AviClear Acne Laser Treatment in London: Consultant-Led FAQs
Updated: June 2025
Self London: Europe’s most experienced AviClear clinic
Introduction
AviClear represents the first laser treatment specifically designed to address the underlying cause of acne: excessive sebum production from overactive sebaceous glands. Unlike most conventional acne treatments, which primarily target surface inflammation or bacterial activity, AviClear directly modulates sebaceous gland function using a highly selective 1726 nm wavelength. Since introducing AviClear in 2023, Self London has performed 500 treatments, which at the time of writing represents the largest patient cohort in Europe. The following answers address the most frequent concerns raised across Google, TikTok, Reddit, and peer-reviewed dermatology literature, using both international data and our own clinical audit outcomes.
How does AviClear work?
AviClear delivers laser energy at a wavelength highly absorbed by lipids within sebaceous glands. This controlled photothermal effect leads to gradual gland shrinkage and sustained reductions in oil output. Unlike other lasers, AviClear does not ablate the skin surface and does not target melanin, allowing safe treatment across a wide range of skin types. In multicentre studies, over eighty per cent of patients achieved at least fifty per cent lesion reduction by three months following treatment, with clearance improving further at six and twelve months as sebaceous involution progresses. In our own clinical audit, results have mirrored and in some cases exceeded these global findings.
Will the treatment hurt?
While pain levels are often exaggerated online, particularly on social media platforms, the reality in clinical practice is far more manageable. If patients are concerned about pain, we recommend taking analgesia 30 minutes prior to treatment which will be discussed with you in your appointment. Patients typically describe the sensation as brief flashes of heat, which are well tolerated throughout the thirty-minute procedure. On average, most patients will give the treatment a pain score of 3 to 5 out of 10, where 10 is the most pain which can be imagined.
Can AviClear cause burns or the “flower-pattern marks” sometimes discussed online?
Certain Reddit and TikTok discussions refer to grid-like or flower-shaped erythema occasionally seen after treatment. These marks are superficial epidermal imprints caused when the sapphire tip temporarily loses full contact or there is insufficient cooling and hydration. We have audited out data and not had a single case of this in our clinic. There have also been no cases of scarring or long-term pigmentation alteration. This low incidence reflects meticulous adherence to correct overlap technique and comprehensive operator training delivered to all staff.
What is “purging” and how long does it last?
Purging refers to a temporary increase in visible acne lesions that occurs after treatment as clogged sebaceous units begin to clear. This typically manifests within the first one to two weeks following the first session. In our experience, approximately 12% of patients report some degree of purging after the initial session, with a smaller handful experiencing brief flares after the second and third sessions. These episodes generally resolve within seven to ten days and the risks are discussed before the treatment course begins, with potential optional methods we can use to reduce the flare-risk.
How soon will results appear?
While some early reduction in oiliness and inflammation may be noticeable following the first treatment, most patients observe progressive improvements across a twelve-month timeframe. By three months post-treatment, approximately eighty per cent of patients achieve at least fifty per cent reduction in active acne lesions. Continued improvement occurs between six and twelve months, as sebaceous involution progresses and inflammatory activity stabilises. This reflects what we are seeing in practice in clinic.
Is AviClear effective for hormonal, cystic or PCOS-related acne?
AviClear is highly effective for hormonally-driven acne where sebaceous overactivity remains a dominant. In cases where oil production is minimal and acne is driven more by inflammation or hormonal sensitivity alone, AviClear may still be helpful but could potentially require combination with systemic or hormonal therapies, which we are able to provide in-house. We have successfully treated women with PCOS and hormonally driven acne at Self London with AviClear.
Is AviClear suitable for teenagers?
AviClear is FDA cleared for individuals aged sixteen and older. At Self London, with our expertise in acne, we have treated patients aged 13 years and above with acne, or where there is a high risk of scarring, provided full parental consent and consultant-led clinical review are undertaken beforehand. Every case is individually assessed by a consultant dermatologist to ensure appropriateness and safety.
How does AviClear compare with isotretinoin?
While isotretinoin (commonly known by its trade name Roaccutane) remains an established and highly effective systemic therapy for acne, it carries significant side effect burdens, requires regular blood monitoring, and demands strict contraception due to its teratogenic potential. AviClear differs fundamentally by delivering localised gland suppression without systemic exposure, blood monitoring, or reproductive risks.
Isotretinoin typically requires four to eight months of daily medication alongside monthly blood tests (for at least the first three months) and pregnancy screening in female patients. AviClear consists of three laser sessions spaced over three months, with no blood work or systemic monitoring required. While isotretinoin provides long-term remission in approximately sixty-five to seventy per cent of cases, current AviClear data demonstrates sustained clearance of fifty per cent or greater in approximately ninety per cent of patients by one year post-treatment. Both treatments have relapse rates, and neither represents an absolute cure for every patient. In some individuals, the two therapies may even be used complementarily.
What happens if AviClear fails?
No treatment for acne, including AviClear, isotretinoin or hormonal therapy, offers an absolute guarantee of lifelong remission. Acne remains a complex, multifactorial skin disease, and for some individuals it can behave as a chronic condition that waxes and wanes over time. While many patients experience long-lasting clearance following AviClear, a small minority will not achieve the expected level of improvement. For these individuals, we offer escalation to other treatment options such as low-dose isotretinoin, hormonal modulation, or alternative energy-based devices, depending on the clinical profile. Patients remain under consultant-led dermatology care throughout, ensuring that all escalation decisions are made with full medical oversight.
In addition, it is important to recognise that even among patients who initially respond well, a small proportion may experience recurrence or partial relapse over time as sebaceous gland activity gradually returns. In these cases, our clinical experience has shown that single, stand-alone maintenance AviClear sessions may be beneficial at intervals of six to twelve months following the initial course, helping to maintain sebum control and prevent flare. This maintenance approach is discussed on an individual basis, depending on each patient’s long-term pattern of disease activity.
Are AviClear results long-lasting?
Clinical durability data now extends to twenty-four months, with international studies demonstrating that approximately eighty-eight per cent of patients maintain significant clearance two years after initial treatment. Â Relapse, where it occurs, may be managed with single booster sessions or adjunctive therapies.
Is AviClear safe for darker skin types?
Yes. The 1 726 nm wavelength employed by AviClear exhibits minimal melanin absorption, greatly reducing the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation often associated with other laser wavelengths. In our Fitzpatrick IV to VI patients, no cases of hyperpigmentation, scarring or pigmentary dysregulation have been recorded. International studies in Asian and South Asian skin types report comparable safety profiles.
Why is AviClear so expensive?
The cost reflects not simply the laser technology but the comprehensive consultant-led care model within which AviClear is delivered at Self London. The course includes full consultant dermatologist evaluation prior to treatment and VISIA imaging prior to each session. This level of care ensures that each patient receives not only technical laser treatment but also full medical oversight throughout their acne journey.
What makes Self London uniquely positioned to deliver AviClear safely and effectively?
The majority of clinics offering AviClear fall into one of two categories. Many aesthetic clinics operate with limited medical dermatology oversight, simply adding acne treatments into existing aesthetic portfolios focused on injectables such as dermal fillers or facials. Others, often structured around NHS or corporate dermatology models, rely exclusively on prescription medications and lack direct device-based acne management expertise.
Self London operates on a different clinical model. Our consultants bring experience not only in complex acne pharmacology but also in advanced energy-based treatments that directly modify sebaceous gland activity. Every patient is assessed and followed within an integrated consultant-led care pathway that includes hormonal evaluation, prescription therapies, scar revision options, and laser-based interventions where appropriate. This allows us to manage complex cases that may have failed elsewhere, supported by continuous audit of real-world outcomes and VISIA-based objective measurements. It is this full-spectrum model that makes Self London the UK reference centre for AviClear and acne management more broadly.
Key points to remember
AviClear offers a medically advanced, device-led approach to acne by targeting oil production at the sebaceous gland level. Common online concerns regarding discomfort, purging or transient grid erythema are real but remain rare and fully manageable within properly governed clinical protocols. While no treatment, including isotretinoin, can promise universal permanent remission, AviClear provides an evidence-based alternative or adjunctive pathway for many patients seeking non-systemic options or for whom previous treatments have been unsuccessful. Self London’s audited data, consultant oversight and full therapeutic ladder ensure that every patient receives tailored, medically-led care supported by real-world results.
