Reddit mentions of Simple Skin Beauty: Every Woman's Guide to a Lifetime of Healthy, Gorgeous Skin

Pores like that are normal. They even fill up with gunk (SFs), which is good for protection against the elements and bacteria. Biore strips are a little extreme (my skin always felt traumatized afterward, but then again I'm female and I think females have thinner skin) -- there are other ways to control SFs including chemical exfoliation, and prescription retinoids to control sebum production and shedding of skin (which contributes keratin to the SFs).

Also, you may have patulous pores, which is when the collagen and elastin (proteins that give your skin structure) in the area of your pores are degraded due to UV damage or natural aging. Remedies: wear broad-spectrum sunscreen for prevention, get prescription retinoids or laser/microdermabrasion/chemical peels (check with a dermatologist for these more serious procedures) to rebuild collagen.

Source: book written by a dermatologist.

Also, massaging with olive oil helps me get out the harder gunk, which I consider blackheads instead of normal SFs.