Open Pores on Face: What Men Can Do About Them

Pores do not open and close, and ice will not shrink them. Here is what actually makes men's pores look bigger, what makes them look smaller, and a routine you can start tonight.

By Abhishek Jain 29 Sep 202613 min read

Illustration of a young Indian man in a blue office shirt leaning close to a washroom mirror, checking his face under bright light, his reflection facing him

Open pores are the tiny openings where oil comes out of your skin. Their size is set mostly by your genes, how much oil you make, and sun damage. You cannot close them for good, and ice does not shrink them, but you can make them look much smaller by keeping them clear of oil, using the right actives, and wearing sunscreen every day.

Every office has one washroom mirror lit like an interrogation room. You lean in at 4 pm to fix your hair, and there they are. Small dark dots on and around your nose, a few more on your cheeks, and a shine that was not there at 9 am.

So you search. Google offers ice cubes, lemon, tomato, egg white, and a cream that promises to "close" them in seven days. Your cousin swears by the ice. Your barber has a steam machine and an opinion.

Here is what is going on in your skin, and what works.

The short answer

Pores do not open and close. Their size is set by your genes, your oil, and sun damage.
You cannot shrink them for good. You can make them look a lot smaller.
What works: wash twice a day with a salicylic acid face wash, use a niacinamide serum, keep skin moisturised, and wear sunscreen every morning.
What does not: ice, lemon, hard scrubbing, hot water, and squeezing.

What Are Open Pores, and Why Are Yours So Visible?

Start with Cleveland Clinic. Pores are openings that let sweat and oil out of your glands and onto the skin. The oil is called sebum.

Think of a pore as the drain hole in a basin. Its size was set when the basin was made. It only looks bigger when it is blocked and the water backs up.

Three things make the drain look bigger. A 2016 review in Dermatologic Surgery named them. Too much oil. Less firmness in the skin around the pore. And a larger hair follicle, the tube the hair grows from. Of the three, oil is the one that moves the most.

That is why men notice pores more. In a study of 60 Korean volunteers, 30 men and 30 women, bigger pores went with more oil, older age, and being male. Oil was the strongest link. Cleveland Clinic says it plainly. Men tend to have more oil glands and oilier skin, so their pores show more. Add a Mumbai afternoon in May and a helmet, and the shine and open pores are not a mystery.

Indian skin has one more thing going on. DermNet notes that people of Indian ancestry tend to have larger pores. A multi-country study measured pores on 400 Indian women in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata. Their pore size kept growing with age. In most other groups it stopped growing at 40.

Then there is the sun. Per Cleveland Clinic, UV light breaks down collagen and elastin. Those are the fibres that keep skin firm. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) adds that pores look more noticeable once skin loses firmness. And when a pore clogs, it expands. A blocked pore is a bigger pore.

Medical illustration of three skin cross-sections side by side showing a normal pore, a whitehead and a blackhead, with the oil gland and hair follicle visible — Left, a clear pore with its oil gland below. Middle and right, the same pore blocked by oil and dead skin, which stretches the opening. The pore on the left is what a good routine is aiming for. (Photo Credit: BruceBlaus, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)

Are Open Pores Permanent?

Yes and no. Cleveland Clinic is direct about it. Pore size is mostly genetic. You cannot permanently shrink a pore. No cream, ice cube or face pack changes that.

But look at the three causes again. Oil, you can control. Blockages, you can clear. Firmness, you can protect with sunscreen. Cleveland Clinic's own advice: keep pores clear of oil and debris, and protect the skin's collagen and elastin. That is how you make them look smaller. Permanent is not the same as hopeless.

How to Reduce Open Pores for Men: What Works

Four things have real evidence behind them. Two of them are in a bottle. Two are habits.

Salicylic acid. This is a BHA (beta hydroxy acid), and it is oil-soluble. A 2015 review explains why it works. Salicylic acid dissolves in oil, so it collects inside the pore. It is also comedolytic, which means it clears blocked pores. The AAD says studies show it can unclog pores, and that a salicylic acid face wash is gentle enough for daily use. THERŌ's Active Oil Control Niacinamide Face Wash pairs it with niacinamide and glycolic acid. It is a 3X Action Face Wash that deep-cleans pores and helps control excess oil.

Niacinamide. A form of vitamin B3. In a 12-week split-face trial on 52 Taiwanese subjects, 4% niacinamide reduced pore counts by week 8. A placebo-controlled trial on 100 Japanese volunteers found 2% niacinamide lowered oil output within 2 weeks. The Active Oil Control Niacinamide Serum carries niacinamide at 5%, plus salicylic acid and mandelic acid. It controls oil, unclogs pores and visibly minimises pores. There is a full niacinamide guide for men on Therōpedia if you want the detail.

Sunscreen. The AAD's rule is SPF 30 or higher every day, because the more sun-damaged your skin, the less firmness it has. Sunscreen is the only step here that protects the one cause you cannot undo.

Washing properly. Twice a day, warm water, fingertips. The AAD is clear that hot water and scrubbing both irritate skin and make pores look larger.

One more that the AAD and Cleveland Clinic both mention: retinol, at night, if your skin is oily or less firm than it was. It can sting at first and it raises sun sensitivity. THERŌ does not make one, so ask a dermatologist which one suits you.

THERŌ Active Oil Control Niacinamide Serum in an amber dropper bottle beside green tea leaves, with three close-up panels of men's skin showing excess oil, post-acne marks and open pores — The three problems on the left share one cause, oil. The serum on the right carries niacinamide at 5% with salicylic acid, and 3 to 5 drops a day covers the whole face. (Image: THERŌ)

A Simple Routine for Open Pores (Morning and Night)

The four-step routine is Cleanse, Treat, Moisturise, Protect. For open pores it looks like this.

Cleanse. Morning and night, wet your face with warm water. Massage a salicylic acid face wash for oily skin into a lather with your fingertips. Rinse. Pat dry. Wash a third time only after the gym or a sweaty commute, since the AAD warns that washing all day irritates skin.
Treat. Put 3 to 5 drops of a niacinamide serum on your palm and press it over your face and neck until it soaks in. New to actives? Do the AAD's patch test first: a coin-sized spot on the inner arm, twice a day, for 7 to 10 days.
Moisturise. Yes, even with oily skin. The AAD explains that dry skin makes more oil, and that extra oil clogs pores. Pick something light that says non-comedogenic or won't clog pores. THERŌ's oil-control moisturizer is built for this. It fights excess oil, dehydration and visible pores. Its DustShield™ layer helps create a barrier against ultra-fine pollution particles like PM2.5. That earns its place on a Delhi commute.
Protect. Every morning, SPF 30 or higher on your face before you leave. Reapply if you are out in the afternoon sun. At night, skip this step and go to bed.

That is it. Four steps, under three minutes, and the whole shelf fits next to the toothpaste.

Illustration of a young Indian man in a white vest seen from behind, pressing both palms against his cheeks, his reflection in a round mirror above a basin with a steel mug, in a mint-green tiled bathroom at night — Flat palms, gentle pressure, done. The moisturizer step takes less time than deciding what to watch. (AI-generated image)

Can Ice Close Pores? Myths Men Fall For

"Ice closes pores." This is the most searched pore question in India, so here is the honest answer. Cleveland Clinic explains that ice narrows the blood vessels in your face. That can lessen the look of pores for a short while. It calls the effect a temporary wake-up for the skin. By lunch, your pores are back to where they were. If you like the feeling, wrap the cube in a thin cloth and keep it moving. The same page warns that ice left resting on one spot can cause redness, irritation, and even frostbite. Ice is for the drink.

"Hot water and steam open pores, so wash hot." Pores do not open like doors. What the AAD does say is that hot water irritates skin and makes pores look larger. Warm water, not hot.

"Scrub them out." The AAD says scrubbing does not get your face any cleaner. It irritates the skin, and irritated skin shows its pores more. The AAD's exfoliation guide adds a warning for darker skin tones. Strong scrubs and strong acids can leave dark spots. If a besan or walnut scrub is a family habit, keep it gentle, keep it to 30 seconds, and rinse with lukewarm water.

"Lemon tightens pores." Lemon and lime juice contain chemicals called furocoumarins. A 2025 case report describes what they do on skin in sunlight: a burn-like reaction that leaves a dark mark. A pore is not going to notice a lemon. Your skin will.

"Squeeze the blackheads out." The AAD says picking and squeezing irritates the skin and makes pores more noticeable. Let the salicylic acid do the digging.

"The cream from the chemist works faster." Some of the quick-result creams sold over the counter contain a steroid. A 2026 study looked at 96 patients at a government hospital in western Uttar Pradesh. Of them, 64.6% had used one on the face without a prescription. 25% had used it for acne. Thinning skin showed up in 87.5% of them and acne-like bumps in 63.5%. Bumps are the opposite of what you were going for.

Three melting ice cubes on a dark reflective surface with water pooling around them — Ice on the face narrows blood vessels for a few minutes, and then everything goes back to where it was. It is the skincare equivalent of holding your stomach in for a photo. (Photo Credit: ~jar{}, Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

How Long Before Pores Look Smaller?

Weeks, not days. In the Taiwanese trial, the change in pore counts with 4% niacinamide showed at week 8. In the Japanese trial, oil output fell within 2 to 4 weeks. The AAD's rule for any new product is to give it 6 to 8 weeks before you judge it.

In the Active Oil Control serum's own 60-day consumer study, 99% of users felt their skin looked clearer. That is what people reported, not a lab measurement, and it took 60 days.

So the plan is simple. Start the oil-control routine, take a photo of your nose in the same light today, and look again in 8 weeks. Not in the office washroom, though. Nobody's pores look small in there.

When Should You See a Dermatologist?

Book a visit, not a search, if:

Your pores come with pimples that are painful, deep, or leaving pits or marks.
A dark patch appears suddenly or keeps spreading.
There is a rash, itching, or small bumps that do not behave like normal pimples. In humid weather a fungal infection can look like acne, and it needs a different treatment.
You have been using a steroid or "fairness" cream from the chemist on your face.
You want a prescription retinoid, or a clinic treatment like a chemical peel, microneedling or a laser. Cleveland Clinic and DermNet list all three for pores, and they need a doctor.
Nothing has changed after 8 to 12 weeks of a proper routine.

Open Pores on Face: Common Questions

How can I clear my pores fast?

You can clear a blocked pore faster than you can shrink an open one. A salicylic acid face wash twice a day starts clearing oil from the first wash. The acid dissolves in oil and gets into the pore. The visible change in pore size takes longer. In the trial that measured it, 4% niacinamide took 8 weeks. Anything that promises smaller pores in 7 days is promising a temporary effect or nothing.

Can I rub ice cubes on my face daily?

You can, but it will not change your pores. Cleveland Clinic calls the effect a temporary wake-up. It warns that ice resting on one spot can irritate skin and even cause frostbite. Wrap it in a thin cloth, keep it moving, and skip it if you can see fine red vessels on your cheeks or nose. It is a nice feeling in May. It is not a treatment.

How do I reduce open pores on my nose?

Cleveland Clinic notes that pores look more prominent in the centre of your face. The nose is the centre. Treat it like the rest of your face, not harder. Wash twice a day, put a serum with 5% niacinamide on the nose along with everything else, and stop squeezing. Pore strips and nose scrubs give the same result as squeezing: irritated skin that shows more.

What is the best skincare for large open pores?

A routine, not a single product. For oily skin that means four things. A salicylic acid face wash, a niacinamide serum, a light non-comedogenic moisturizer, and SPF 30 every morning. THERŌ's Active Oil Control range covers the first three steps and was built for oily Indian skin. Sunscreen, buy separately and use daily.

Do open pores go away with age?

Not on Indian skin. In the multi-country study of 2,585 women, most groups' pore size stopped growing at 40. In the 400 Indian women it kept growing with age. Sun damage is the likely reason firmness drops, which is one more argument for sunscreen at 25 rather than 45.

Open Pores on Face: What Men Can Do Tonight

Your pores are as big as your genes made them, and no ice cube will change that. What you can change is how much oil sits in them and how firm the skin around them stays.

Tonight, wash with a salicylic acid face wash. Press in 3 to 5 drops of a niacinamide serum. Finish with a light oil-control moisturizer. Tomorrow morning: the same, plus sunscreen. Give it 8 weeks. If you want the two-bottle version to start, the bestsellers are a fair place to look. And if the serum question is still open, what a face serum does is a short read.

The office mirror will still be badly lit. You will just have less to see in it.