a consultation with a VISIA analysis is the real assessment.
This article was medically reviewed by Derek Truong, NP, Medical Director at Infinite Medical Spa in London, Ontario. It is for general education only and is not a substitute for a personal assessment. Results vary from person to person.
Derek Truong, NP — Medical Director, Infinite Medical Spa
Derek Truong is a Nurse Practitioner and the Medical Director at Infinite Medical Spa in London, Ontario. He sets our clinical standards and medically reviews our educational content for accuracy and safety. Learn more about our team.
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