Spot one wide, dark dot on your face that looks nothing like the pores around it? It’s probably a dilated pore of Winer, the giant blackhead that stars in so many Dr. Pimple Popper Instagram videos.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to recognize one, why it comes back after you squeeze it, and what removal really involves.
Let’s dive right in.
What Is a Dilated Pore of Winer?
A dilated pore of Winer, or DPOW, is one pore that has stretched far wider than its neighbors. A firm, dark plug of keratin and oil fills it, so it looks like a blackhead that never stopped growing.
In skin terms, it’s a single giant comedo, the medical word for a clogged pore. An open comedo is a blackhead, and a closed one is a whitehead.
Most show up as one large pore on the face, often a dilated pore on the nose or cheek. They can also appear on the neck, chest or back.
Here’s what one usually looks like:
- A single round, raised opening, not a cluster
- A dark plug in the center, from blue-black to black
- Firm to the touch and painless
- Much bigger than any pore near it
How a Dilated Pore of Winer Forms
A DPOW starts like an ordinary blackhead. Dead skin cells build up at the opening of a hair follicle and plug it.
Behind that plug, keratin, the tough protein in your outer skin, keeps collecting. Your sebaceous glands add oil, called sebum, and the packed pore slowly stretches to make room.
Why is the center black? The top of the plug is open to the air, so it oxidizes and darkens.
So it isn’t dirt, and scrubbing harder won’t wash it out. The plug sits deep inside the stretched pore.
Who Gets One, and Is It Dangerous?
DPOWs tend to appear in middle age, and your chances rise as you get older. Men get them more often than women.
Nobody knows exactly why one pore stretches like this. Dermatologists believe sun exposure, genetics and a history of cystic acne may raise your risk.
The good news? A dilated pore of Winer is benign and isn’t contagious.
The real risk comes from picking. Dirty fingers can cause an infection, so keep your hands off it while you decide what to do.
How to Tell It Apart From Other Bumps
Plenty of skin conditions look a bit like a DPOW. Here’s a quick way to sort them out:
- Regular blackheads usually show up in groups.
- Sebaceous filaments are tiny gray dots, often across the nose, and they’re normal.
- Enlarged pores look wide but don’t hold a firm, dark plug.
- Seborrheic keratosis is a brown to black growth with a warty surface.
Still unsure about the first two? Compare sebaceous filaments and blackheads side by side, and you’ll see a DPOW is far larger than either.
Note: if a spot bleeds, hurts, grows fast or doesn’t match these descriptions, see a dermatologist. A clinical examination with a magnifying tool called a dermatoscope can confirm the diagnosis.
Why It Keeps Filling Up After You Squeeze It
A DPOW refills because squeezing empties the pore but leaves its stretched wall behind. You push out the plug, the enlarged pore looks like a hole, and later it’s dark and full again.
Here’s the deal: that leftover wall keeps making keratin, so the enlarged pore keeps filling up.
In other words, an emptied DPOW is still a permanently dilated pore. It’s not fixed, just empty for now.
Can You Remove a Dilated Pore of Winer at Home?
Home tools are easy to find. For example, Dr. Pimple Popper’s online store lists its comedone extractor at $20.00.
But a tool doesn’t change what’s under the skin. Even a perfect squeeze only empties the pore, so it will almost always refill.
Pressing on a deep plug can also cause inflammation or invite infection. That’s true even though the same store’s listing pitches its tweezers as the tool to perform your own extractions at home.
If you want it gone for good, I’d skip the DIY attempt and save the money for a dermatologist.
Dilated Pore of Winer Removal: What a Dermatologist Does
A dermatologist has two options, and the choice decides whether the pore comes back. If you’ve watched Dr. Pimple Popper on Instagram, you’ve seen both.
Extraction
Extraction empties the pore. The doctor presses out the plug with a sterile comedone extractor and tweezers, which works well for smaller ones.
It’s the tool you see in those Instagram clips. The Dr. Pimple Popper store’s listing calls its extractor the same medical-grade extractor Dr. Sandra Lee uses in her videos.
Excision
Excision removes the whole pore, wall and all. It gives you the best chance the pore won’t return, although it still can.
For a larger DPOW, the doctor numbs the patient’s skin with a local anesthetic and cuts around the pore. Then they press out the contents, lift out the sac with tweezers and close the opening with stitches.
Recovery and Aftercare
Extraction needs almost no recovery, while excision takes a little more care. Your doctor will usually have you apply an antibiotic ointment and change the bandage daily until the stitches come out.
Most patients keep up normal activities while it heals. After a large excision, you may need to skip sweaty workouts, heavy lifting and long soaks, so ask your doctor what applies to you.
How Much Does Removal Cost?
There’s no single price for dilated pore of Winer removal. Cost depends on extraction versus excision, the pore’s size and the clinic, so ask for a quote and check your insurance.
A home kit isn’t free either. The same store prices its blackhead tweezers at $25.00, and they still can’t remove the pore wall.
Can You Prevent a Dilated Pore of Winer?
Not reliably, since no one knows exactly why one forms. Still, a few habits help.
Daily sunscreen cuts the sun exposure linked to these pores and protects aging skin as it loses elasticity. A simple skincare routine with gentle cleansing helps keep dead skin cells from building up in clogged pores.
If your skin runs shiny, a routine for oily skin helps keep extra oil in check.
Pro Tip: don’t expect products to shrink a DPOW. For the rest of your pores, start with shrinking pores the realistic way.
The Bottom Line
A dilated pore of Winer looks dramatic, but it’s one stretched pore with a stubborn plug. Squeezing empties it for a while, and excision is the fix that lasts.
So which will you choose: leave it alone, or book a dermatologist and ask about excision?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a dilated pore of Winer cyst?
Some people call a DPOW a cyst because its plug sits inside a wall, or sac, that a doctor lifts out during excision. Either way, it’s benign.
Do enlarged pores ever go away?
A DPOW usually stays until it’s excised, because emptying it leaves the stretched wall behind. Ordinary enlarged pores can look smaller with steady care.
How do you draw out a pore of Winer?
There’s no reliable way to draw out a firm, deep plug at home. A dermatologist can extract it with sterile tools or excise it for good.
What are the best treatments for dilated pores on the face?
For a single DPOW, excision by a dermatologist works best, and extraction is a short-term fix. For overall pore size, start with daily sunscreen and a simple routine.
How much does it cost to remove a dilated pore of Winer?
It depends on the clinic, the pore’s size and whether you need an extraction or a full excision with stitches. Ask for a quote before you book.
