Acne and breakouts
What helps acne depends on the kind of spots. Inflamed breakouts need calming and congested pores need clearing, which is where LED light and a deep cleanse come in, alongside a simple routine at home. Deep, painful or scarring acne, or acne that appears suddenly in adulthood, is a question for a doctor first and may need prescription treatment.
At a glance
- Who you’ll see
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- Kateryna Petliuk Head of Non-Invasive Cosmetology
- Where
- CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
- What may help
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- Heleo4 LED Light therapy
- HydraFacial Syndeo Skin-health facial
The short answer
Active breakouts are driven by inflammation, so the first step is calming it: LED light and a proper deep cleanse, with a plan you can keep up at home. Scarring is treated later, once the skin is calm.
What it is, and why it happens
Acne starts in the hair follicles and the oil glands attached to them. Hormones, especially androgens, which everyone has, make the glands produce more oil; dead skin cells plug the opening; bacteria that normally live on the skin multiply in the trapped oil; and the body answers with inflammation. It is very common, affecting around four in five people at some point between the ages of 11 and 30, and it can carry on into adulthood or start there.
Blackheads and whiteheads are blocked pores without inflammation. Red bumps (papules) and spots with a white or yellow head (pustules) are inflamed. Nodules and cysts are deep, painful lumps: they are more likely to leave scars, and they are a reason to see a doctor first. Acne can affect the chest and back as well as the face, so show us everything.
Some things make flares more likely: hormonal changes, oily or pore-clogging skin care and make-up, some medicines and anabolic steroids, and, for many people, heat and humidity. The marks acne leaves are a separate matter. Flat red or brown marks are not scars, though brown marks on darker skin can take months to fade; pitted scars and enlarged pores have their own page.
What may help
Heleo4 LED · Light therapy
LED light is the calming step. A chlorella-based complex goes on first, then light at set wavelengths: blue, which acts on the bacteria involved in acne, and red and near-infrared, which are thought to calm inflammation. It suits red, sore and reactive breakouts, including skin that can't take harsher treatment. For acne, a course is usually eight to ten sessions, one or two a week, then maintenance every three to six weeks; many people find their skin calmer after the first sessions, and visible change, when it comes, builds over three to five. There is usually no downtime, and side effects are generally mild: brief redness, dryness or tightness.
HydraFacial Syndeo · Skin-health facial
The HydraFacial is the deep cleanse. A vortex of water and suction loosens dead skin, lifts oil and debris out of congested pores and floods the skin with serums chosen for it. It suits blackheads, whiteheads, oily skin and mild to moderate breakouts; deep, painful spots need a doctor first. With acne, sessions often start every two weeks for the first few, then settle to once a month. In a small study run with the maker, six sessions two weeks apart, each finishing with blue light, improved mild to moderate acne over twelve weeks, though there was no comparison group. There is usually no downtime: some people look pink for an hour or so, and the effects reported in that study were mainly redness, stinging and itching.
What to be careful with
Picking and squeezing are worth giving up: persistent picking can increase the risk of scarring, and on darker skin a squeezed spot often leaves a dark mark that outlasts the spot by months. Harsh scrubs and piling on strong products can irritate inflamed skin, and irritation itself can leave dark marks. The UK's acne guideline advises a gentle, non-alkaline cleanser twice a day, skin care, sunscreen and make-up that are not oily or pore-clogging, and make-up off at night.
Scars wait until acne is under control: while new spots keep forming, they keep making new marks. No facial or light treatment replaces prescription treatment when acne is moderate to severe; they work alongside it. If you take isotretinoin, or have taken it in the last six to twelve months, tell us before any treatment: some procedures have to wait.
What matters in Dubai
Heat and humidity matter here. In a year-long study in Delhi, four in ten people with acne said it got worse in summer, and flares followed the temperature and humidity. Small, itchy bumps that all look alike, on the face, chest, back or upper arms, may instead be a yeast-related folliculitis: it is common in hot, humid climates, encouraged by sweating and tight clothing, and often mistaken for acne. Rinse off after sweating, and don't sit in damp gym clothes.
Sun leaves its own mark. On darker skin, spots often leave dark patches that can take months, sometimes years, to fade, and UV makes them darker. Daily sunscreen in a light texture that won't clog pores, and calming the acne early, are the main ways to limit new marks.
Ramadan moves sleep and meals, so keep the routine simple and book sessions at a time of day that suits your fast; there isn't enough evidence to recommend any particular diet for treating acne. Before a wedding, Eid or a trip, avoid new products and don't squeeze: a squeezed spot can leave a mark for weeks. LED and the HydraFacial usually need no recovery time, so a session a few days before is possible.
When to see a doctor first
See a doctor first when acne is moderate to severe; when there are deep, painful lumps (nodules or cysts); when it is leaving scars, or dark marks that don't fade; when it starts suddenly in adulthood; or when it comes with signs of a hormonal cause, such as irregular periods or new hair growth on the face or body. The same goes for acne that appeared with a new medicine or with anabolic steroids, acne that hasn't improved after a few months of good care, and acne that is getting you down. These usually need prescription treatment, which takes six to eight weeks to start showing; LED and a deep cleanse can support it, not replace it.
A doctor looks at the kind of spots and where they are, how long you've had them, what you have tried, the medicines and supplements you take, and any scars or marks. They also check that it is acne at all: rosacea and folliculitis can look similar and are treated differently. If a hormonal cause is likely, they may refer you to a hormone specialist. If we see signs like these at your first visit, we will tell you plainly, and fit our part around the medical plan.
Questions people ask
What actually helps acne?
It depends on the type and how severe it is. Guidelines start with treatments applied to the skin and add tablets when acne is more severe or scarring, and a doctor decides which. Supportive care such as LED light and a deep cleanse can help calm the skin and keep pores clear alongside, and a plan you can keep up matters more than any single session.
Does LED light therapy work for acne?
It can help calm inflamed spots, and many people find their skin settles over a course. The evidence has limits: a Cochrane review found that studies of light for acne are mostly small and of low quality, and a review of blue light alone could not reach firm conclusions. So we use it as part of a plan, not on its own for deep or scarring acne.
LED or a HydraFacial: which is better for acne?
They do different jobs. LED calms inflammation, so it suits red, sore breakouts; the HydraFacial helps clear congestion, so it suits blackheads, whiteheads and oily skin. Many people with acne have both kinds of spots, so a plan often combines them, sometimes in the same visit.
How long until I see a difference?
Inflamed skin often feels calmer within the first few LED sessions, and congested pores can look clearer after a deep cleanse, but acne itself changes over weeks. Prescription treatment usually takes six to eight weeks to show and is often given as a three-month course. Acne can come back, so most plans include maintenance.
Does diet cause acne?
The evidence isn't strong enough to say. The UK's acne guideline advises that there is not enough evidence to support any specific diet for treating acne, so we don't hand out food rules; a balanced diet is worth having for its own sake. If you notice a clear pattern with a particular food, mention it at your consultation.
Why do I have acne as an adult?
Acne is common in adults, not only in teenagers: it can carry on past the teenage years or start later. Hormonal shifts, pore-clogging products, some medicines and anabolic steroids can all play a part. Acne that appears suddenly, or comes with irregular periods or new hair growth, is worth a doctor's look, since a hormonal condition such as polycystic ovary syndrome may be behind it.
Where can I get acne treatment in Jumeirah, and how do I choose a clinic?
With us at CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, where you'll see Kateryna Petliuk, our Head of Non-Invasive Cosmetology, who specialises in acne and skin restoration; we use LED light and the HydraFacial's deep cleanse to help calm and clear breakouts. Wherever you go, choose a licensed clinic that looks at the kind of spots you have and where they are, asks what you have tried and which medicines you take, and tells you plainly when you need a doctor's prescription first.
Do I need a dermatologist or a doctor for my acne?
A doctor can usually start treatment, and some acne needs a dermatologist. The UK's acne guideline begins with a twelve-week course of treatment applied to the skin, with tablets for moderate to severe acne. It refers deep, nodular or cystic acne to a dermatologist-led team, and suggests one when acne is scarring, leaving lasting dark marks or hasn't improved after two courses; isotretinoin is considered there. We don't offer dermatology consultations: if your acne needs medical treatment first, we say so and fit LED and a deep cleanse around it.
Do you treat acne in men, on the face and back?
On the face, yes, for men and women alike: LED light and the HydraFacial, planned around your spots. Acne on the back or chest is a question for a doctor, as our acne care is for the face; the UK's acne guideline notes that tablets, on prescription, may help areas creams can't easily reach. Tell the doctor if the bumps there are small, itchy and all alike: that may be a yeast-related folliculitis, encouraged by heat, sweat and tight clothing, and treated differently. Anabolic steroids can make flares more likely.
What are the benefits and results of laser for acne, and do you have one at your clinic?
For active breakouts, the benefit is uncertain: a Cochrane review of light treatments for acne, lasers among them, found high-quality evidence lacking, and no light treatment replaces prescription treatment when acne is moderate to severe. So for spots that are still forming we use LED light, which is not a laser, and the HydraFacial's deep cleanse. Our laser, MOXI, comes later, once the skin is calm, and can help shallow texture and uneven tone; Sylfirm X radiofrequency microneedling is for pitted scars, enlarged pores and red marks that linger.
What are the benefits of an acne facial or peel for oily skin, and what results can I expect?
A deep-cleansing facial can help oily, congested skin and mild to moderate acne, alongside medical treatment, not instead of it. Ours is the HydraFacial: a light acid peel, then water and suction lift oil and debris out of the pores while serums go in. In a small study run with the maker, six fortnightly sessions with blue light raised the share of people with clear or almost clear skin from one in five to almost two in three; there was no comparison group. Deep, painful spots need a doctor first.
What are the side effects of an acne facial, peel or LED, and is there any recovery time?
Usually there is no recovery time, and side effects tend to be mild and short-lived. After a HydraFacial, with its light acid peel, skin can look pink for an hour or so, with stinging, tingling or itching; less often dryness, light peeling or, with stronger suction, a few days of redness and bruising; rarely an allergic reaction to a serum. After LED, warmth, then some redness or dryness; uncommonly, blue light can leave darker patches on medium and deeper skin tones, so we choose the colours for your skin.
How many sessions of acne treatment will I need, and how long does a course take?
For LED light, usually eight to ten sessions, one or two a week, so about four to ten weeks, then maintenance every three to six weeks; each session takes 20 to 40 minutes. With the HydraFacial, sessions often start every two weeks for the first few, then settle to once a month, at 30 to 60 minutes each. Many plans combine the two, alongside any prescription treatment. Acne can come back, so we review your skin against photographs taken in the same light each time, and adjust the plan.
Can I have acne treatment during pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
Our LED and HydraFacial sessions wait until after pregnancy and breastfeeding. Some acne medicines are not used in pregnancy either: the UK's acne guideline says retinoids applied to the skin and tetracycline antibiotic tablets should be avoided then and when planning a pregnancy, and isotretinoin can seriously harm a developing baby. Ask the doctor looking after your pregnancy before starting or continuing any treatment. Meanwhile, keep to a gentle, non-alkaline cleanser twice a day and skin care that isn't oily or pore-clogging, and leave spots unsqueezed.
What helps hormonal acne, or painful spots deep under the skin?
Usually a doctor's treatment, with gentle skin care alongside. Deep, painful lumps under the skin are nodules or cysts: they are more likely to scar, so leave them unsqueezed and see a doctor, who may refer you to a dermatologist-led team. For acne linked to hormones in women, a doctor may add a combined contraceptive pill or spironolactone, both prescription tablets; in a trial in women, spironolactone improved acne more than a placebo. LED light can help calm inflamed skin alongside, while the HydraFacial waits until deep, cystic acne settles.
How should I care for my skin after an acne facial or LED session?
Gently, and with sunscreen. After a HydraFacial, skip make-up for the rest of the day if you can, and scrubs and exfoliating acids for 48 hours; after LED, go easy on strong actives, such as acids and retinoids, for a day or two. Wear sunscreen every day, in a light texture that won't clog pores, keep to the treatment your doctor has planned, and leave spots unsqueezed. Message us if redness lasts more than a few days, or if itching, swelling or a rash appears.
Related concerns
Sources
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- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Acne vulgaris: management. NICE guideline NG198. 2021, last updated 3 August 2026.
- Barbaric J, Abbott R, Posadzki P, et al. Light therapies for acne. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;9(9):CD007917.
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- Santer M, Lawrence M, Renz S, et al. Effectiveness of spironolactone for women with acne vulgaris (SAFA) in England and Wales: pragmatic, multicentre, phase 3, double blind, randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2023;381:e074349.
Updated 27 October 2026