What pores actually are
A pore is the opening of a hair follicle. Inside it sits a sebaceous gland, which produces oil (sebum) to keep your skin from drying out.
So pores aren't a flaw. They're openings your skin needs. Every hair follicle has one, and you have roughly 20,000 on your face alone.
Here's the fact that saves a lot of money: pores don't open and close. They have no muscle. They cannot dilate or contract. Hot water doesn't open them, cold water doesn't close them, and no product can shrink them permanently.
What determines your pore size:
Genetics. The biggest factor by a distance. Some people simply have larger pores.
Oil production. More oil flowing through a pore stretches it over time. Oily skin means more visible pores.
Age. Skin loses collagen and elastin over the years, and the structure around each pore sags — so the pore loses its support and looks larger.
Sun damage. Accelerates that collagen loss.
What's inside them. A pore packed with oil and dead skin looks much bigger than an empty one.
Why pores look bigger than they are
Most "large pores" are really full pores. When a pore is plugged with oil and dead skin, it stretches, and the plug catches the light and casts a shadow.
Empty that pore, and it looks dramatically smaller — even though the pore itself hasn't changed at all.
This is the entire basis of pore treatment. You aren't shrinking anything. You're keeping them clear and supporting the collagen around them.
What genuinely works
Retinoids. The best thing you can do for pores, on two fronts. They increase cell turnover so pores don't clog, and they build collagen so the skin around each pore stays supported. Tretinoin, retinol, adapalene. Slow — give it 3–6 months — but it's the real answer.
Salicylic acid (BHA). Oil-soluble, so it gets inside the pore and dissolves the plug. Glycolic acid and other AHAs are water-soluble and only work on the surface — which is why salicylic is the right acid for pores specifically.
Niacinamide. Helps regulate oil and improves the appearance of pores. Gentle, and easy to add.
Sunscreen. Prevents the collagen loss that makes pores sag and gape. Boring, and it matters.
Clay masks. Absorb surface oil. The effect is temporary but real, and they're harmless.
Professional treatments — chemical peels, microneedling, RF microneedling, and lasers. These stimulate collagen around the pore, and they give the most visible improvement of anything on this list.
What doesn't work
Anything claiming to "shrink" or "close" pores. Pores have no muscle. They don't close. This is marketing, not biology.
Hot water to "open" pores, cold water to "close" them. Neither happens. Steam softens the contents of a pore, which makes extraction easier — that's all it does.
Pore strips. They pull out the top of the plug and leave the rest behind. It feels enormously satisfying and achieves very little. Worse, aggressive stripping can irritate skin and stretch pores over time.
Scrubbing harder. Physical scrubs work on the surface. The plug is inside the pore. You'll damage your barrier before you touch the plug.
"Pore vacuums." Mostly ineffective, and easy to bruise yourself with.
Blackheads and sebaceous filaments — not the same thing
This distinction saves a lot of frustration.
Blackheads are true clogs — oil and dead skin trapped in a pore, oxidized dark at the surface. They're raised, they feel gritty, and they can be treated.
Sebaceous filaments are the normal lining of an oil-producing pore. They look like small grey or tan dots, most often on the nose. They're flat, they're uniform, and they are supposed to be there. Squeeze one and it refills within about 30 days, because that's the pore doing its job.
Most people trying to eliminate the dots on their nose are fighting normal anatomy. You can reduce how visible they are — you cannot get rid of them, and squeezing them repeatedly stretches the pore and makes things worse.
FAQ
Can I shrink my pores?
Not permanently. Pore size is genetic. You can make them look smaller by keeping them clear and building collagen around them — which is a real, visible improvement, just not the same as shrinking them.
Do pores open and close?
No. They have no muscle. Hot water doesn't open them and cold water doesn't close them.
Do pore strips work?
Barely. They remove the top of the plug and leave the rest. Repeated use can irritate skin and stretch pores. Salicylic acid and a retinoid do far more.
Why is my nose covered in tiny dots?
Those are probably sebaceous filaments, not blackheads — the normal lining of an oil-producing pore. They're supposed to be there, and they refill within a month of being squeezed. Aim to reduce their appearance, not eliminate them.
What's the single best product for pores?
A retinoid. It unclogs pores and rebuilds collagen around them. Salicylic acid is a strong second.
Does drinking more water help?
No.
Does makeup make pores bigger?
Not inherently — but not removing it properly does, by leaving pores clogged. Remove your makeup and sunscreen at night.