Pore botox in Korea is an intradermal injection of diluted botulinum toxin that lowers oil output, so pores stretched by sebum look smaller, while pores widened by sagging skin or old acne scars change very little. That difference decides whether a session in Gangnam is worth booking. Doctors usually place shallow droplets across the nose, inner cheeks and forehead after about 30 minutes of numbing cream, and injecting takes minutes. Shine drops gradually over the first one to two weeks and returns over the following months. Small raised bumps settle within hours, though pinpoint bruises can take several days to clear. Clinics quote it per session or per zone, before VAT, with 10% VAT added at payment.
Guide
Three kinds of enlarged pores, and the one toxin reaches
Not every visible pore has the same cause. Oil-stretched pores are round, shiny and clustered on the nose and central forehead, worse by late afternoon. Laxity pores are oval, sit on the outer cheeks and grow more noticeable as collagen thins. Scar-type pores have irregular, fixed edges left by past breakouts.
Intradermal toxin acts on the first group by quieting the nerve signal that drives the oil gland. It has little grip on loose collagen or scar tissue. Many faces mix two or three types, so a careful plan names the cause zone by zone.
- Blotting test: press a clean sheet on the nose and forehead three to four hours after washing; heavy translucent spots point to oil-driven pores.
- Lift test: gently pull the cheek skin toward the ear; openings that shrink suggest laxity plays a part.
- Side-light test: sharp-edged pits that do not change when the skin is lifted suggest scarring.
Guide
What the forehead sebum study measured
The oily-skin evidence cited most often is a 2013 study by Rose and Goldberg in Dermatologic Surgery. Twenty-five people with oily skin received intradermal abobotulinumtoxinA across the forehead, and sebum was read with a sebometer before and after treatment. Oil output was significantly lower at one week and again at one, two and three months, and 21 participants said they were satisfied with the change.
The authors noted the limits themselves: no placebo side, and oil rather than pore diameter as the main outcome, so they called for larger randomized, blinded trials. It supports the oil half of the pore problem; tighter-looking openings follow from less sebum rather than being measured directly.
Guide
How expert practice frames microdroplet toxin
A 2023 roundtable led by Fabi in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal describes how experienced injectors use microtoxin. They list pore size and sebum among its uses, alongside fine lines, neck definition and scars, and stress patient selection and technique as the keys to safety. It reports clinical experience, not a new trial.
That emphasis on selection fits the pore-type logic above. Openings caused mainly by loosening skin respond weakly to toxin alone, and a consultation that says so is a good sign.
Guide
When pore toxin is sold as an add-on to a device package
Gangnam menus often bundle pore toxin with a laser or radiofrequency session. That can suit a mixed face if each part has a clear job. Ask which item targets oil and which targets collagen or scars, whether both happen the same day and in what order, and which toxin product and how many units go into each zone.
| Pore type | Main cause | Role of intradermal toxin | Usual partner treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil-stretched | Overactive oil glands | Main treatment for shine and stretch | Gentle cleansing routine, sometimes a light peel |
| Laxity-related | Thinning collagen, looser skin | Minor, mainly oil control | Radiofrequency or fractional laser |
| Acne-scar | Fixed scar edges | Little direct effect | Scar-focused laser or subcision |
| Mixed | Oil plus laxity or scarring | One step in a staged plan | Device sessions spaced on separate days |
Guide
Measuring your own result after leaving Seoul
Because oil falls slowly, many visitors judge the result at home. Repeat the blotting test before treatment, at two weeks and at two to three months, at the same hour.
If the sheets are much drier but pores still look open, the remaining cause is probably laxity or scarring, a reason to change approach rather than add more toxin.
Evidence
Research behind this page
- Safety and Efficacy of Intradermal Injection of Botulinum Toxin for the Treatment of Oily SkinDermatologic Surgery · 2013 · doi:10.1111/dsu.12097
Intradermal abobotulinumtoxinA on the forehead of 25 patients significantly lowered measured sebum at one week and at one, two and three months.
- Microtoxin for Improving Pore Size, Skin Laxity, Sebum Control, and Scars: A Roundtable on Integrating Intradermal Botulinum Toxin Type A Microdoses Into Clinical PracticeAesthetic Surgery Journal · 2023 · doi:10.1093/asj/sjad044
An expert roundtable on patient selection, technique and safety for intradermal toxin microdoses used for pores, sebum, fine lines and scars.
FAQ
Questions about Botox in Gangnam
Can pore toxin tighten the stretched pores on my outer cheeks?
Usually only a little, because outer-cheek pores tend to come from looser skin rather than heavy oil. Toxin reduces sebum, so it helps most where shine is the driver, such as the nose and forehead. Pores that shrink when you lift the cheek toward the ear point to laxity, which responds to collagen-building devices such as radiofrequency or fractional laser. Ask the doctor to name the cause for each zone before agreeing to a plan.
Will my skin feel dry or tight after pore injections?
Some people notice drier patches once oil output falls, especially if their skin was only mildly oily. The change appears over one to two weeks as the toxin takes effect. A light, non-greasy moisturizer usually restores comfort without bringing the shine back. Anyone whose skin is already dry or easily irritated should say so, since the benefit may be small.
Is pore toxin worth it if my face is only oily in summer?
It can be, if the injections are timed so the oil reduction overlaps your oiliest months. The effect builds over about two weeks and fades gradually after that, so a session a few weeks before summer covers more of the season than one in autumn. In the Rose and Goldberg study, sebum stayed lower through the three-month check. People with seasonal shine often decide one session a year is enough.
Can I get pore toxin and a laser on the same Gangnam visit?
Often yes, but the order and spacing should be agreed in advance. Many doctors perform heat-based device work first and inject afterwards, or put the toxin on a separate day, so swelling and heat do not affect where the droplets settle. Ask which treatment is aimed at oil and which at collagen or scars. If the plan cannot explain the role of each, it is worth questioning the bundle.
Does pore toxin clear blackheads?
Not directly, because blackheads are plugs of oil and dead skin already sitting inside the opening. Lower sebum may slow how fast new plugs form, but existing ones still need extraction, a peel or a steady exfoliating routine. Some plans pair a cleansing treatment with toxin for this reason. Expect fewer new plugs over time rather than an instantly clear nose.
What side effects and warning signs follow pore injections?
Small bumps for a few hours and pinpoint bruises for several days are the common effects. Less often, droplets that spread into the muscles around the mouth make a smile feel uneven for a few weeks before wearing off. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or who have a neuromuscular disease such as myasthenia gravis, should not have it. Contact the clinic if facial weakness, spreading redness or swelling appears.