In brief
- A pore is the opening of a hair follicle, into which a sebaceous gland opens. The size of that opening is largely fixed by your genetics.
- Three things make a pore more visible: sebum that stays in it, a rough surface and skin around it that loses firmness. You can do something about each of them.
- After a facial cleanse your pores are emptier straight away. Peels and microneedling then make them less noticeable, although they never become permanently smaller.
- In the skin analysis for €69.00 we look zone by zone at why your pores stand out. Then we decide together where you start.
Written by Nilay, owner and beauty therapist at Moons BeautyUpdated on
What a pore actually is
Every pore is the exit of a hair follicle, and a sebaceous gland opens into that follicle. Sebum comes up through the pore, the thin layer of oil that keeps your skin supple and protects it. So you do need pores.
On your nose, chin and forehead, together the T-zone, sit the largest sebaceous glands, and that is where the openings are largest too. On your cheeks you mainly see them next to your nose.
Many people search for open pores. And a pore is indeed always open, even when you can hardly see it. An empty pore on smooth, firm skin hardly stands out, but the same pore full of sebum on rough skin does.
- Pores you can already see at arm's length from the mirror
- Grey or dark dots on and beside your nose
- Foundation that sinks into your pores and turns them into dots
- Pores on your cheeks that seem to get bigger over the years
Why pores look bigger
Almost always there is more than one reason. Which one weighs heaviest for you determines where we start.
Genetics and hormones
How active your sebaceous glands are lies largely in your genes, and hormones stimulate them further. A lot of sebum usually goes together with larger pores, and so often with oily skin.
A full pore
Sebum and dead skin cells together form a little plug that fills the pore and stretches the opening slightly. On contact with air, the top turns dark. If your pores often get blocked, you will find more under blemish-prone skin.
A rough edge
If dead skin cells stay around the opening, the edge catches shadow and the pore looks deeper. In side lighting your skin then looks a little uneven, like the skin of an orange, and often dull too, as with dull skin.
Less firmness
Collagen and elastin keep the skin around your pores taut. Over the years you produce less of them, so pores sag a little, especially on your cheeks. It is the same process as with fine lines.
Years of sun
In the long run sunlight damages collagen and thickens the top layer of skin, which makes pores more visible. Part of that radiation gets through clouds and glass, so sun protection counts all year round.
Squeezing them yourself
If you squeeze pores empty, you stretch the opening. If it then becomes inflamed, a little dent can be left behind that looks like a large pore. Such a little scar needs a different approach, see acne scars.
Nose, cheeks or chin a different cause in each zone
Where your pores stand out says a lot about where it comes from. That's why we look zone by zone in the analysis.
| Topic | What you see | Usually because of | What helps most |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nose | Grey dots and blackheads | Large sebaceous glands and sebaceous filaments | Cleansing in the salon, salicylic acid at home |
| Cheeks | Pores that seem to get larger and more elongated over the years | Less firmness and years of sun | Microneedling and sun protection every day |
| Chin and jawline | Full pores, sometimes with bumps underneath | Hormones and blockages | Cleansing, and building up gently with peels |
| Forehead | Small bumps and a rough surface | Hair products, a fringe or a helmet | Cleansing thoroughly in the evening, and a peel |
If you recognise more than one row, that is common. In the analysis we decide together where to start.
What you can and can't change
How big a pore is, you were largely born with. A product that promises to shrink your pores in practice makes them temporarily less visible. A primer fills the opening for an evening, and a mattifying cream takes the shine away. After you wash it off, everything is back to how it was.
What you can change in a lasting way is what happens around that opening. You see an empty pore much less than a full one, and a smooth edge catches less shadow than a rough one. Firm skin around it keeps the opening taut, so it doesn't sag. That is what we work on, in that order.
Those gains add up. You see a cleanse the same day, the firmness that microneedling builds only after months. In between, a few peels make your skin smoother.
Treatments for enlarged pores at Moons
We work from the outside in: first we remove what is in the pore, then we make the skin around it smoother and, where needed, firmer. Where we start with you, we agree in the skin analysis.
Quick cleansing
€59.00We cleanse twice and loosen blockages with mild acids and steam. Then we remove blackheads by hand. Handy between other treatments, if your pores fill up quickly.
45 minutesevery 4 to 6 weeksViewFull cleansing
€75.00The same cleanse in an hour, with more time for the handwork and a cooling hydrojelly mask afterwards. Choose this if your nose and chin are full of blackheads.
60 minutesevery 4 to 6 weeksViewAcne treatment
€75.00For blocked pores on skin that is also unsettled. After a mild peel, steam softens the blockages so that we can remove them gently. LED therapy and a mask then calm your skin.
50 minutes4 to 6 times, every 4 weeksViewMandelic acid 30%
€89.00Mandelic acid is a fruit acid with a large molecule, so it works more gently than glycolic acid. It smooths the edge of your pores, and succinic acid and centella help with a calm recovery. It also suits sensitive skin.
50 minutes4 to 6 times, every 2 to 4 weeksViewHerbal peel
€79.00We massage the Ado herbal peel, a mixture of ground sponge, algae and herbs, into your skin. That wakes it up and prompts it to make new collagen and elastin. In the days after, your skin exfoliates by itself.
50 minutesViewNiacinamide+ (microneedling)
€89.00With the Dermapen, fine needles make tiny channels, which lets ten per cent niacinamide reach deep into your skin. That active ingredient works on pores and redness, and new collagen gives the skin around your pores support.
50 minutes4 to 6 times, every 4 weeksView
After a peel or microneedling you can add twenty minutes of LED therapy, for €20.00. The light calms your skin.
How we empty your pores
With the Quick and the Full cleansing, the emptying is done by hand, and we take our time over it. The order is always the same.
Cleansing twice
We start with make-up, sun cream and everything your skin has picked up that day. The second cleanse is for your skin itself, so that we can get to the pore.
Loosening with acid and steam
Mild acids loosen the dead skin cells around the opening. Then steam softens the sebum, so that a blockage gives way and little force is needed.
By hand, pore by pore
We remove blackheads and blockages carefully. If a spot is inflamed, we skip it and work around it, so your skin stays unbroken.
Calming the skin
After the Quick cleansing you get a serum and a day cream, with a mask if you feel like one. The Full cleansing ends with a hydrojelly mask, a short massage and care that gives moisture.
From cleansing to microneedling side by side
They differ in what they do, in how your skin looks in the days afterwards and in price.
| Topic | Works mainly on | Afterwards | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick cleansing | Full pores, in a short time | Clean straight away | €59.00 |
| Full cleansing | Lots of blackheads | Clean and relaxed | €75.00 |
| Acne treatment | Blocked pores on unsettled skin | Slightly red for a few hours | €75.00 |
| Mandelic acid 30% | A rough edge, also on sensitive or darker skin | Sometimes a few flakes for a few days | €89.00 |
| Herbal peel | Rough, dull skin with enlarged pores | After three to four days your skin sheds by itself | €79.00 |
| Niacinamide+ (microneedling) | Firmness, redness and small marks | Red for one to two days | €89.00 |
If you don't know which to choose, book the first skin appointment first. A treatment is included straight away.
How soon your pores become less noticeable
Your top layer of skin is renewed after about four weeks. You see the progress at that rhythm too.
Straight after a cleanse
Empty and smooth
Your pores are empty and your skin feels smooth. The areas where we worked sometimes stay a little pink for a few hours. Save exercise and sauna for the next day.
Day 2 to 5 after a peel
Sometimes a few flakes
Your skin may flake lightly for a few days, especially around your nose and mouth. Leave the flakes be and don't scrub. By around day five to seven your skin looks smoother, and pores catch less shadow on it.
After 4 to 8 weeks
Pores fill up more slowly
After the second or third treatment it takes longer for a pore to fill up again, and foundation stays on better. Compare with a photo from the start, because from day to day you hardly notice such a difference.
After 3 months
Firmness around the pore
After a course of microneedling the skin around your pores is firmer, especially on your cheeks. Collagen builds up slowly, also in the months after your last treatment.
After that
Maintenance keeps it up
Your skin keeps making sebum, so pores fill up again by themselves. With a cleanse every four to six weeks and your routine at home, the picture stays calm. In summer they stand out a little sooner.
Your routine at home for cleaner pores
Between two treatments your routine does the work, and it doesn't have to be long. Which step goes where is explained in the order of your skincare.
Morning
- Wash your face with lukewarm water, and use a mild gel cleanser if your skin already shines when you get up
- Apply a serum with niacinamide, which tempers shine and makes pores less noticeable
- Choose a light gel or cream that gives moisture, and don't skip your T-zone
- Finish with sun protection SPF 30 or higher, because UV makes the skin around your pores less firm
Evening
- If you wear make-up or sun protection, dissolve it first with an oil or balm and follow with your gel cleanser
- Use salicylic acid on two or three evenings a week. This BHA dissolves in sebum and so gets right into the pore
- If you use retinol, put it on a different evening from your acid
- Finish with a light cream, on the evenings without an active product too
If you use a primer that fills pores, cleanse extra well in the evening, otherwise the pore actually fills up with it. Feel free to bring your products to your first appointment.
Good to know about enlarged pores
Cold water only tightens your skin for a moment
After a splash of cold water or an ice cube, the blood vessels and your skin contract for a moment, and everything looks tighter. Within a few minutes that is gone, and nothing changes about the opening itself.
A pore strip mostly takes the top
A strip pulls off the tops of sebaceous filaments and loose skin cells, and on the little strip that looks impressive. The part that sits deeper stays behind. After a short time your nose is back to how it was.
A scrub only works on the surface
Grains don't get into the pore. Scrubbing hard does make your skin red and rough, and on rough skin pores actually stand out more. An acid loosens dead skin cells more evenly.
Visible pores on your nose are completely normal
The largest sebaceous glands sit on your nose, so almost everyone has visible pores there. In a magnifying mirror it looks worse than it is. At a normal distance nobody looks at your skin like that.
What does it cost to treat enlarged pores?
You pay per treatment in the salon, in cash or by card. The table shows roughly what a course costs. If you're coming for the first time, you pay €69.00 for the first skin appointment.
| Treatment | Per session | Usual course | Full course (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acne treatment | €75.00 | 4 to 6 sessions | €300.00 to €450.00 |
| Mandelic acid 30% | €89.00 | 4 to 6 sessions | €356.00 to €534.00 |
| Niacinamide+ (microneedling) | €89.00 | 4 to 6 sessions | €356.00 to €534.00 |
See this as a guide. A Quick or Full cleansing you book separately, as maintenance every four to six weeks. We agree the rhythm of the herbal peel as soon as we know how your skin reacts to it, with at least a month in between and at most four times a year. Cosmetic treatments are not covered by insurance, and you can find all prices on the prices page.
When to see your GP first?
Have your GP look at your skin first if your pores or your skin change in a short time for no clear reason, if there is a bump that doesn't go away after a few weeks or gets bigger, or if you have inflammations that are deep, painful or keep coming back. The same applies to a spot that grows or changes colour. If you use isotretinoin or another medication for your skin, or you are pregnant, let us know beforehand and we will take that into account. A mild cleanse is often still possible then.
Frequently asked questions about enlarged pores
Where can I have enlarged pores treated in Enschede?
Moons Beauty is at Haaksbergerstraat 302 in Enschede. You can park for free right outside. You start with the first skin appointment of sixty minutes, in which we look at your skin and treat it straight away. Afterwards you know which steps suit your skin. If you have a question beforehand, you can send us a WhatsApp on +31 6 12 02 42 00.
Can I have my pores made permanently smaller?
No, the size of the opening is largely something you were born with, and it doesn't change permanently. Making them less visible is possible, though. An empty pore on smooth, firm skin stands out far less than a full pore on rough skin, and that is what we work towards in the salon.
Why do my pores get bigger as I get older?
Over the years your skin makes less collagen and elastin, the fibres that keep the skin around your pores taut. The wall of the pore gets less support and sags a little, especially on your cheeks. Years of sun speed that up. Daily sun protection and microneedling, which stimulates collagen production, help most here.
What helps best against enlarged pores?
For full pores on your nose and chin, a Quick or Full cleansing is the first step. If your skin feels rough, a peel with mandelic acid or the herbal peel makes the surface smoother. If your pores get bigger over the years, or your skin is also red, microneedling with niacinamide suits best. We often alternate peels and microneedling.
What are the grey dots on my nose?
Usually those are sebaceous filaments: sebum that fills the pore and sticks out of it a little. They are part of normal skin, and after emptying they come back by themselves. With regular cleansing and salicylic acid they stay smaller and less grey. A blackhead is bigger and darker and really stuck, and those we remove in the salon.
Can I squeeze out blackheads and sebaceous filaments myself?
We'd rather you didn't. With your fingers or nails you partly push the sebum further in, and you stretch the opening. That causes red marks, and sometimes an inflammation that leaves a little dent. In the salon we first soften the sebum with acid and steam, so that it comes loose easily.
Can I wear make-up straight after a treatment?
After a cleanse you're best off leaving make-up off that day, because your pores have just been emptied. After a peel you wait twenty-four hours. After microneedling you can wear make-up from day three, although it's best to wait two weeks. So don't plan your appointment right before a party.
What does a treatment for enlarged pores cost at Moons Beauty?
Your first appointment is the skin analysis, for €69.00. A Quick cleansing costs €59.00, a Full cleansing €75.00 and the Acne treatment €75.00. For mandelic acid you pay €89.00, for the herbal peel €79.00 and for microneedling with niacinamide €89.00. You pay per session, in the salon.
Treatments for enlarged pores
