Enlarged pores with age: why they look bigger on your cheeks and what skincare can refine

SKIN OVER 40

Why do pores get bigger with age?

Pores get bigger with age because the supporting structure around the pore opening weakens, not because your skin suddenly produces more sebum. A review in Dermatologic Surgery names three main clinical causes of enlarged facial pores: high sebum production, reduced elasticity around the pores and a larger hair follicle volume. Recurring acne, sex hormones and your skincare routine can also affect pore size. In young skin, sebum is usually the main factor; from 40 onwards, elasticity takes over. Collagen and elastic fibres decline over the years and become less well organised, and years of UV exposure speed this up. The wall of the pore becomes softer and the opening holds its shape less well. An analysis of 434 facial images in Skin Research and Technology found that the number of enlarged pores increases with age, with a significant rise between the 30s and the 40s. The same study also found a link between the number of enlarged pores and the severity of wrinkles.

This explains why many women only really notice enlarged pores around 40, often alongside other changes that begin in perimenopause. If, on the other hand, you have always had a shiny T-zone with visible pores, the issue is more likely to be sebum, and the article on oily skin is the better place to start. If spots are coming back alongside the pores, it is worth reading about breakouts in your 40s.

Why do the pores on your cheeks look teardrop-shaped?

Pores on your cheeks look teardrop-shaped because sagging skin stretches them and distorts the round opening into an oval. A study in Skin Research and Technology looked at this by analysing facial photographs of the cheeks of 116 Korean women aged 20 to 60. Pore area increased up to the 40s and then decreased again. Pore elongation, by contrast, rose in stages: a first jump from the 30s to the 40s and a second from the 50s to the 60s. The study interprets this as a change from a round to an elongated elliptical shape. The usual explanation for why this pattern shows up on the cheeks in particular is that declining firmness, lost volume and gravity all come together there. According to the analysis of the 434 facial images, enlarged pores on the nose and forehead are more noticeable overall than on the cheeks, but those areas also have a particularly high number of sebaceous glands. Oval cheek pores are therefore less a sign of clogged skin than a sign of declining firmness. What happens in the tissue is explained in the article on sagging skin on the face.

Can enlarged pores get smaller again?

Enlarged pores can look visibly finer, but they cannot become permanently smaller if the cause is declining firmness. A pore is the opening of a hair follicle and has neither a muscle nor anything that closes it. What you can change is its surroundings. Well-hydrated skin is plumper, so the edges of the pore look less sunken. Less sebum and fewer dead skin cells in the opening make it appear flatter and lighter. And a more even skin surface reflects light more uniformly, so individual pores catch the eye less. These effects are real, but they only last as long as you keep up your skincare.

The biggest lever for the years ahead is, of all things, the least exciting product: daily sun protection. UV radiation plays a major part in breaking down the fibres that keep pores in shape. What is already oval today will stay oval. But consistent protection can slow down the rate at which other pores go the same way. To be honest, in the long run that will do more for you than any product with ‘pore-refining’ on the label.

Which ingredients make pores look visibly finer?

Niacinamide is well researched for making pores look finer, and humectants, zinc PCA and, for oily skin, salicylic acid also play a part. In a randomised, placebo-controlled split-face study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology with 52 participants from Taiwan, one group applied 4% niacinamide to one half of the face, while the other half received a placebo. On the niacinamide side, the number of measured pores fell significantly after 8 weeks and the skin surface became more even; after 12 weeks, the number of counted wrinkles also went down. It is a small study, but an honest indication that niacinamide works over weeks, not overnight. More on what niacinamide can do and where its limits lie is in the dedicated ingredient article.

• Niacinamide: can visibly refine the look of pores over eight to twelve weeks and supports the skin barrier.
• Humectants such as hyaluronic acid: plump up the top layer of the skin so that pore edges look less sunken.
• Zinc PCA: balances shine and is particularly useful for combination skin.
• Salicylic acid: loosens dead skin cells inside the pore, is better suited to oily skin and is often too much for dry, mature skin.

The Duo contains 5% niacinamide and 1% zinc PCA, plus hyaluronic acid in three molecular sizes. This can soften the appearance of pores and make the skin look more even. It will not turn an oval cheek pore into a round one. In her review on Judge.me, Gabriela K. writes: ‘I think my complexion has become more refined and it feels much smoother’ (review translated from German). That is her personal impression, not a pore measurement.

Which pore tips are a myth?

Most pore tips promise an opening and closing that does not actually happen, because pores have no muscle that could contract. What these tips really do is usually brief and superficial:

• Cold water closes your pores: cold tightens the skin for a few minutes, but the pore opening stays the same size.
• Steam opens your pores: warmth softens sebum and makes the skin more hydrated, but that does not open a pore. What facial steaming does offer, and when to skip it, is covered in a separate guide.
• Pore strips and squeezing make pores smaller: they empty the opening for a few days, but its size stays the same. Frequent squeezing also irritates the skin.
• An alcohol-based toner tightens your pores: the astringent effect wears off quickly and tends to dry out mature skin.
• The more often you exfoliate, the finer your pores: in mature skin, too much exfoliation is more likely to lead to redness and a stressed barrier than to smaller pores.

Another myth concerns rich skincare. A cream does not enlarge your pores just because it contains oils. If you think of comedogenic ingredients whenever you look at a face cream, you underestimate how much depends on the finished formula and on your own skin. Mature, dry skin needs lipids, and well-cared-for skin tends to make pores less noticeable.

When is it time to see a dermatologist about enlarged pores?

In-clinic treatments from a dermatologist are worth considering if your pores really bother you and nothing is changing any more after three months of consistent skincare. Because in mature skin the cause usually lies in the deeper layers of the skin, the more effective methods target that level. Fractional lasers, microneedling or radiofrequency are intended to stimulate the formation of new collagen fibres, while prescription retinoids change skin renewal over months. Chemical peels at higher concentrations also belong in professional hands. The review in Dermatologic Surgery stresses that treatment has to be chosen individually, because enlarged pores have different causes. A good practice will therefore first establish whether sebum, loss of firmness or both are behind them before suggesting a method. Even there, do not expect pore-free skin, but a visible refinement that usually takes several sessions and that you need to maintain with sun protection.

Quite apart from appearance, see a doctor if a single pore suddenly becomes much larger, hardens, bleeds or does not heal, or if the skin on your nose thickens and stays permanently red. These are no longer skincare questions.

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