Priorities
Acne and breakouts
Active breakouts, blackheads, congestion, and inflamed skin.
Acne ranges from blackheads, whiteheads, and small red bumps to deeper, painful cysts. It commonly appears across the nose, forehead, chin, and jawline, and it affects teenagers and adults alike, often after drugstore washes have stopped making a difference.
Some acne responds well to med spa treatment, and some needs a dermatologist first. Telling the two apart is the first step at your consult.
What we'd want you to know
Active cystic acne is best seen by a dermatologist first
For congestion, blackheads, and small breakouts, we typically start with a HydraFacial with our medical esthetician. It clears pores with suction, exfoliates gently, and adds a salicylic booster, with no downtime. Monthly sessions for three to six months give the best results.
If your breakouts are stubborn or leaving marks behind, a VI Peel series can go deeper. Expect three to five days of visible flaking after each peel, so we’ll schedule the series around any events you have coming up.
How we decide
First, we’ll look at the type of breakouts you have. Blackheads, whiteheads, and small red bumps are what a HydraFacial is good at. In an open-label study, six HydraFacial Clarifying treatments every two weeks raised the share of people with clear or almost clear acne from 20 percent to 65 percent, per the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology. That was a company-involved study of 20 people, so the results are encouraging rather than conclusive, and they came after six sessions.
Deep, painful cysts and nodules are a different condition. The American Academy of Dermatology lists acne among the things a chemical peel can treat, but only “some types,” not cysts. Cystic acne needs prescription treatment, and a facial can aggravate it. If that sounds like your skin, we’ll refer you to a dermatologist before booking any treatment.
Once breakouts are under control, we can treat the marks they’ve left. Brown or red spots respond to a VI Peel series, and pitted scars respond to microneedling.
Your questions, answered
Can a HydraFacial make acne worse?
Sometimes, for a few days. Clearing congested pores can bring a few spots to the surface in the first week, which is expected. It shouldn’t cause a real flare. If your skin is inflamed or cystic on the day of your visit, we’ll skip the peel step or reschedule.
Can my teenager get a HydraFacial?
Please call us first, since treatment for anyone under 18 depends on age and requires a parent’s consent. Teen acne is often congestion plus oil, and a monthly HydraFacial with a good sunscreen and a gentle cleanser at home is a reasonable plan. If there are cysts, a dermatologist should see them first.
How often do I need to come in?
For active congestion, we’d suggest every four weeks for three to six months, then every four to six weeks to maintain your results. The acne study used every two weeks for six sessions, which is more than most people book. Our HydraFacial cadence guide lays out a typical schedule over a year.
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