Pimple Treatment and Pimple Removal in Singapore
Written and medically reviewed by the doctors of The Clifford Clinic. Last medically reviewed 4 November 2026.
A pimple is a blocked pore that has become inflamed. One or two now and then are normal. A large painful one, or pimples that keep coming back in the same spot, are the ones worth seeing a doctor about.
Pimple treatment in Singapore at The Clifford Clinic is done by doctors, not by extraction. A pimple cyst, a blind pimple (one with no head) or any large, painful pimple is flattened in a single visit with a pimple injection ($150). Congested skin that keeps producing pimples is cleared with a HydraFacial. And pimples that keep returning in the same pore are treated at the source with AGNES. Every plan starts with a $100 doctor consultation at Raffles Place.
Types of pimple — papule, pustule, blind pimple, pimple cyst and nodule
| What you see | What it is | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Small red bump, sometimes with a white top | Ordinary inflamed pimple (papule / pustule) | Prescription cream. Clears in days. |
| Hard, painful pimple under the skin with no head | Blind pimple — a pimple cyst or pimple nodule (cystic pimple) | Pimple injection (steroid) to flatten it in 24–48 hours. Never squeeze it. |
| The same spot breaks out every few weeks | A damaged pore that keeps blocking | AGNES to shrink the oil gland under that pore |
| Many pimples across the face, chest or back | Acne, not a single pimple | An acne plan — see acne treatment in Singapore |
| Lots of blackheads and whiteheads | Congestion (comedones) | HydraFacial, or Gold PTT for oily skin |
| A healed pimple that left a red or brown mark | Post-inflammatory mark | Vbeam for redness, Q-switch laser for brown marks |
More on telling them apart — blackheads vs whiteheads vs pimples and the acne face map.
Pimple treatment options at The Clifford Clinic
HYDRAFACIAL FOR CONGESTED SKIN
Vortex cleansing clears the micro-blockages that become pimples, followed by photodynamic light to calm bacteria. For skin that keeps producing small pimples, blackheads and whiteheads. $280 per session, $188 trial. HydraFacial →
PIMPLE INJECTION FOR A CYSTIC OR BLIND PIMPLE
For a pimple cyst, a blind pimple or any hard, painful pimple under the skin, a tiny amount of diluted steroid is injected into it. The swelling settles within one to two days. Used sparingly — for the occasional big one before an event, or when a cystic pimple is at risk of scarring. $150 per pimple.
AGNES FOR PIMPLES THAT KEEP COMING BACK
When the same spot breaks out again and again, the pore itself is damaged. AGNES shrinks the oil gland beneath it with a pulse of radiofrequency through a fine insulated needle, so that pore stops producing pimples. $800–$1,500 per session. Two to three sessions. AGNES acne treatment →
PRESCRIPTION CREAMS
Benzoyl peroxide, a topical retinoid or a topical antibiotic for the pimples you have now and the ones forming underneath. Dispensed at the clinic after the consultation.
WHY WE DO NOT TREAT PIMPLES BY EXTRACTION
Squeezing or extracting a pimple empties it for a day but does nothing to the oil gland underneath, which is why the pimple comes back. Extraction is a salon procedure. At the clinic the gland itself is treated — HydraFacial, Gold PTT, AGNES or AviClear depending on the pattern. Acne extraction, pros and cons →
PIMPLE MARKS AND PIMPLE SCARS
Vbeam for the red pimple marks a pimple leavesQ-switch laser for brown pimple marks. Pimple scars are treated separately — see acne scar treatment.
Pimples on the chin, forehead, nose or back — pimple or acne?
Where the pimples sit points to the cause. Chin and jawline pimples that flare monthly are usually hormonal — see hormonal acne treatment. Forehead and nose pimples come with oily, congested skin — HydraFacial and Gold PTT. Back and chest pimples are back acne.
Pimples across the whole face, every month, are acne and need a plan rather than spot treatment — acne treatment in Singapore compares every optionAviClear treats the whole faceAGNES treats the pores that keep recurringcystic acne has its own page. See the acne face map.
Teenagers are treated with a parent at the consultation.
Blind pimple, pimple cyst, pimple nodule and papule — the pimple under the skin with no head
A blind pimple is a pimple with no head — a hard, tender bump under the skin that never comes to a point. A small, firm red one is a papule. A large, painful one that lasts for weeks is a pimple nodule or pimple cyst — what most people call a cystic pimple. None of them has an opening, so squeezing cannot reach it and only pushes the inflammation deeper, which is how blind pimples scar.
What helps — a warm compress twice a day, a thin layer of benzoyl peroxide, and no picking. If it is large, painful or you have an event, a pimple injection ($150) at the clinic flattens most blind pimples and nodules within 48 hours.
Blind pimples that keep forming in the same spot are a case for AGNES. Several at a time is cystic or nodular acne and needs a plan. More — understanding blind pimples and why pimples keep reappearing.
Pimple treatment price in Singapore
| Item | Price (before GST) |
|---|---|
| Doctor consultation | $100 |
| Pimple injection — steroid, per pimple | $150 |
| HydraFacial | $280 per session, $188 trial |
| Prescription creams | quoted at consultation |
| AGNES (recurring pimples) | $800–$1,500 per session |
| Gold PTT (oily, congested skin) | $1,000 per session, $2,500 for 3 |
The doctor gives you the full price before anything is done. The clinic’s acne treatments are compared in cost on the acne treatment price list.
How to get rid of a pimple at home — pimple cream, pimple patch, spot treatment
- Wash twice a day with a gentle cleanser. No scrubbing.
- Pimple cream — benzoyl peroxide 2.5–5% as a spot treatment on the pimple, once or twice a day.
- A hydrocolloid patch on a pimple with a head, overnight — see which pimple patch to use.
- No toothpaste, no lemon, no squeezing — the toothpaste myth, is pimple popping really bad?, why you shouldn’t pick at that pimple.
See a doctor if the pimple is large and painful, has not improved in a week, keeps coming back in the same place, or you have more than a few at a time. Do’s and don’ts for breakouts →
Pimple treatment FAQ
A large, painful one or a blind pimple — a pimple injection at the clinic, which flattens it in one to two days. An ordinary pimple — benzoyl peroxide and a hydrocolloid patch shorten it by a few days. Squeezing it does not help — it empties the pimple but leaves the oil gland that caused it.
A consultation at The Clifford Clinic is $100. A pimple injection for a cystic or blind pimple is $150. A HydraFacial is $280 ($188 trial). Creams are quoted at the consultation. For pimples that keep returning, AGNES is $800–$1,500 per session. There is no separate pimple removal fee. The doctor treats the pimple at the consultation.
A large, painful pimple can be flattened with a steroid injection at the consultation. Pimples that keep coming back need the oil gland treated, which takes a course of AGNES or AviClear.
The pore underneath has been damaged by repeated inflammation and blocks more easily than its neighbours. Creams cannot change the poreAGNES shrinks the oil gland under it so it stops breaking out.
A blind pimple is a pimple with no head — a hard, tender bump under the skin with no opening. A small firm one is a papule. A large painful one is a pimple nodule or pimple cyst (a cystic pimple). It needs a pimple injection or time, not squeezing.
Chin and jawline pimples that come with the monthly cycle are usually hormonal. They respond to hormonal acne treatment and, where they keep recurring in the same spot, AGNES.
No. Squeezing pushes bacteria and oil deeper and is the commonest cause of pimple scars and dark marks. Squeezing also leaves the oil gland untouched, so the pimple returns.
Most ordinary pimples heal without a scar. Scars come from deep, inflamed pimples and from squeezing. Red or brown marks that remain can be treated with Vbeam or Q-switch. True scars are covered on the acne scar treatment page.
A pimple is one lesion. Acne is the condition that keeps producing them. One or two pimples a month is spot treatment. Several at a time, every month, is acne and needs a plan — see acne treatment in Singapore.
Yes, with a parent at the consultation.
The Clifford Clinic, 50 Raffles Place #01-01, Singapore Land Tower, Singapore 048623 (Raffles Place MRT, Exit B). Tel +65 6532 2400, WhatsApp +65 8318 6332.
- Reynolds RV, et al. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. J Am Acad Dermatol 2024, 90(5), 1006.e1–30. doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2023.12.017
- Lee JW, et al. Selective sebaceous gland electrothermolysis as a treatment for acne, a prospective pilot study. Int J Dermatol 2012, 51(3), 339–344. doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-4632.2011.05226.x
The Clifford Clinic offers the treatments described on this page. No manufacturer funded this content.
Our acne doctors
Every acne plan at The Clifford Clinic is set and reviewed by one of our doctors. You see the same doctor at each review.
Dr Gerard Ee
Managing Director · MBBS (St George’s) · MRCS (Edin) · PG Dip Dermatology (Cardiff)
Trained at SGH, NUH and Mount Sinai Hospital, New York. Accredited in lasers, light therapies, fillers and Botox. Has published in medical journals on surgical and aesthetic topics.
Dr Chow Yuen Ho
Medical Director · MBBS (NUS)
More than 10 years in clinical practice with a special interest in aesthetic dermatology procedures and lasers. Formerly founding Director of Medical Informatics at SGH.
Dr Law Zhi Wei
Partner · MBBS (NUS) · MRCS (Edin) · PG Dip Practical Dermatology (Cardiff)
Surgical training across KKH, SGH and CGH. Accredited in lasers, radiofrequency, ultrasound therapies, Botox and fillers, with a focus on acne care.
Dr Bernard Ong
MBBS (NUS)
Aesthetic and wellness medicine. Former national-level badminton player. Represented Singapore at the Youth Olympic Games.
Book your acne consultation
Message us on WhatsApp or call the clinic to have a painful pimple treated, or to find out why they keep coming back.
Mon–Fri 10am–8pm · Sat 10am–5pm · 50 Raffles Place #01-01 Singapore Land Tower