AGNES – The Long Lasting Cure for Acne
No more irritating and drying acne products!
Do you find it frustrating to keep on using anti-acne products, but just can’t seem to cure your acne problems? Have you ever shuddered at the thought of being on a lifetime of acne creams and pills? Until recently, there was not much in the way of permanent cures for acne. However, a discovery by Japanese scientists in collaboration with a Korean dermatologist has changed all that! Read on to find out more about this incredible technology.
Old Concepts of Acne Treatment
Many years ago, the solution to acne was to use strong, harsh drying creams and powerful pills that dry up the skin. However, at the same time these treatments caused the whole face to dry up and led to peeling skin, dry eyes and cracked lips.
However, this did not solve acne at its root. What many patients experienced was that after they stopped these creams and pills, the acne would just recur, sometimes even worse than before. So what was really happening with the skin?
Modern Concepts of Acne Treatment
Researchers in Japan discovered that in certain cases of acne patients, pimples were appearing on the same part of the face over and over again. Sometimes, these pimples even appeared over the same exact spot!
Through advanced digital mapping techniques, they discovered that of the thousands of pores on the face, the same few hundred pores were repeatedly getting blocked, and responsible for recurrent acne breakouts. What’s more interesting is that these few hundred pores were responsible for 80 – 90% of all the acne appearing on the face.
They concluded that recurrent adult acne was due to damaged pores on the face, which were more prone to becoming blocked. The oiliness of our skin changes from day to day, whether it is due to hormone changes, diet or stress. Normal pores can cope with these changes, but the damaged pores were not able to handle the increased flow of sebum and ended up getting clogged, leading to breakouts.
The Breakthrough in Permanent Acne Treatment
By treating these problematic pores selectively, researchers found that it was possible to cure over 83% of non-inflammed acne and over 93% of inflammed acne, when treated with 3 treatments over a year! Once these problematic pores were treated, they did not recur for the duration of one year after the last treatment.
Even after a year, most patients continued to remain well, with only a 16.7% requiring a repeat treatment to achieve clearance.
This led to probably one of the most important discoveries in the history of acne treatment, which allowed us to provide a lasting cure for acne!
Click here for the Medline reference on Prof Ahn’s research.
Here’s how to check if you’re a suitable candidate for this treatment.
Call us today at (65) 6532 2400 to book an appointment on any of our cosmetic services and treatments.
Acne Treatment Strategies
Do you currently suffer from acne? Don’t lose hope just yet – if you have exhausted all your efforts in trying over-the-counter medications with little satisfactory results, consider consulting our doctors, Dr. Gerard Ee and Dr. Chow Yuen Ho.
Possessing over 18 years of experience and expertise in acne treatment in Singapore – we are committed to continuously refine our strategies in order for us to create a unique set of methods and techniques to best fight off acne for good. Our deep commitment for knowledge and research has also led us to develop 10 different treatments to date, including a variety of dermatologist prescribed skincare, oral medications and creams that are only provided at our clinic.
Finding the best acne treatment in Singapore involves researching for a qualified aesthetic clinic, and competent doctors with the professional know-how to clear up acne on a case-by-case basis.
Consult with our doctors, Dr Gerard Ee and Dr Chow Yuen Ho – both well-trained and proficient doctors in various aesthetic procedures, including the treatment of acne. Depending on your skin condition and goals, a safe, effective and long-lasting acne treatment plan will be designed specifically for you.
Call us today at (65) 6532 2400 to book an appointment on any of our cosmetic services and treatments.
Here’s how to check if you’re a good candidate for AGNES treatment.
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Do you have recurrent acne on your face that keeps recurring on the same zones of the face, even when the rest of the skin on the rest of the face is relatively clear?
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Do you have certain pimples on your face that recur on the exact same spot over and over again?
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Have you tried other types of conventional acne treatment with some success, only to have the acne return with a vengeance after stopping the treatment?
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Do you have special requirements like pregnancy or rosacea which make you unsuitable for traditional treatments for acne?
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Would you prefer to be on creams for the long term, or invest in a treatment will reduce your need for creams and continued treatment for acne?
Call us today at (65) 6532 2400, Whatsapp us at (65) 8318 6332 or email us at thecliffordclinic@gmail.com to book an appointment or enquire on any of our cosmetic services and treatments.
Acne need not be a part of your everyday life. Get the longer lasting treatment for acne with AGNES today! Call us now at 65322400 for more information
AGNES works by selectively targeting acne prone follicles on the face. Using a magnifier, our doctor will scrutinise your face and identify all the blocked and damaged pores on your skin. Then, with a very fine wire attached to the AGNES machine, a tiny electrical current is introduced into the pore to zap the oil-producing gland. This reduces the gland’s size and controls the amount of oil that it produces. With no oil, there can be no blockage, and with no blockage, there can be no pimple. It’s that simple!!!
This process is a tedious process, because the pores are very tiny and it takes a lot of time on the doctors part, but it’s completely worth the trouble. Each full face session may take about half an hour for the doctor to complete, depending on the number of pimples. After the treatment, patients are red for one day. A second session is needed the following day to squeeze out the dead cells from the pores. This second session is done by our therapist and is not painful at all.
Post treatment, patients will usually experience a decrease of 50-70 percent of acne breakouts for the first treatment, and after the third session, most patients will achieve up to 90% clearance. These numbers are indicative, and some variation may occur from patient to patient. Occasionally , some patients may require a small touch up session after one year.
Doctors with over 10 years of experience
The Doctors at the Clifford clinic has over 10 years of experience in aesthetic surgery procedures. Rest assured that you are in safe hands. We have hundreds of patients just like you who came to us, all leaving satisfied and happy with their results.
Our Certified Acne Doctors
Our Certified
Acne Doctors
Dr. Gerard Ee
Dr. Gerard Ee is the founder and medical director of The Clifford Clinic. He is fully accredited in cosmetic treatments including fillers, Botox, light therapies, and more. Driven by his passion for sharing his expertise across the medical community, Dr. Ee has accumulated his surgical experiences internationally from working in the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, National University Hospital (NUH), and Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
Dr. Chow Yuen Ho
Dr. Chow Yuen Ho is the founder and medical director of The Clifford Clinic. With over 10 years of clinical practice experience, the reputable aesthetic doctor specializes in non-invasive aesthetic and acne treatments. Dr. Chow has accomplished so much in this field. He served as the founding Director of Medical Informatics at SGH and then as the Managing Director of the Asian division of Alert Life Sciences Computing.
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Acne Treatment Step 1 - Facial Treatments
At the start of the treatment, the key is to control inflammation. Using the right combination of treatment strategies, medications and aftercare products – we are able achieve a successful outcome on limiting redness and inflammation on the skin.
HydraFacial is a patented technology which utilizes vortex cleansing to cleanse the pores and remove micro-blockages – which are responsible for pimples and acne breakouts. Debris and congestion, such as blackheads and whiteheads, are cleared out from the pores simultaneously as the facial works to cleanse, extract, and hydrate the skin.
Through the gentle exfoliation process, a new layer of skin will be uncovered. By preventing the pores from getting clogged and congested, there is better acne control.
At The Clifford Clinic, we combine HydraFacial with Alphalight – a treatment which applies photodynamic (PDT) therapy to eliminate deep-rooted bacteria. In just one session, patients can often observe reduced skin redness and inflammation. Nonetheless, it usually takes between 5 to 10 sessions to effectively clear up the entire face.
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Acne Treatment Step 2 - Laser Treatments
Laser treatments are a crucial part of any acne treatment plan. By producing intense monochromatic light varied by a narrow band of wavelengths, lasers are able to target the P. acnes bacteria residing on the skin which is responsible for acne breakouts.
Additionally, different lasers of varied wavelengths can be used to target the excessive blood vessels surrounding the inflamed areas, including the scars and pigmentation left behind when the acne heals.
If you are looking for a treatment with zero downtime, the Q-switch and Vbeam laser are your best options. Under the hands of a skillful doctor, laser treatment for acne is fast and offers excellent results. One session can take anywhere between 10-15 minutes, and patients are able to return to their daily activities after the treatment.
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Acne Treatment Step 3 - Localised Acne Treatment
Amongst the recent acne treatment developments in Singapore is AGNES – offering a permanent and long-term solution to cystic acne and painful breakouts.
By targeting the source of the problem, AGNES is able to selectively shrink the sebaceous glands to effectively minimize recurrent acne.
When you notice that acne often recurs in the same exact spot, this is a tell-tale sign that the particular pore is damaged by scarring. Using AGNES, our doctors will be able to look at your skin under high magnification to identify the damaged pores, individually treating them with tiny bursts of RF energy to shrink the oil glands – significantly reducing the chances of acne recurring over that specific pore.
Another cutting-edge treatment is the Gold Photothermal Therapy (PTT) treatment. During Gold PTT, gold nanoparticles are delivered into pores and sebaceous glands using a 40kHz Ultrasound device called Bellasonic. Only bellasonic can utlise the correct wavelength to deliver the gold nanoparticles into the oil glands before heating them with specialised lasers like the 800nm Diode Laser and the 1064nm Long-pulsed Laser. The targeted heating permanently modifies the pores and glands, reducing their secretion and in turn reducing acne permanently.
The gold nanoparticles are perhaps the most important component in this treatment. These specially designed nanoparticles have highly customisable optical properties, which make them ideal for various therapeutic applications from acne treatment to cancer therapy.
When used as an acne treatment, gold nanoparticles convert photo energy to heat when excited by specific wavelengths of light emitted by specialised lasers. The heating modifies the sebaceous glands, resulting in a decrease of active acne. Gold PTT is a safe treatment with no side effect observed when treating enlarged facial pores and active acne.
The Clifford Clinic is the first to introduce AGNES and Gold PTT acne treatments into Singapore. As the pioneers for AGNES and Gold PTT in Singapore – we have come up with a proven safe and successful acne protocol that resolves even the most stubborn acne.
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Acne Treatment Step 4 - Topical and Oral Therapy
Besides clinical acne treatments, you will need to make sure that your daily skincare routine is well-balanced and optimized for your specific skin type in order to maintain your results.
Using a selection of dermatologist prescribed skincare can help you improve oil control, without facing excessive dryness of the skin. Oftentimes, acne-prone skin is lacking in 2 types of free fatty acids, i.e., linolenic and linoleic acid. In order to replenish this, our oil glands overproduce sebum, causing the skin to be oily and shiny-looking.
At The Clifford Clinic, our signature Clifford Balancing Cream product is able to restore the levels of these crucial free fatty acids – all without causing excessive oiliness to the skin. We also carry a diverse range of topical and oral medications that are customized to suit your individual skin condition for best results. For patients with severe cystic acne and nodular acne, oral medication may be required.
Complications of Acne Treatment
The most common complications of acne treatment are redness, peeling and flaking. This is mostly due to the creams that are used during the treatment, which can be somewhat drying and irritating to the skin. Some of the drugs that are used as part of the treatment can also cause photosensitivity.
Even though a little bit of irritation and dry skin is inevitable – it is of utmost importance that the skin is well-hydrated and protected from the sun after the treatment. In addition, our doctors will constantly review the levels of dryness and irritation of the skin and adjust the treatment accordingly.
Overtime, the skin will adapt to the treatment and become balanced. This usually takes an average of 4 weeks after the start of the acne treatment.
Call us today at (65) 6532 2400, Whatsapp us at (65) 8318 6332 or email us at thecliffordclinic@gmail.comto book an appointment or enquire on any of our cosmetic services and treatments.
FAQ
Patients typically see immediate improvements in their acne after treatment is initiated. However, there are some patients (roughly 10%) who may actually get an acne flare-up after starting treatment. However, this is not a cause for concern – your skin is simply purging out the impurities and blockages.
Yes, it is possible for acne to be completely cured! 90% of our patients have good responses to their treatment and see a significant improvement in their skin. The remaining 10% may still face persistent acne – in this case, a longer-term acne treatment is recommended.
The two most common types of acne are adolescent and adult acne.
While adolescent acne, which happens during your teenage years, is easier to cure by simply controlling the excessive oiliness of the skin until your skin stabilizes – adult acne is far more persistent. The agnes treatment is a cure for stubborn adult acne, allowing one to cure the acne once and for all.
Lasting up to decades, there are a number of triggers that onset adult acne, such as hormones, stress and environmental pollution. The earlier you undergo treatment, the faster you will be able to experience clear skin.
Why Choose Us?
Acne treatment in Singapore has advanced over the years, with the invention of modern and better technologies that can tackle and resolve even the toughest cases of acne.
If you are suffering from persistent acne that defies other conventional forms of therapy – we would like to invite you to a consultation with our doctors. Trained with over 18 years of combined experience in the aesthetics field, Dr. Gerard Ee and Dr. Chow Yuen Ho are familiar with treating all types of acne, many of which have been considered as “untreatable”.
One Appointment Away From Beauty
Our acne treatment plan involves not only eliminating your acne problems, but also the scarring that comes with it. We invite you to book a consultation with us to discuss how we can remove your acne problems for good. Just imagine a flawless face with no signs of acne or scarring.
to schedule your consultation today.