Acne that keeps
coming back
Acne comes in different forms, and each form asks for a different approach. We first work out which one you are dealing with and treat that, with peels, needling, laser or a combination.
Is it mostly what has been left behind? Then it starts with acne scars, because that is often not a scar at all.
Where it sits
says what it is.
The jawline points to something different than the T-zone. On the cheeks it can come from outside, from your phone or your pillowcase, but it can just as well be hormonal. And acne on your back, shoulders or chest is a zone of its own, with its own cause. Tap where yours sits and we read along. You can pick more than one.
More than one is fine. The place often says more about the cause than how bad it looks.
Outside the face
Hover over a zone to read what it usually means on its own. Tap it to count it in the reading beside this.
Tap where it sits
You can choose more than one zone. Where acne sits often tells you more about the cause than how it looks.
If you cannot point it out well, we go through the zones together at the consultation.
This is a reading of a pattern, not a diagnosis. Two people with the same zones can get a different plan. That is why we measure before we treat.
Which acne do you have?
Acne is not one thing. The type decides what actually helps, and with one of these five it decides that you belong with a doctor rather than with us.
Blackheads, little redness
comedonal acne- What you see
- Skin that feels rough when you run a hand over it. Open blackheads with a dark head and closed ones you mostly feel. Little redness, hardly any pain.
- What it means
- The pore is blocked, but your immune system has not stepped in yet. This is the stage where you can prevent the most rather than repair.
- What we do first
- Cleaning the pores and working on the build-up of keratin, in steps and without irritating the skin. This is often the course with the fewest sessions.
Those dark dots are not dirt. It is sebum that has discoloured in the air. That is why scrubbing does not get it out.
Acne runs through several stages
At each stage you can do something different. That is why scrubbing harder does not work: it acts on the second stage and makes the fourth worse. Click through and see what changes.
Stage 1 of 4
Sebum
Your skin shines sooner than you want, mostly on your nose and forehead.
The sebaceous gland sits deep in the skin and makes oil that travels up along the hair shaft. Under the influence of hormones it makes more than the skin can clear.
Creams do little about the production itself. What does work is improving the way out, so that it does not sit there.
What helps and what we advise against
On the left what we do with acne, on the right what we advise against. Each point says why, because nobody remembers a “do not” without a reason.
This works
- A skin analysis before we start, so that we can measure later under comparable conditions
- Cleaning pores and working on keratin build-up, in steps your skin can take
- Inflammation down first, with chemical peels and herbal peels that are also antibacterial. Scars after that, never at the same time
- Sun protection, every day, in winter too. This prevents the dark marks that stay behind after a spot
- Referring you to a doctor when the picture calls for it, even though you came to us
We advise against this
- Toothpaste or lemon juice on a spot. It irritates the skin and leaves a dark mark more often than the spot itself would
- A sunbed. It hides redness for a while and damages your skin in the meantime
- Scrubbing every day. You take away the barrier that is meant to limit the inflammation
- Alcohol toners that make your skin feel tight. Dehydrated skin makes more sebum, not less
- Squeezing it yourself. You push the inflammation deeper instead of out. This is the fastest route to a scar
Why we start
with the inflammation
Treating scars on skin that is still inflamed makes the picture worse. So we settle the inflammation first and work on the scars after that. That order gives more than trying both at once.
The inflammation first, the scar after
Lasering or needling in active acne makes the inflammation worse and can set a scar. We wait until the skin is calm before we start.
Medication goes through your doctor
Antibiotics, the pill and isotretinoin are prescribed by your GP or dermatologist. We adjust our treatment to what your doctor has given you.
No fixed number of sessions in advance
How many sessions you need depends on your skin and how it responds. So we do not promise a number beforehand: we measure along the way, and we stop if it is not working.
These are the things we follow with acne
The EVE-M measurement records your skin before we start. With acne, pores, inflammation, redness and texture are the axes that count. After eight to twelve weeks we measure again and put the two side by side.
That is not to convince you. It is so that we can see it when something is not working, and do something else.
Pores
Size and density, measured rather than estimated
Redness
How much active inflammation is visible and where
Texture
Unevenness, and whether scars are starting to form
Questions about acne
Will this get rid of my acne?
For most people acne can be kept under control. For some it keeps coming back, because of hormones for instance. We say beforehand what we think is realistic in your case, and we measure whether it works. Control is sometimes the honest goal, and that is not second best.
How many sessions do I need?
That depends on the type of acne, how long it has been going on and how your skin responds to the first treatments. After the skin analysis you hear what we expect and what a session costs, but we cannot promise a fixed number beforehand.
I have tried everything. Why would this work?
Honestly, we do not know that yet. That is why we start by measuring rather than treating. If we think it will not work here, we would rather say so now than after six sessions.
Can I keep using make-up?
Yes. We do look together at what you use, because a few common products keep the picture going without you noticing.
Can I come if I am under a dermatologist?
You can, and it is often sensible. Do tell us, so that we can work out what combines safely with your medication.
Does it help if I change my diet?
Sometimes. We work with a laboratory and can do a food intolerance test; if something comes out of it, changing your diet really does have an effect. Without that test it stays guesswork, and we are not going to talk you into a diet here.
It is mostly the marks that are left behind.
Those are usually not scars but pigment marks. Sun protection stops them getting darker and stops new ones appearing, but it does not remove a mark that is already there; that needs treatment. If there is a dip in the skin, then it is a scar, and we look at it as soon as the skin is calm.
What does this cost?
That depends on the treatment that suits your skin, and we work that out at the consultation. The consultation costs 50 euros; if you have a treatment in the same appointment, that amount comes off again. You then hear straight away how many sessions it takes and what the total will be. Every price per treatment is published on the price page.
What others
say about it.
These come from Salonized and were not picked by us on content: they are the reviews in which acne, spots or congestion come up. Watch the time mentioned in them, because with acne that is what it is about.
Reviews translated from Dutch.
“The stars at Diba are so friendly! I never let anyone but Diba treat my skin, and I'm rid of my long-term acne.”
BusraVisit to Diba ClinicsOver 4 years ago “I felt the therapist had taken the time to remove the blemishes. And she involved me in the process of what the steps were.”
MalikaVisit to Diba ClinicsAbout 6 years ago “Had a dermapen and carbon laser appointment yesterday. My skin already feels smooth and the spots are reducing already. Really lovely ladies too!”
JennaMicroneedlingAbout 7 years ago
What we use for this
Medical peels
€ 140From light to strong. The strength decides how deep it goes and how much you flake.
Herbal peel
€ 150A peel of finely ground herbs, without acid. It calms the inflammation and works against bacteria.
Fotona Acne Control
On requestLaser for active acne, aimed at the inflammation and the sebaceous gland.
Acne treatment
On requestOne appointment for unsettled skin: cleansing, clearing blockages, calming. Bookable on its own.
Acne programme
€ 570A guided programme for acne: treatments at the clinic, products and check-ups at home.
Teen acne programme
€ 297A guided three-month programme, set up for young people up to and including eighteen.
Food intolerance test
€ 300A blood test that maps which foods your body reacts to.
Book a consultation
at Diba Clinics
At the consultation we measure your skin, talk through the type, and you hear what we expect and how we measure it along the way. Including when the answer is that you are better off waiting.
Book a consultationNot sure yet? Ask your question