There are a lot of supposed solutions to acne. When I was growing up in the early 2000s, it was Proactive that had a choke-hold on all us blemish-prone pre-teens, but these days, the science behind acne treatment has stepped up its game. We’ve introduced you to AviClear before, a laser FDA-approved to treat acne, and this three-treatment course is designed to treat active acne, not just the scarring. And when it comes to any acne solution, I have to see the proof to believe it. Luckily AviClear and our trusty TikTok is full of compelling before and after acne laser updates, so you can keep up-to-date with the entire process and check in with their skin months after the treatment has completed.
How Long Do AviClear Results Last?
Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, Arash Moradzadeh, MD notes that AviClear has been on the market long enough now to show what kind of results it can produce in the long term. “And now we’re seeing that patients two years after treatment have not needed to have any additional acne treatment,” he says. “Results appear to be long-lasting.”
The treatment uses a laser to shrink the sebaceous glands, explains Boston dermatologist Jeffrey S. Dover, MD. “This means there’s less oil production and fewer blocked pores,” he explains. “Other treatments don’t target the production of sebum, but rather other causes of acne. AviClear is one of the most exciting developments in dermatology in the last 40 years.”
Does Skin Go Through a “Purging” Phase?
Some users on TikTok have found their skin tends to ‘purge’ in the weeks following their AviClear treatments, before showing the clear skin results they’re looking for. Commenters have noted that this process surprised them, catching them off-guard with acne that seemed to get worse for a few weeks before clearing completely and permanently.
Once you’re on the other side of purging, you might actually be free and clear.
According to Little Rock, AR dermatologist Hayden Franks, MD, about half of patients can expect to experience this kind of worsening of acne. “Roughly half of patients may experience some post-inflammatory flare ups after each treatment for up to 2-3 weeks. A “purging period” is expected, and it is normal for the condition to worsen before it improves,” Dr. Franks says.
Interest in the AviClear laser is only continuing to heat up across the country, as Spate reports a +280 percent growth in search for the treatment in the last year alone. TikTok’s before and after acne laser tag is also awash in patients looking forward to their first treatment, going through the stage of purging and finally coming out the other end with clear skin.
Do You Need Follow-Up Treatments After AviClear?
“AviClear is one of the only two treatments [Accutane being the other] with results that continue to improve even after you stop treatment,” Dr. Dover explains. “In the clinical study, 80 percent of patients saw at least half of their acne clear after three treatments. Their results also got even better after six months—it went up to 88 percent.”
AviClear is also designed to treat any severity of acne, from mild to severe.
We don’t know yet what kind of follow-up might be necessary down the road for AviClear patients, but so far, the results are almost too good to be true. But seeing is really believing, as these before and after acne laser videos show, and the long-term impact of this laser seems to speak for itself.
According to AviClear’s long term clinical trial, 92% of patients were deemed responders to the therapy (resolution of at least half of their acne).
