Breaking out is never a fun time, and it can be incredibly painful or troublesome to deal with whenever it happens.
Whether they’re large, red and angry, or small and barely visible, if those skin bumps are bothering you, that’s enough reason to treat them. The problem? Finding the right acne treatment to address your skin condition is easier said than done.
That’s why we’ve decided to create a list of the best acne treatment centres in Singapore, and the answers to most commonly asked questions about acne!
What is acne?
Acne results from the clogging of hair follicles with a combination of sebum, dead skin cells, and bacteria, leading to whiteheads, blackheads, and pimples.
While it’s most prevalent in teenagers, it can affect individuals of all ages. Effective acne treatments exist, but acne can be stubborn, causing slow healing and recurring breakouts.
When one begins to subside, others seem to crop up. Depending on how serious it is, it can cause skin scarring and emotional distress. The sooner you begin an acne treatment, the lower your chances of dealing with such issues.
What are the different types of acne?
Acne can generally be categorised into two groups — non-inflammatory and inflammatory acne. Identifying the type you have is the first step to bidding farewell to these pesky skin intruders.
Non-inflammatory acne
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Non-inflammatory acne, also known as comedonal acne, don’t appear in the form of large, aggravated, red pimples. Instead, you’ll notice small whiteheads and blackheads on parts of your face that are oilier.
Common places for non-inflammatory acne include your nose, forehead, and back. This form of acne stems from the blockage of the pilosebaceous units, which are the hair follicles of the skin.
Inflammatory acne
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On the other hand, inflammatory acne is a form of acne that manifests as red, swollen, and often painful lesions on the skin. Such acne results from the body’s immune response to the presence of bacteria in clogged hair follicles or pores.
There are several different types of lesions for the inflammatory acne type, include papules (small, red bumps), pustules (bumps filled with pus), nodules (deep, solid lumps under the skin), and cysts (painful, fluid-filled lumps).
Some of these may take forever to go away, and tend to have more of a genetic or hormonal origin.
Managing inflammatory acne usually requires more targeted and intense forms of acne treatment in order to successfully reduce inflammation and prevent potential scarring.
What are the different acne treatment options?
Some types of acne are easier to treat than others. Here’s a rundown on how you can address them effectively.
Non-inflammatory acne treatment
The best way to prevent and treat this type of acne is by opting for products that help shed cells, break up sebum, and provide gentle exfoliation of dead skin cells. Just keep in mind that you should always start slow when it comes to incorporating such products into your routine.
As it may take up to two months for your skin to adjust and be fully transformed, always go with a product that is less potent and start with a lower usage frequency when in doubt!
Here are some quick tips for effective non-inflammatory acne treatment:
- Use a facial cleansing device. When washing your face, it helps to ensure that all the makeup, oils, and dirt are removed from your face thoroughly.
- Use gentle chemical exfoliants. This includes products containing mandelic acid or azelaic acid.
- Upgrade to stronger exfoliants when required. When your skin is ready for something stronger, you can opt for ones that include AHAs like glycolic acid and lactic acid.
- Do not layer exfoliating products on top of one another at the start. If you use an exfoliating cleanser, toner, and treatment, you might wind up with aggravated, dry, and peeled skin.
- Apply moisturiser. Your skin may wind up producing more oil to combat the dryness you face from using acne-treating cleansers, so it’s important that you rehydrate it!
Inflammatory acne treatment
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In general, you should practice the same principles highlighted above: provide a gentle exfoliation, and don’t over-cleanse or over-scrub your skin.
Here are some other ways you can tackle inflammatory acne:
- Use an acne patch. These easy-to-use overnight treatments can reduce the swelling of your inflammation and deliver healing ingredients to your skin, such as niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and salicylic acid.
- Apply topical treatments. While acne doesn’t result from a genuine skin infection, antibacterial products play a central role in managing inflammatory acne. It’s advisable to seek out treatments containing benzoyl peroxide, as it effectively combats bacteria, thereby reducing the inflammation triggered by bacteria.
- See a dermatologist. Despite your best efforts with at-home treatments, deeper spots like cysts and nodules may require professional treatment from a dermatologist.
How do clinical acne treatments work?
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When you’re dealing with moderate to severe acne, clinical acne treatments may prove to be more effective than over-the-counter products.
Some common treatment options include oral antibiotics, chemical peels, laser therapy, corticosteroid injections, or even an incision and drainage.
After a consultation with a doctor, you’ll be recommended the best course of action to treat the acne you have.
8 best clinics for acne treatment in Singapore
Ensoul Medical Clinic
You’ve probably heard of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) being used for hair removal services, but did you know that it can be used to treat acne as well?
This is what the trained therapists at Ensoul Medical Clinic specialise in. Their FDA-approved IPL Acne Therapy uses a broad-spectrum light source to destroy acne-causing bacteria, balance overactive oil glands, and decrease inflammation and redness.
When used in conjunction with the clinic’s IPL hair removal treatment, it is particularly effective, as it prevents bacteria from clinging onto any hairs on your skin!
Moreover, chemical peels are administered as part of the process to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells thoroughly, unveiling smoother and more radiant skin.
Various clients of Ensoul Medical Clinic have commented on the professionals’ patient approach towards addressing their concerns, keen efforts in monitoring their condition, and remarkable results they received.
Eeva Medical Aesthetic Clinic
Want to get a facial without risking an acne flare-up? Eeva Medical Aesthetic Clinic offers a range of Doctor-designed Acne Treatment Facials that can remove dead skin cells and blackheads, reduce facial outbreaks, and give you clearer and cleaner skin.
Moreover, they also offer convenient solutions like the InstaGlow, a lunchtime treatment that addresses pimples, pores, and pigmentation issues.
Utilising the advanced Korean Curas laser technology, this procedure stimulates photorejuvenation in both the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin, typically requiring minimal to no downtime.
As Eeva Medical Aesthetic Clinic always conducts a consultation before any treatment, you can rest assured that you’ll be getting the most suitable acne treatment option for your skin’s needs!
Stephanie Ho Dermatology
With over 20 years of medical experience, Dr Stephanie Ho has practised in Edinburgh, London, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Over the years, she has had several publications related to acne under her name, and made notable contributions to the discussion of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and acne scarring.
Her clinic offers a range of acne treatments, ranging from oral antibiotics and hormonal treatments to ones harnessing the power of vitamin A.
Most who undergo it achieve great results and long-term remission of acne symptoms. Moreover, if you have any remaining scars left from previous acne, you can also get them treated via laser treatments and injectables offered by Stephany Ho Dermatology!
Dermatology & Co
Get expert acne treatment at Dermatology & Co, where the specialist dermatologists Dr Tan Wei Sheng and Dr Ker Khor Jia practice. They have a wealth of experience in treating both children and adults, and offer a range of skin, hair and nail treatments, across surgical and aesthetic dermatology options.
They help patients with issues like acne, mole removal, psoriasis, hair loss, and more. Your acne treatment will be tailored to you to ensure that you receive the most suitable remedy!
The Ogee Clinic
Dr Heng Wee Soon, who leads The Ogee Clinic, offers a comprehensive array of non-invasive treatments, including lip fillers, laser hair removal, and acne treatments.
In particular, you can benefit from four different acne treatment options the clinic offers – the Acne Buster Program, Medi-facials, Rejuran Skinbooster, and the Ogee Skincare System.
Their proprietary treatment, the Ogee Skincare System includes carefully-selected components to address various grades of acne and minimise scarring.
It incorporates chemical peels for achieving cleaner and clearer skin, medical extractions to address larger and inflamed lesions, and various laser and light treatments aimed at reducing lesion size and enhancing skin texture.
In addition to in-office treatments, oral medications are used to deliver synergistic and rapid results. These medications are carefully selected based on individual patient needs.
The Ogee Clinic is known for its compassionate and helpful team, earning praise from various customers for their approach, which avoids aggressive sales tactics. Patients appreciate the clinic’s commitment to patient well-being.
The Clifford Clinic
With over 18 years of experience in acne treatment, The Clifford Clinic is one of the most reputable places to get professional solutions for your skin, hair, body, and health issues.
They have developed 10 different acne treatments to date, including an array of dermatologist-prescribed skincare, oral medications and creams that are exclusive to the clinic.
They’re also well-versed in this four-step acne treatment plan:
- Step 1: Facial treatment – A combination of HydraFacial and Alphalight helps to eliminate deep-rooted bacteria in your skin. Observe reduced skin redness and inflammation in just one session.
- Step 2: Laser treatment – Lasers of different wavelengths are used to target the bacteria on the skin that is responsible for acne breakouts, known as P. acnes bacteria.
- Step 3: Localised acne treatment – The Clifford clinic is the first to introduce AGNES and Gold Photothermal Therapy (PTT) acne treatments in Singapore, which decrease the presence of active acne without leaving side effects.
- Step 4: Topical and oral therapy – Their signature Clifford Balancing Cream product is administered to restore levels of crucial free fatty acids in your skin without causing excessive oiliness. A variety of other topical and oral medications can also be customised to suit your skin’s unique needs for the best results.
Assurance Skin, Laser & Aesthetics Dermatology Clinic
Under the expertise of Dr Wong Soon Tee, a seasoned dermatologist with over three decades of practice, Assurance Skin Clinic provides a range of FDA- and HSA-approved treatments for optimal results.
For those with acne concerns, their offerings include Hydrafacial Treatment, Helios Carbon Acne Laser Peel, Fractional CO2 Laser, Tri-Chloracetic Acid Chemical Reconstruction of Scarring (TCA CROSS), scar subcision, surgical excision, ND-YAG Laser, chemical peels, fillers, and more.
As the clinic also separates its acne treatment options according to mild, moderate, and severe conditions, you’ll be able to get the most targeted option for your unique case!
Lux Medical Aesthetic Clinic
At Lux Medical Aesthetic Clinic, you have the flexibility to opt for the Acne Clear Laser program either as a standalone treatment or, if necessary, in conjunction with oral or topical acne medications. To determine the most suitable treatment plan for you, a consultation with their doctor will be set up.
Your skin will also be treated to a three-step treatment plan with each visit:
- Step 1: Hydrafacial – banishes impurities and unclogs pores by thoroughly cleansing your skin
- Step 2: Carbon laser peel – uses a special four-in-one technology that helps to gently cleanse, exfoliate, extract and infuse the skin with special serums that hydrate the skin.
- Step 3: IPL – uses light therapy to tackle bacteria, inflammation, and post-acne marks, leaving your skin radiant with a subtle post-treatment glow
Frequently asked questions on acne treatments
What kind of treatment works for acne scars?
There are many different treatment plans for acne scars, and your doctor can best determine which one is most suited for you. Different treatment options include chemical peels, laser treatment, fillers, HydraFacials, and more.
Is acne treatment permanent?
There is no permanent cure for acne, though it can be controlled and significantly reduced with the right acne treatment plan, lifestyle changes, complementary solutions.
Acne tends to become less of a severe issue in most people as they get older. However, if it is bothering you, you should seek help from a skin specialist to get a tailored solution.
How long do acne treatments take?
While you may see visible improvements in your acne within the first month, it can take three to four months or longer to see your skin mostly clear. This is because it typically requires 30 to 90 days for pre-existing acne impurities to emerge on the skin’s surface.
The exact duration will also depend on the clinic and the specific acne treatment you undergo, so be sure to seek the expert opinion of your certified doctor to get the most accurate answer!
