Large pores
on your face
The diameter of a pore is fixed by your make-up, but how much they stand out depends on the skin around them. There is a lot to be done about that.
With peels, microneedling and a HydraFacial we empty the pores and smooth the skin around them. Together that makes them stand out a good deal less.
At Diba Clinics in Rotterdam we make large pores less visible. We clean them with a HydraFacial from € 170 or an OxyGeneo for € 150, and improve the structure of the surrounding skin with microneedling from € 180 or a laser peel for € 180. What helps most depends on your skin type and how much oil your skin produces.
Three things that
make pores visible
Three things decide how visible a pore is, and all three can be influenced with treatment and care.
Notice what does not happen: no opening gets smaller. They are exactly the same size in every position.
This is how it looks with none of them
Filled, stretched and shiny. This is the picture people walk in with, thinking the pore itself is too large.
Four pictures
The fourth picture is the one most often confused with large pores, and that costs people sessions of the wrong treatment.
Blackheads
open comedones- What you see
- Dark dots in the pores of the nose, chin and sometimes the forehead. They return after you remove them.
- What it means
- A pore filled with sebum and dead skin cells. The dark colour is not dirt but oxidation: the top layer changes colour in contact with air.
- What we do
- Emptying them visibly helps, but the pore fills up again. So it is about how fast that goes, not whether it happens.
This is not dirt and it does not come from not washing your face properly. Scrubbing harder usually makes it worse.
Small white bumps
closed comedones- What you see
- Skin-coloured to white bumps without a red rim, often on the forehead and jawline. You feel them before you see them.
- What it means
- The same blockage as with a blackhead, but the pore is closed at the top. So nothing oxidises and it stays light.
- What we do
- This takes patience and an approach that works on the keratinisation. Squeezing does not work and usually leaves a mark.
Many people call this acne and start cleansing aggressively. That dries the skin out, after which more oil comes.
Visibly wide pores
enlarged pores- What you see
- Openings that stand out on the cheeks and nostrils, often shaped like a teardrop rather than round.
- What it means
- The diameter goes with your make-up and the skin around it is less taut. The teardrop shape points to the second.
- What we do
- Here we work on the surrounding skin and on the shine on it. We leave the opening itself alone, because nothing can be done about that.
Pores do not open and close. They have no muscle, so steaming does not open them and cold water does not close them.
Dents that look like pores
atrophic scars- What you see
- Small dents on the cheeks and temples, usually more irregularly spread than pores and without an opening.
- What it means
- These are not pores but scars from earlier inflammation. A pore has an opening, a pit does not.
- What we do
- This belongs on the scars page and not here, because the approach is different. We would rather say it before you start the wrong treatment.
This is the most common misunderstanding on this page, and it costs people sessions on the wrong treatment.
Do you have red, inflamed spots as well? Then the story starts there, because working on pores in inflamed skin is mopping with the tap on.
To the acne pageWhat helps and what we advise against
Four of these habits people do at home convinced they help. Stopping them costs nothing and often makes the biggest difference.
This works
- Accepting that the diameter is fixed and steering on what does change. That makes a visible difference and saves you a run of disappointments.
- Cleansing consistently and mildly. Twice a day gently works better than once a week thoroughly.
- Working on the firmness of the surrounding skin, because that decides the shape of the opening.
- Knowing whether you are looking at pores or at dents. That difference decides the whole approach.
- Comparing photos under the same light. Pores always look worse in light from the side.
We advise against this
- Squeezing. You widen the opening and raise the chance of a mark or a small scar.
- Steaming to open pores. They have no muscle, so they do not open anywhere.
- Pore strips as a fixed habit. You pull the top layer off with it and the pore simply fills up again.
- Stacking strongly drying products. Dehydrated skin usually makes more oil instead.
- Booking a treatment on the promise of smaller pores. Ask what exactly changes then.
Why we measure under fixed light
Pores are the most sensitive of all subjects to how you look at them. In light falling from the side and up close everyone sees them; in ordinary daylight almost nobody does. So without a fixed set-up you are mostly measuring your lamp.
So we record them under the same lighting and at the same distance. Then a difference later is really a difference and not a different moment of the day.
More about the skin analysisWhat we measure here
- Visibility
- How strongly the openings stand out under fixed light
- Filling
- How many pores have a dark core
- Shine
- How much the surface reflects
Every axis is measured again at each check-up, under the same lighting. That way a difference later is something you see rather than something you have to take on faith.
What we use for this
HydraFacial
from € 170Cleansing, exfoliation and hydration. In one pass, visible straight away and with no recovery time.
OxyGeneo glow
€ 150Exfoliating and bringing oxygen into the skin, in one treatment.
Medical peels
from € 140From light to strong. The strength decides how deep it goes and how much you flake.
Microneedling with the SkinPen
from € 180Medically certified microneedling. It works on the layer where the structure of your skin sits.
Dermapen 4
from € 180Microneedling with vibrating needles that pass through the skin evenly.
FRAC3
On requestA fractional laser that goes deeper, for texture, pores and irregularities.
A superficial laser peel for smoother skin and more shine.
Fotona Resurfacing
€ 180Skin renewal with laser, for pores, texture and smoother skin.
Frequently asked questions
Can my pores really not get smaller?
The opening itself not permanently, no. That is tied to the oil gland beneath and to your make-up. What does change is how visible they are, and that is in the end what you see in the mirror.
Why do blackheads keep coming back?
Because the pore keeps doing what it is meant to do: produce oil. So emptying it is maintenance and not a solution. The question that counts is how fast it returns, and that can be steered.
Does steaming help?
Not to open pores, because there is no muscle there. Heat does make sebum more fluid, which makes emptying easier. That is something other than what is usually promised.
I have acne as well. Where do I start?
With the acne. As long as there is inflammation, working on pores is mopping with the tap on, and treating inflamed skin raises the chance of scars.
Do pore strips work?
For a moment. You pull the top of the plug off with it and it looks better straight away. The pore then simply fills up again, and with frequent use the skin around it gets irritated.
What does a treatment for large pores cost?
A HydraFacial costs from 170 euros and an OxyGeneo 150 euros. Microneedling with the SkinPen or the Dermapen 4 starts at 180 euros. Which treatment does the most for your skin, you hear during the consultation. It costs 50 euros; if you have a treatment in the same appointment, that amount comes off again.
Less visible is achievable.
Under fixed light we look at what you are looking at, whether it is pores or something else, and what can realistically be changed in your case.
Book a consultationNot sure yet? Ask your question