I have huge pores on my face. Is it possible to shrink them down?

Pores are nothing more than the opening of the hair follicle on the skin, causing a slight depression at the point of entry. The reason that pores are noticeable is that they form depressions in the facial skin that would be smooth otherwise.  All of the hair follicles on a person’s face have large oil (sebaceous) glands attached to them under the surface. Men typically have larger and more numerous pores than women because their hair follicles are thicker and their oil glands are larger, mostly as a result of the increased levels of testosterone in men.  The more oil and hair cells that are in the pore, the larger they look.  Pore size and number tend to increase with age as well.  A key concept and that you don’t hear about a lot is the distinction between “minimizing the appearance of pores” and “decreasing pore size”.  They are not the same thing.  Women’s make-up and foundation contains particles that “fill in” the depression of the pore, helping them reflect more light and “appear” smoother.  They do not, for example, decrease the size of pores from 2 to 1 mm; they simply camouflage it.  To actually decrease pore size, exfoliants, such as salicylic acid and all-trans retinoic acid, are necessary.  When applied to the skin, these molecules physically break up and remove dead skin cells, hair follicle debris and excessive sebum.  This both evens the skin surface and physically shrinks pores.  So, what to do?  The first step is to make sure your sunscreen or moisturizer says “non-comedogenic” on the back label, which means that it won’t clog pores. Next, buy over-the-counter Neutrogena oil-free acne wash, which contains 2.0% salicylic acid.  Aim to always wash your face after workouts, as sweat can carry substances to the pores for excretion, causing them to enlarge.  If these two methods don’t cut it, you need a prescription strength exfoliant that contains all-trans retinoic acid (we are biased to Dana Point Dermatology’s private label Retin A cream, which is specifically formulated and is prescription only).  All-trans retinoic acid (ie: Retin-A) has been scientifically proven to alter the structure of the hair follicle and physiology of the surrounding skin, shrinking pores in the process.  Please keep in mind that since all-trans retinoic acid physically alters the structure and function of the skin, you are more susceptible to sunlight.  Therefore, we always recommend daily use of a zinc-oxide based sunscreen.  If you think more improvement is necessary, office-based procedures, like chemexfoliation and laser, can usually get the job done.