Pores: We all have them, but for a few lucky women, they’re almost invisible. The rest of us, though, can often be heard complaining about visible pores and searching for products that help minimize their appearance. That’s because when your pores are smaller, your skin looks more even and reflects more light, making it look more vibrant and youthful.

Genetics do play a role in the natural size of your pores, but your skin type, your age, and the amount of sun damage you have also determine if your complexion looks porcelain or pore-filled.

Pore Predictors

• Genetics: Some people—especially those with blonde or red hair—tend to have naturally smaller pores. That doesn’t mean if you’re a brunette then you’re stuck with those that are super noticeable, just that the smallest size yours will shrink to may still be larger than someone who is genetically blessed with tiny pores.
• Skin Type: If your skin is on the oily side, your pores often look larger. Oil gets clogged in pores and opens them up. Trapped oil can also oxidize and turn a darker shade, which draws even more attention to your pores.
• Age and Sun Damage: As we age and as we’re exposed to the sun’s UV rays, our skin starts to lose collagen and elastin, key parts of skin’s support structure. With less of these supportive fibers, our pores tend to sag and stretch and thus look larger.

So what can be done to shrink your pores to the smallest size genetically possible? Here are your at-home and in-office options.

At Home

If oily skin is your problem, you’ll want to start by clearing out clogged pores and preventing future oil buildup. An obvious first step is to switch to all oil-free beauty products: your moisturizers and makeup should all be oil-free, as should your cleanser.

You’ll also want to look for cleansers that are made for removing excess oil. “Cleansers should contain ingredients like glycolic acid, salicylic acid or lactic acid that exfoliate dead skin cells and get rid of the gunk that can clog your pores,” says New York City dermatologist Debra Jaliman, M.D.

For skin that’s getting older and losing collagen and elastin, try moisturizers that contain retinoids. These vitamin-A derived ingredients not only keep pores unclogged by sweeping away dead cells, but can also boost collagen production and improve skin’s support structure so pores are less prone to sagging.

In Office

Dermatologists can prescribe stronger retinoid products if those found OTC aren’t cutting it. There are also several lasers that are FDA-approved for shrinking pores. “Lasers work by stimulating collagen production, which gives structural definition to pores,” according to Jaliman, who says lasers are your best option if you’re serious about wanting smaller pores. Again, this doesn’t mean that lasers can make pores completely invisible, just that enough treatments can bring them down to the smallest size for which your genes will allow.

Another relatively new in-office treatment, called photopneumatic therapy, is also being touted as a treatment for shrinking pores. It combines collagen stimulating light therapy with a supposedly painless vacuum that extracts oil, bacteria and other pore-cloggers. Though new, the treatment is already widely available and most commonly used for patients suffering from acne (who also tend to have larger pores).

Have you successfully shrunk your pores? We’d love to know what has worked for you.

Megan O'Neill is Beauty Editor at EndlessBeauty.com