Pores and skin texture in Daegu — how far can skin boosters change them?
“Pore reduction” is one of the most common claims in skin booster advertising. Yet the evidence that tested pores as the primary outcome is thin across every class, and pores do not appear in the wording of any Korean approved indication. That does not mean nothing changes, so we have separated what can change from what cannot.
The short answer
The pores skin boosters are pointed at are those that have stretched because the dermis has thinned and lost firmness. When a class that targets dermal density adds supporting strength, a change in the direction of stretched pores casting less noticeable shadows is explained in principle. By contrast, pores whose openings are widened by sebum, pores blocked by keratin, and scar-related unevenness are not direct targets for boosters. We know of no human data confirming that “pore size itself shrinks permanently”; there are studies that measured pores as one of several endpoints, such as the Re2O split-face trial, but none tested pores as the primary outcome.
Pores look large for several reasons
| Cause | How it works | Direction for skin boosters |
|---|---|---|
| Thinning dermis and stretching | Less support, so pores stretch vertically and cast shadows | Fits — targets dermal density |
| Loss of firmness from photoageing | Pores stretch into a teardrop shape | Fits |
| Sebum secretion | Openings look widened | Not a direct target |
| Keratin build-up | Openings blocked and prominent | The territory of skin care |
| Scar-related unevenness | Light scatters and texture looks broken | Treatments aimed at scars — lasers and others |
“Shrinks pore size itself” and “makes stretched pores less noticeable” are different sentences. What the data support is closer to the second.
What has been confirmed, class by class
| Class | What was confirmed | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Re2O (hADM) | A split-face double-blind randomised trial measured several endpoints including pores | 20 people · 20 weeks; pores were not the primary outcome |
| BYRYZN (cross-linked HA) | Significant improvement in roughness, pore size and hydration measures in a 20-person pilot | No control group · 12 weeks |
| Rejuran (PN) | A class aimed at texture, fine lines and hydration | No data measuring pores as the primary variable found |
| GOURI (liquid PCL) | No published data evaluating pores as the primary outcome found | — |
| Microsphere PCL (for reference) | Dermal thickness +26.7% ± 9.3% at one year (13 people) | Dermal thickness data, not pore data |
Rewriting “the dermis became thicker” as “pores became smaller” is the most common overreach in this area. The two sentences are different.
How skin texture is different
Skin texture is a concern that fits the direction of skin boosters better than pores do. Rough, dull texture is often a matter of dermal hydration and density, so BYRYZN, which holds water, Rejuran, which addresses the recovery environment, and hADM, which supplies material, each approach it by a different route.
- You want hydration to improve quickly — BYRYZN. The injected material holds water straight away, so change tends to be felt early, but it returns to baseline once broken down.
- You want to address thin, reactive skin itself — Rejuran. The skin has to do the work, so it takes several weeks.
- Density has broken down and material is needed — Re2O · CellREDM.
When several causes are mixed the approach may be several too, but when several are done together it is impossible afterwards to separate which one worked. When the cause narrows to one, we do one.
How to choose by pore and texture concern
| Concern | Consider first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Stretched, teardrop-shaped pores on the cheeks | Dermal boosters (Re2O · Rejuran) | Adds supporting strength |
| Rough, dull texture with inner tightness | BYRYZN or Rejuran | Hydration · recovery environment |
| Oily pores on the nose and forehead | Discuss sebum and keratin care | Not a direct target for boosters |
| Unevenness from acne scars | Discuss scar treatment | Not booster territory |
| Stretching and scars together | Separate the causes and plan an order | Mixing everything at once makes assessment difficult |
Summary
What is established
- Causes of large-looking pores divide into thinning dermis, loss of firmness, sebum, keratin and scars
- Significant improvement in a pore size measure in the 20-person BYRYZN pilot (no control group)
- The Re2O split-face trial measured pores as one of several endpoints
What we could not find
- A randomised skin booster trial with pores as the primary outcome
- Human data showing pore size shrinks permanently
- A booster whose Korean approved indication includes pores
Pores and skin texture in Daegu: frequently asked questions
Will skin boosters make my pores smaller?
A change in the direction of stretched pores becoming less noticeable is explained in principle, but the data testing pores as the primary outcome are thin. Pores widened by sebum and scar-related unevenness are not direct targets for boosters.
For pores, is Rejuran or Re2O better?
No study has compared the two directly on pores. The Re2O split-face trial measured pores as one of several endpoints, and Rejuran is a class aimed at texture and hydration. We first look at why the pores have stretched.
Will my pores become permanently smaller?
We know of no human data confirming that pores become permanently smaller.
What comes first for improving skin texture?
To improve hydration quickly, BYRYZN; to address thin, reactive skin itself, Rejuran; if density has broken down, the hADM class is considered first.
Is it better to combine several pore treatments?
It has not been shown that combining is better. We consider combining when causes are mixed, but when several are done together it is impossible to separate which worked, so if there is one cause we do one treatment.
Read next
- Pores — what treatment can and cannot reduce
- Skin texture — what explains about 80% of perceived facial age
- BYRYZN, Rejuran or Re2O — choosing among three skin boosters in Daegu
- BYRYZN in Daegu — where it sits between filler and skin booster
- Skin boosters in Daegu — what has to be settled before the product name
Product pages
Related product references: Re2O · Rejuran · BYRYZN · Collagen boosters compared
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by Lee Chi-Hak, MD, medical director of Miso Clinic in Daegu, South Korea. Every study cited above is given together with its design, its size and the limitations the authors themselves recorded, and where we could not find data, we have said that we could not find any.
| Medical director | Lee Chi-Hak, MD |
|---|---|
| Address | 4F Bombom Building, 125 Dongdeok-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea · Exit 1, Kyungpook National University Hospital Station |
| Phone | +82-53-428-2700 |
| Hours | Weekdays 11:00–19:00 (lunch 13:00–14:00) / Saturday 10:00–16:00 (no lunch break) / Closed Sundays and public holidays |
| Columns | All clinical columns |
| Reference library | All booster and device references |
References
- Re2O split-face trial — Severance Hospital, Yonsei University; split-face, double-blind randomised trial (NCT07155278), International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2026. 20 subjects · 20 weeks · Re2O on one side, hyaluronic acid on the other. Exploratory in scale.
- BYRYZN human study — Lee JH et al., J Cosmet Dermatol 2024;23(2):409–416, DOI 10.1111/jocd.15944. Prospective · single centre · single-arm pilot, 20 subjects (mean age 54.1), three intradermal injections two weeks apart, 12 weeks of follow-up. Lemperle wrinkle scale 2.60 ± 0.60 → week 8 1.55 ± 0.51 (about a 40% reduction), about 33% maintained at week 12. Transient subcutaneous nodule in one person. No control group.
- Dermal thickness and pores are different variables — in human biopsies after microsphere PCL, dermal thickness rose by 26.7% ± 9.3% at one year (13 subjects, P < 0.001). These are dermal thickness data, not data that measured pores as the primary variable.
- The level of PN evidence — Polynucleotides in Aesthetic Medicine: Current Practices and Perceived Effectiveness, Int J Mol Sci 2024 (evidence grade and limitations) · Expert Perspectives: Evidence-Based Applications of Polynucleotides, Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol (that PN is not a volumiser).
- Miso Clinic clinical protocols — criteria for indications, design by area, and the explanation and consent process before treatment. The source of the sentences marked “clinical judgement” in this column.
Everything in this column is general information and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. Effects and side effects vary with individual skin condition, age and underlying illness, and the same result is not guaranteed for everyone. Any decision to proceed should be made in an in-person consultation with a physician.