"Your pore size is largely determined by genetics, but pores don't usually become visible until adolescence, as it's often hormones that drive the skin to produce more oil and in turn, clog the pores," confirmed Dr Hextall. "Dead skin and oil build-up can make the pores far more apparent by stretching them somewhat."
AGE. As you grow older, your skin loses it elasticity, which causes your skin to stretch and sag, making pores appear larger. Your skin also thickens as you age, which causes miniscule skin cells to gather around your pores, making pores look bigger.
Due to the slowing of that natural shedding process as we age, the excess skin, oils and debris remain trapped in the pores and continue to build up, causing the pores to expand and making them appear much larger than they actually are.
When oil collects in the pore and combines with dirt or makeup, the pore can become blocked. This blockage stretches the pore, making it look bigger. If the pore remains clogged, a pimple may develop. Genetics and the size of a person's pores help determine how active a person's sebaceous glands are.
Exfoliation, sun protection and professional treatments with an esthetician are your best bet. To help mitigate a slower desquamation process, incorporate gentle exfoliation into your daily skin care routine, along with professional peels that clear away build up of dead skin cells.
Can you reduce pore size? As your pore size is mostly a result of your genetics, you can't permanently shrink them. However, you can minimize their appearance by keeping them clear of oil and debris and boosting your skin's collagen and elastin. These steps also prevent pores from growing larger.
The main cause of an overproduction of sebum is hormonal imbalances, but can also be due to heat, exercise, genetics, dehydrated skin, and/or skin that's irritated from incorrect products.
"Retinoids clear clogged oil and dead skin cells to make pores appear smaller," Dr. Feely says. That explains why women noted improvements in their pore size when they applied a retinol every night for three months, according to a 2015 study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
“Large” pores are the ones you can see without a microscope. They can look like small dots on the skin of your face and can be caused by oil production in the pores, a loss of firmness in the skin due to aging, or clogged pores.
Applying ice cubes on the skin is one of the most effective ways to get rid of large pores. Ice has a tightening effect on the skin and that's what helps shrink the large pores. The remedy is very simple and it's a great hack to apply ice on your face before applying makeup.
Look for Acids
Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and lactic acid — in cleansers, lotions, or chemical peels — can all minimize the appearance of pores over time.
“In the realm of acne, retinoids bring out everything clogging your pores that are hiding underneath. The combination of retinoids' ability to increase cell turnover and unclog pores with everything being brought to the surface at once can result in temporary increased breakouts.”
“Squeezing, picking, pulling, prodding—all of that can stretch the elastic around the pores, which makes them wider and larger, and they won't bounce back into shape. Ultimately, your pores will look larger and become increasingly more visible. The perimeter of your pore is like the neck of a t-shirt.
Vitamin C is perfect for oily skin types because it minimizes the appearance of large pores, soothes temporary redness and promotes an even skin tone.
Hyaluronic acid serum tightens skin and minimizes pores so they shrink and become invisible over time. Smaller pores mean fewer clogs and breakouts.
Milk, butter, cheese and milk chocolate contain high levels of hormones which can lead to an increased production of oil and blocked pores. What to blocked pores leads to? Large pores! Dairy is also lined with acne and other skin conditions.
Pockmarks, which are also called pick marks or acne scars, are blemishes with a concave shape that can look like holes or indentations in the skin. They occur when the deeper layers of the skin become damaged. As these deeper layers heal, extra collagen is produced.
Nose pores are often bigger than other pores on your face because the oil-producing glands underneath your nose pores just happen to be larger than the glands on the rest of your face. Larger glands can produce more oil and larger pores, and larger pores mean a bigger area for dirt, oil, and debris to fall in.
Toners can help close pores and tighten cell gaps after cleansing, reducing the penetration of impurities and environmental contaminants into the skin. It can even protect and remove chlorine and minerals present in tap water. It acts like a moisturizer.
"Salicylic acid is oil soluble, meaning it's able to get inside pores to gently push out dead skin, bacteria, sebum, and any other pore-clogging debris." By removing that debris from your pores, your pores will appear smaller.