If you look in the mirror and imagine people playing miniature golf in the craters on your face, you probably have enlarged pores, which are usually genetic. Pores (the skin surface openings for your hair follicles) can become enlarged due to excessive sebum production, clogged pores, decreased skin elasticity, sun exposure or aging. When pores are clogged due to a mixture of oil and dirt or makeup, they become blocked, stretched, and appear larger. The more oil your skin produces, the larger the pores. The main sin people commit is squeezing, which is ineffective and will just leave residual scars. Using astringents, alcohol, pore strips, mud, and clay masks may clean the pores and temporarily reduce their appearance, but these won’t permanently reduce their size.