Pores — what treatment can and cannot reduce
The first thing to say about pores is the state of the data — published studies that evaluated pores as a primary endpoint are thin across every class. What supports the phrase “pore reduction” is usually a mechanistic explanation rather than a trial that measured pores as a primary variable. That does not mean nothing changes.
The short answer
The first thing to say about pores is the state of the data — published studies that evaluated pores as a primary endpoint are thin across every class. The phrase “pore reduction” appears often on treatment pages and in advertising, but what supports it is usually a mechanistic explanation, not a trial that measured pores as a primary variable. For example, we could not find published data evaluating liquid-form polycaprolactone (GOURI) with scars or pores as a primary endpoint. And the approved indication wording in Korea generally describes collagen boosters as “temporary improvement of facial wrinkles in adults through physical restoration” — that is, “pore reduction” is not phrasing that sits inside the approved indication. None of this means nothing changes. Pores look large for several different reasons, and some of them do line up with what treatment addresses. But without that separation, expectations go wrong.
Pores look large for several different reasons
| What | How it acts | Can treatment address it? |
|---|---|---|
| A thinning dermis stretching the pore | Support weakens, so the pore elongates vertically and casts a shadow | The direction fits — classes that target dermal density |
| Sebum production | The opening appears widened | Not a direct target of these procedures |
| Keratin build-up | The opening becomes blocked and stands out | The territory of skincare |
| Loss of elasticity from photoageing | Pores elongate into a teardrop shape | The direction fits |
| Scar-related surface irregularity | Light scatters and the texture reads as broken | Scar-directed treatment — not the territory of boosters |
“Reducing pore size itself” and “making a stretched pore stand out less” are different sentences. What the data supports is closer to the second, and even there, trials that measured pores as a primary variable are scarce.
What is not the answer
“Pores shrink permanently.” We are not aware of human data confirming that pores disappear or become permanently smaller.
“A booster closes the pores.” Boosters target the density of the dermis. A change in the direction of softer shadows as dermal density rises is explicable in principle, but it has not been verified as pore reduction.
“Lasers handle pores completely.” When scar-related irregularity is mixed in, the laser side is the right direction. But when stretching is the main cause, addressing only the surface has limits.
“Squeezing makes them smaller.” Repeated irritation can instead widen the opening and leave scarring.
What has been confirmed, by class
| Class | What has been confirmed about pores |
|---|---|
| Collagen boosters in general | These target dermal density, and trials measuring pores as a primary variable are scarce |
| Ellanse (microsphere PCL) | Human biopsy: dermal thickness +26.7% ± 9.3% at one year (13 patients, P < 0.001) — that is dermal thickness data, not pore data |
| GOURI (liquid-form PCL) | We could not find published data evaluating pores as a primary endpoint |
| Radiofrequency (RF) | A 2026 systematic review of 15 studies and 1,230 patients, one randomised controlled trial — data directed at sagging |
The second row matters most. Transcribing “the dermis got thicker” into “the pores got smaller” is the most common extension in this area. They are different statements. The classes as a whole are set out in what gets called a collagen booster.
On combining treatments — objectively
When pores look large for several reasons, more than one approach is involved. But “combining them works better” was not confirmed in the two randomised trials. Our reason for considering treatments in parallel is that the causes are mixed — when stretching and scar-related irregularity are present together, for instance. When the cause narrows to one, we do one. We also say plainly that when several things are done together, it cannot be worked out afterwards which one acted.
The order we look in consultation
- We look at the shape of the pore. Round or elongated into a teardrop is the first fork — the elongated kind relates more to dermal density.
- We separate regions. The nose and the cheek carry different proportions of each cause.
- We check whether scarring is mixed in. If it is, boosters alone are a mismatch.
- We state the condition of the data as it stands. We say before any decision to treat that trials verifying pores as a primary variable are scarce.
- We look at photographs taken under the same conditions. Pores look very different depending on lighting and angle.
Frequently asked questions
Do pores get smaller with treatment?
We are not aware of human data confirming that pore size itself is reduced, measured as a primary variable. Where pores have stretched and cast shadows, the relationship to dermal density means the direction can fit, but even there, trials measuring pores as the endpoint are scarce.
Is any booster better for pores?
The thickness of the data on dermal density differs between classes, but we could not find data comparing them with pores as a primary endpoint. So there is no basis on which to answer “this product is better for pores”.
Laser or booster first?
If scar-related irregularity is the main cause, the laser side; if stretching is the main cause, the dermal-density side. If both, we separate them in sequence — though “combining them works better” has not been confirmed.
I have a lot of sebum. Will treatment reduce it?
Sebum production itself is not a target of collagen boosters. If the cause lies on the sebum side, the direction is different.
Is pore reduction an approved indication?
No. The approved indication wording in Korea is generally “temporary improvement of facial wrinkles in adults through physical restoration”, and “pore reduction” is not phrasing inside the approved indication.
Which clinic in Daegu is good for pores?
There is no public metric, so it cannot be answered from data. It is more useful to ask “are my pores stretched, scarred, or a matter of sebum?” and choose the clinic whose answer is specific.
Related clinical columns
The same ground, approached from the symptom side.
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 |
|---|---|
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References
- Absence of trials with pores as a primary endpoint — we could not find published data evaluating liquid-form polycaprolactone (GOURI) with scars or pores as a primary endpoint
- Human biopsy of microsphere PCL — 13 patients, dermal thickness +26.7% ± 9.3% at one year (P < 0.001). That is dermal thickness data, not pore data
- 2026 systematic review — radiofrequency, 15 studies and 1,230 patients, one randomised controlled trial
- Approved indication wording in Korea — “temporary improvement of facial wrinkles in adults through physical restoration”
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.
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