Does pore treatment depend on why your pores got bigger?

Why do pores get bigger, and what types are there?

Enlarged pores have more than one cause, so we first need to sort out the type before choosing a treatment. In the clinic, we usually divide them into three types: oily, loss of elasticity, and mixed with scars.

Most faces actually have two or three types at once. Naturally large oil glands, accumulated sun exposure, and habits like scrubbing hard or squeezing with your fingers also make pores more noticeable.

• Oily type: pores are round and open in oil-rich areas such as the forehead, nose and inner cheeks. Common in teens, people in their 20s and oily skin, often with blackheads.
• Loss of elasticity type: as collagen and elastic fibers in the dermis around the pore decrease, pores sag into a downward oval. A typical sign is pores lined up in one direction on the outer cheeks. This becomes more common after 30.
• Mixed with acne scars: pores where acne inflammation once was have irregular edges and a sunken base, so they look deeper than ordinary pores.

How are pores enlarged by excess oil treated?

For oily pores, the first step is to reduce oil production and clear the dead skin and sebum built up at the pore opening. If heavy oil production continues, even a pore opening that has been tightened by treatment will widen again.

At Serene Clinic, we use NeoBeam sebum toning for skin that is oily and prone to breakouts. It leaves almost no wound on the surface, so you can return to normal activities right after. Repeated over several sessions, it lowers both shine and inflammatory response.

Dermotoxin is botulinum toxin diluted and injected in many small, closely spaced points into the shallow layer of the skin. Oil production decreases temporarily, so the skin looks less shiny and pores less noticeable. The effect usually lasts about 3–4 months. Near the forehead or eyes, it can make expressions feel a little unnatural, so we adjust the dose by area.

If needed, we prescribe a topical retinoid. It reduces dead skin building up at the pore opening, but it can cause dryness and stinging in the first few weeks, so we start small, such as every other day.

What works for pores stretched by loss of elasticity?

Pores stretched by loss of elasticity need treatment that rebuilds collagen in the dermis supporting the pore. Clearing oil from the surface alone will not tighten a sagging pore wall.

Potenza is a microneedle radiofrequency device: fine needles go into the dermis and release RF heat from the tips. As new collagen forms in the heated dermis, the tissue around the pore becomes firmer and the pore opening looks less wide. For pores, we mainly use the N tip (pore tip) and set needle depth and energy differently for each area.

The Potenza pumping tip pushes regenerative ingredients such as Juvelook Skin or exosomes through the channels the needles create. We use it for people with thin, dry skin who are concerned about both pores and fine texture. Exosomes are used as a supporting regenerative ingredient, but there are still few large studies confirming their effect on pores.

Faces where the skin is thick and pores have stretched with lost elasticity sometimes see little change from Potenza alone. In these cases, we may also consider OPUS, which heats the whole skin evenly, to address elasticity and texture on the outer cheeks where pores line up.

How are pores mixed with acne scars different?

Pores mixed with acne scars rarely improve on their own unless the scars are treated too. If fibrous tissue still pulls the scar floor or edges downward, the depression stays even as collagen builds up.

Different scar shapes are tethered in different places. In boxcar scars, whose edges drop off sharply, the skin is pulled down at the edges more than at the floor. In ice pick scars, which are narrow and deep, the edge of the surface opening is drawn inward. In rolling scars, which undulate gently, broad fibrous bands pull the skin down. We first look at where the skin is being pulled before deciding what to release [1].

How is Mirajet micro-subcision done?

Subcision cuts the fibrous tissue that tethers a scar so the skin has room to rise again [2]. The core of scar treatment at Serene Clinic is micro-subcision with Mirajet. Mirajet is a needle-free injector that sprays medication into the skin at high pressure; the force of the jet releases the tethering tissue while delivering regenerative ingredients at the same time. A prospective study measured a reduction in the volume of atrophic acne scars with 3D imaging after needle-free high-pressure pneumatic injection [3].

Rather than blowing open the whole scar, Serene Clinic releases only the tethered edges, in very small areas. For boxcar scars we treat only the edges, and for ice pick scars only the rim of the surface opening. As the pull on the edges eases, the borders soften and the depth and opening of the scar become less noticeable. In the director's experience, this change shows well in skin with a mix of edge-type boxcar scars and small ice pick scars (results vary). We do explain, however, that a deep, narrow scar tract disappearing is different from its opening becoming smaller and less visible.

In and around the released areas, we deliver plenty of regenerative ingredients using Mirajet's skin booster mode, because cutting the fibrous tissue alone does not give enough signal for new tissue to fill in. We add Juvelook Volume to support the floor of the released scar. Juvelook Volume uses PDLLA to stimulate collagen over several weeks, so it lifts the floor gradually rather than filling it all at once. Delivering poly-lactic acid ingredients into scars with jet injectors, and combining subcision with PDLLA, have both been reported, but the evidence is still mostly case reports and small studies, and larger comparative studies are needed [4][5].

When a scar is shallow with little tethering tissue, we rely more on Potenza, lasers such as Pico Fraxel, and regenerative treatment than on subcision. The key is not to use the same method on every scar, but to decide what to release and what to leave according to the scar's shape.

Why do some people say their scars got bigger after jet subcision?

Some people feel their scars got wider after subcision with a jet device. In most cases the whole scar was blown open widely and deeply. The jet spreads in the direction of least resistance, so treating a wide area can damage the normal dermis around the scar and collapse its sharp edges, making a narrow, deep scar look like a wide, shallow depression. If the depth is uneven and the fat layer is disrupted, the surface can also become bumpy.

Results can also fall short when tissue is only cut without enough regenerative ingredients, or when subcision is done on scars that have no tethering tissue. That is why Serene Clinic releases only the edges in small areas and delivers plenty of regenerative ingredients in and around them.

For 2–4 weeks after treatment, swelling and inflammation can make scars look even more noticeable. We don't judge results by this period alone; we compare under the same lighting and angle 2–3 months later, once collagen has filled in.

In what order are scarred pores treated?

For pores mixed with scars, Mirajet micro-subcision + Juvelook Volume is the core, while pores and texture are refined with Potenza and lasers. We usually plan 2–3 sessions about 4 weeks apart as one course and adjust the next step after checking the scars at each visit.

The 5-week Pore & Scar Program divides this combination into five sessions, usually spaced at least 2 weeks apart. Sessions 1 and 5 combine Potenza with Juvelook Volume (Mirajet), and sessions 2 and 4 combine pico laser, individual scar subcision and regenerative care. How treatment differs by scar shape is covered in our acne scar column.

How many sessions do I need, and how long is recovery?

Potenza pore treatment is usually planned as a course of 3 or more sessions, 4 weeks apart. Collagen forms gradually over 2–3 months, not right after the procedure, so we check progress over several sessions rather than judging after one.

After Potenza there is redness and swelling for about 1–3 days, and small needle marks may be visible. Pigmentation or breakouts occasionally appear, so during this time use sunscreen and moisturizer, and avoid saunas, alcohol and exfoliation. After Mirajet subcision, swelling and small bruises at the injection sites can last a few days. With NeoBeam sebum toning and Dermotoxin, most people can wear makeup and go about their day right away.

Even pores reduced by treatment can widen again as oil production, sun exposure and aging continue. To keep results longer, keep up sun protection and gentle cleansing, and have maintenance treatment every few months if needed.

What are common myths about pore care?

We plan pore treatment by first identifying the cause, then choosing one or two matching methods and spreading them over several sessions.

• Cold-water washing or astringent toner tightens pores: pores look smaller only briefly. Their actual size does not change.
• Squeezing often keeps pores clean and makes them smaller: repeatedly squeezing with fingers or tools damages the pore wall and causes inflammation, which can actually make pores larger.
• Treatment closes pores completely: pores are the channels sebum comes out of, so they cannot be removed. The goal of treatment is to make them small enough to be less noticeable.

Prices (as of the October 2026 menu)

The combination and number of sessions depend on your pore type and skin, so we explain them after consultation.

Frequently asked questions

References

1. Jacob CI, Dover JS, Kaminer MS. Acne scarring: a classification system and review of treatment options. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2001;45(1):109-117.
2. Orentreich DS, Orentreich N. Subcutaneous incisionless (subcision) surgery for the correction of depressed scars and wrinkles. Dermatol Surg. 1995;21(6):543-549.
3. Kim BY, Chun SH, Park JH, et al. Prospective evaluation of atrophic acne scars on the face with needle-free high-pressure pneumatic injection: quantitative volumetric scar improvement. Dermatol Surg. 2019;45(6):829-835.
4. Rho NK, Kim HJ, Kim HS, et al. Needle-free jet injection of poly-(lactic acid) for atrophic acne scars: literature review and report of clinical cases. J Clin Med. 2024;13(2):440.
5. Yi KH, Rosellini I, Lee S, et al. Gas subcision with PDLLA (Juvelook): evaluating a hybrid mechanical–biologic approach for atrophic acne scars. JPRAS Open. 2026;51:129-133.