Enlarged Pores in Korea: Erica's “Smooth Skin” Post, and How I Actually Treat Pores

Pores are the concern people point at in the mirror before they even sit down. I'm Dr. Hyunji Kim, director of Delphic Clinic in Sinnonhyeon, Gangnam; I trained at Korea University Medical Center, and I consult and treat international patients myself. “Can you make my pores smaller?” comes up in my room several times a week. Erica's reel doesn't say which treatment was done, so I won't guess. What I can do is explain how I sort pores by cause, which options I weigh, what they cost, and when I tell someone to wait.

Medically reviewed · Dr. Hyunji Kim · October 8, 2026

What the post says, and what it doesn't

Erica's caption is a single question to followers: who wants smooth skin without acne and visible pores. There is no device or injection named anywhere in it, so this page is not a review of a specific treatment. Another page covers the acne side of the same caption; here I'm taking the pores and texture half.

That's actually a useful place to start, because pores are where people most often book the wrong thing. They see a treatment on social media and assume it will do for their pores what it did for someone else's.

First question: which kind of pore are you looking at?

When someone shows me their pores, I'm sorting them into one of three pictures. The treatment depends far more on which picture it is than on how big the pores look in a selfie.

1. 1

   Clogged pores

   Pores look big because they're full — sebum, dead skin, blackheads. They usually sit on the nose and inner cheeks, and they're common in oily skin.

2. 2

   Stretched pores

   The opening itself has widened, often in oily skin that has been oily for years. Cleaning alone makes little difference to how these look.

3. 3

   Sagging pores

   As skin loses firmness, pores on the cheeks start to look like small teardrops pointing down. This is really a firmness problem showing up as a pore problem.

Most faces have more than one type. I've written a longer guide on how to get rid of enlarged pores by pore type, including what home care can and can't do.

The two options I weigh for pores and texture

For clogged pores, I often start with Aqua Peel. It uses AHA and BHA solutions and a vacuum to clear sebum, dead skin and blackheads from inside the pore, then puts hydrating, soothing solutions back in. There's no flaking afterwards, so it fits a travel day easily.

For stretched pores and rough texture, cleaning isn't enough. Here I look at Potenza, which passes fine needles into the skin and releases radiofrequency energy in the dermis to stimulate collagen. Needle depth can be set between 0.5 mm and 4.0 mm, so I can work at the layer your skin needs rather than one depth for everyone.

If you're comparing clinic facials, my notes on Korean Aqua Peel vs HydraFacial explain why the names get confused.

What this costs at Delphic

Our prices are published and identical for Korean and international patients. Because Erica's post doesn't name a treatment, these are example menu prices for a first visit for this concern, not what Erica paid.

Most people with mixed pore types don't need both on the same day. We decide that together after I've looked at your skin in person.

How fast pores really change

• Clogged pores: the surface usually looks cleaner and smoother right after an Aqua Peel, but sebum builds up again, so it works as regular care rather than a one-off fix.
• Stretched pores and texture: Potenza works through collagen, which takes weeks. Sessions are usually recommended every 2–3 weeks, and one visit is a start, not the finish.
• Sagging pores: these often improve when firmness improves, which can mean a different plan altogether.

If you want to see what changes when, I've laid out a Potenza before-and-after timeline from day 3 to month 3.

When I'd tell you to wait

If your skin is in an active, inflamed breakout, I treat the acne first; needling through inflamed skin isn't where I start. The same goes for a fresh sunburn, an open wound, or a skin infection in the area.

Planning a pore visit on a short trip

1. 1

   Before you fly

   Message us on WhatsApp with a close, bare-faced photo of your cheeks and nose in daylight, plus your travel dates.

2. 2

   On the day

   A 1:1 consultation with me, then same-day treatment if we agree. English and Chinese interpreters are on site.

3. 3

   Finding us

   A short walk from Exit 3 of Sinnonhyeon Station in Gangnam.

4. 4

   Afterwards

   Sunscreen every time you go out, moisturiser often, and no scrubs or other peels for a few days.