REPIC Clinic Gangnam — Dermatology Clinic
Enlarged pores
Pores look big for three different reasons, and the fix is different for each. Fine hair, lost elasticity and excess oil all look the same in the mirror.
What usually causes it
- 01
Fine hair sitting in the pore
Very fine hair in the pore holds the opening apart and traps oil. This is common on the cheeks and jaw, and it gets missed a lot.
How we tell them apart
- You can see a tiny hair in the pore with a magnifying mirror
- Pores look dotted rather than stretched
- Foundation clings to the pore edges
What we'd suggest, by cause
Clear Coco (Clarity hair removal mode)
A hair removal mode at 755 nm that targets fine facial hair sitting shallow in the pore.
- 02
Lost elasticity (stretched pores)
When the dermis loses collagen there is nothing holding the pore wall round. Pores stretch into a teardrop shape, mostly on the cheeks.
How we tell them apart
- Pores are teardrop- or line-shaped, not round
- Worst on the cheeks below the eyes
- They look smaller when you gently lift the skin upward
What we'd suggest, by cause
Potenza (needle RF)
Needle RF with the N25 tip, pumping mode. Heats the dermis around the pore.
Thermage FLX / Density (RF)
Surface RF for broader tightening across the cheek.
Juvelook (collagen booster)
Builds density in the skin around the pore over time.
Skin Botox
A supporting option, not the main one, for this cause.
- 03
Excess oil
Oil glands that overproduce keep the pore open and packed. The T-zone is shiny by noon and blackheads come with it.
How we tell them apart
- Shine on the nose and forehead within a few hours of washing
- Blackheads sitting in the pores
- Round, open pores rather than stretched ones
What we'd suggest, by cause
Skin Botox
Turns down oil output at the surface.
Potenza (sebum gland control)
Targets the oil gland itself rather than the pore opening.
Blackhead removal
Clears what is already packed in there. Does not change how much oil you make.
Diagnosis comes first
Under magnification these three look nothing alike. Hair-driven pores have a visible shaft in the opening. Elasticity-driven pores are stretched into teardrops on the cheeks. Oil-driven pores sit on a shiny T-zone with blackheads. Treat the wrong one and you spend money on nothing, so we look first.
At the Gangnam clinic a doctor examines your skin in person first. Then a Mark-Vu/Meta-Vu scan and the RSTI report put numbers on what they saw. The plan is built from both, not from the name of the treatment you came in asking for.
Good to know
- Most people have more than one cause. Oil plus stretched pores on the same face is common, so the plan often combines two approaches.
- Pores do not disappear. The realistic goal is smaller, tighter and less visible.
- Hair-driven pores are the quickest to check. A magnifying mirror shows the hair.
- Laser hair removal is a series of sessions spaced out over time, which matters if you are only in Seoul for a short trip.
Common questions
Can pores be made smaller permanently?
No treatment makes pores vanish for good. What we can do is fix the cause: remove the hair, rebuild the collagen around the pore, or turn down the oil. That keeps them smaller for longer, and maintenance is part of the plan.
Why did the pore treatment I had before not work?
Usually because it targeted the wrong cause. Oil control does little for pores stretched by lost elasticity, and RF does little if fine hair is holding the pore open. That is why we scan first.
Which pore treatment has the least downtime?
Skin Botox and hair removal have the least. Needle RF like Potenza can leave the skin red and dotted for a short time. If you are flying home soon, tell us the date and we plan around it.
Other concerns
Results vary from person to person. A doctor decides on treatment after examining you, and nothing on this page is a promise of outcome.