How to Get Rid of Enlarged Pores: Skincare vs Clinic Treatment

I'm Dr. Hongseok Kim, a board-certified dermatologist with 21 years of practice and the medical director of VOS Dermatology Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, right in front of Dosan Park. At VOS I see every patient myself, from the first consultation to the treatment itself.

Pores are one of the most common reasons people come to me, and the question is almost always how to get rid of enlarged pores. Many arrive tired. They have tried cold-water rinses, nose strips, niacinamide and retinol, and the pores are still there. So instead of another list of five ways to shrink pores, I drew a clear line between what works and what does not, and referred to the research along the way. This page is based on my YouTube video from August 2026; I rewrote it for readers abroad. The video above can be watched with translated captions.

Not all enlarged pores are the same

Short answer: "enlarged pores" is one word for at least five different problems, which is why one product rarely fixes them.

Some people produce a lot of oil. Some have pores packed with oil and dead skin, so they stand out. Some have little oil but naturally large pores. Some notice pores looking stretched as the skin loses firmness and support. And people who had acne often have scars mixed in with their pores (in the video at 00:43).

Reviews of pore research keep returning to the same factors: how much oil the skin makes, the size and structure of the pore itself, and skin elasticity. More oil was linked with more visible pores, while some studies found little link with age. A multi-ethnic study of about 2,500 women also found that pore size and density varied a lot from person to person, even in normal skin. With causes this different, a single "just use this" answer does not hold up.

How to get rid of enlarged pores with skincare: what it can and cannot do

Short answer: skincare can make pores look less obvious by managing oil and clogging, but it does not change the pore's structure.

That does not mean skincare is useless (in the video at 01:43). If you are oily and get whiteheads, good oil and exfoliation care can make your pores far less noticeable.

• Niacinamide. In a clinical trial, 2% niacinamide reduced oil production. It is fair to say it helps control oil. It is a leap to say that less oil means the pore itself has shrunk.
• Retinoids. Tretinoin has solid evidence for acne and sun-related ageing, and some studies show better texture and pore appearance. I read that as smoother skin, fewer whiteheads and less sun damage making pores look smaller, not the structure disappearing.
• Salicylic acid. It is oil-soluble and loosens dead skin inside the pore, so it helps with blackheads and clogged contents.
• Nose strips. They physically pull out oil and debris from the pore opening. They do not remove the oil gland, so the pore fills again within days. They are not failing; they were never able to shrink the pore.

If you want a wider overview of the clinic options, my guide to Korean pore treatment covers them side by side.

Skin botox: useful for oily pores, not an answer for every pore

Short answer: skin botox can help pores that are driven by heavy oil, but results vary between studies and it does little for pores caused by structure, sagging or scars.

Skin botox means placing very small amounts of botulinum toxin just under the skin surface (in the video at 03:54). Some studies that tracked oil and pores after this approach saw pores improve along with oil. Others found that oil reduction was less clear, or that the pore change was limited or temporary.

Oil affects pores, but saying every enlarged pore is caused by oil is a different claim. If your pore opening is naturally large, if the skin around it has lost support, or if acne scars are mixed in, reducing oil still leaves a problem. My skin botox guide explains who it suits and how often it is repeated.

Pore tightening in Korea: treatments that work on the skin around the pore

Short answer: when pores look stretched because skin has lost firmness, tightening or regenerating the surrounding dermis makes sense, but the direct pore evidence for each treatment is still modest.

Ultherapy Prime delivers focused ultrasound to create tiny heat points that prompt tissue remodelling and tightening (in the video at 04:32). There is some pore-related clinical data, but it is hard to say the evidence supports it as a stand-alone pore treatment. What is reasonable is that pores can look better as overall skin quality improves.

Sofwave heats the mid-dermis at about 1.5mm with ultrasound, stimulating collagen and elastic fibres. Clinical and tissue studies have shown improved elasticity with collagen and elastin changes. For pores that look stretched because of lost elasticity, firming the dermis around them is a sound mechanism. Repeated trials that measure pores as the main outcome are still lacking, although patients do often tell me their pores look smaller.

Needle RF places fine needles into the skin and delivers radiofrequency heat from inside to build collagen (in the video at 06:09). In one analysis of about 75 patients, pores improved and results were better with repeated sessions. Head-to-head pore comparisons are limited, but the mechanism is clear. My RF microneedling guide goes into sessions and downtime.

Rejuran and ECM boosters aim to improve the skin around the pore rather than simply close the opening, and the early data is encouraging but small. The approach to pores has been shifting (in the video at 06:51). Earlier, the goal was mostly to make the opening smaller. Now more treatments try to improve the skin environment itself. A well-known example is polynucleotide, which at VOS means Rejuran. In one study of 30 people given three injections four weeks apart, pore volume fell by roughly 35–40%. That looks impressive, but it is a single small study, so I would not promise that three sessions shrink pores by 40%. It needs to be repeated.

Another newer option uses an extracellular matrix (ECM) from human acellular dermal matrix, meaning dermal components with the cells removed. Interestingly, studies looked beyond photos and found changes in fibroblasts, matrix production and new collagen. Still, this is an early stage: independent studies, larger groups and long-term follow-up are needed before strong claims.

Korea skin treatment or skincare: which approach fits your type of pore

Short answer: start by working out why your pores look enlarged, then choose skincare, treatment or both.

Before you search for products or devices, think about the cause (in the video at 08:24):

• Lots of oil, acne or whiteheads: good oil control with skincare comes first. If pores stand out mainly because of oil, skin botox is worth considering.
• Loss of firmness and support with age: improving the dermis matters, so needle RF or ultrasound treatments such as Ultherapy Prime or Sofwave are options.
• Texture and the skin environment: polynucleotide or ECM treatments can be added alongside.
• Acne scars mixed in: this is not simple pore treatment. It needs a scar-treatment approach, especially on the nose, where scars can look like large pores. That takes longer.

If you would like to see how a real case was planned, one patient's redness, pores and uneven tone review walks through it.

Pores can be improved, not erased

Short answer: you can make pores look less obvious, but you cannot make them disappear, and that difference should guide what you spend on.

I know this video sounds less hopeful than most pore videos (in the video at 09:36). I think accuracy matters more, so if you searched how to get rid of enlarged pores, the honest answer is: you can make them much less visible, not remove them. There is no reason to push treatment on someone whose pores will improve with skincare, and it is wrong to tell someone with a structural problem that a cream will solve it.

When a new product or treatment claims to help pores, I ask four questions: does the mechanism make sense, has it been confirmed in people, has it been repeated across studies, and how established is it clinically? Very few pore claims pass all four yet. More patient stories are on our influencer reviews page.

If you visit our Gangnam clinic, I first check your skin at consultation and plan any treatment around your travel dates. Before booking, send us on WhatsApp a clear daylight photo of your face without make-up, close-ups of the areas that bother you, your skincare routine, any past treatments, and your travel dates. That helps me judge which type of pore you have.

Results vary from person to person, and the right plan for you is decided at an in-person consultation.

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Results, swelling and recovery vary from person to person. This page is general information from VOS Dermatology Clinic based on Dr. Kim's video and does not replace an in-person consultation.