Advanced Acne Facial Treatments
Acne Facial · Hillcrest
Acne Facial in San Diego
From mild breakouts to cystic acne, our skin therapists combine extractions, exfoliation chosen for your skin and blue light therapy that targets acne-causing bacteria, and every facial is fully customized to your skin that day. Three levels, from Level 1 – Organic Acne Facial to our strongest, Level 3 – Blue Light MAX Acne Facial (Level 3 MAX), with extractions included at every level.
Not sure which level? Text us at 866.956.1605 or compare all three.
- 4.9★ on Google
- Extractions included
- HSA/FSA cards accepted
- Open daily 9am–9:30pm
- Free dedicated parking
Advanced Acne Facial
What Is an Acne Facial?
An acne facial is a deep-cleansing treatment built around breakouts: careful exfoliation to loosen what clogs pores, professional extractions, and calming steps that take down redness. Ours is performed by licensed skin therapists, fully customized and offered in levels, so the strength matches your skin instead of a one-size menu.
Extractions at every level
Blackheads, whiteheads and clogged pores are cleared by hand with professional technique. Inflamed spots that aren’t ready are left to heal.
Exfoliation that fits your skin
Level 1 uses organic fruit enzymes. Level 2 and Level 3 MAX add a clinical lactic, glycolic or salicylic acid chosen that day.
High-frequency
A gentle high-frequency treatment on congested and just-extracted areas helps clarify pores and supports healing.
Blue light therapy
Level 3 MAX adds our high-power panel: 2,000 blue 415 nm LEDs deliver the light dose of a full hour-long session in 5 minutes, plus red/near-infrared. Blue light targets acne-causing bacteria, including down in the pores and oil glands.
Who it’s for
Acne We Treat
For teens and adults with acne, from mild breakouts to cystic acne.
Blackheads & oily skin
Congested pores, bumps on the nose, chin and forehead, and oil that refills pores fast.
Hormonal & stress breakouts
Flare-ups around the jaw and chin. No facial changes hormones, but we can calm and clear what shows up.
Red, inflamed pimples
Papules and pustules that hurt and linger. Clinical exfoliation and soothing masks help calm them down.
Cystic acne
Deep, swollen, painful breakouts. We calm and soothe them with clinical care and blue light that helps reduce inflammation.
Teen & adult acne
First breakouts in your teens, or acne that showed up later. Every visit is adjusted to your skin that day.
Marks after breakouts
Regular exfoliation helps the red and dark marks breakouts leave behind fade faster.
Cystic acne? We treat it. Level 3 – Blue Light MAX Acne Facial is built to calm and soothe deep, inflamed breakouts. Breakouts on your back? Book our back acne treatment. Mostly blackheads? Try the Blackhead Extraction Facial. Prefer a peel? The Advanced Acne Peel is our salicylic acne peel. Very reactive skin? See the Sensitive Skin Facial.
How it works
What Happens During Your Acne Facial
Seven steps, adjusted to your level and your skin that day.
Skin check & cleanse
Your skin therapist looks at your breakouts and asks about your routine and any medication, then cleanses with organic fruit enzymes and thermal water.
Exfoliation
Level 1 uses plant-based papaya, pineapple and bamboo. Level 2 and Level 3 MAX use a clinical lactic, glycolic or salicylic acid, chosen for your skin that day.
Extractions
Blackheads, whiteheads and clogged pores are cleared under magnification. Cysts and spots too inflamed to extract safely are left alone and calmed instead.
High-frequency
A gentle high-frequency pass over congested and just-extracted areas helps clarify pores and supports healing. It is never used over active, inflamed or cystic breakouts.
Calming masks
Soothing probiotic and anti-inflammatory masks and cooling compresses calm and soothe inflamed and cystic breakouts. Level 3 MAX gets two calming masks plus a probiotic healing mask with an anti-inflammatory finish.
LED light (Level 3 MAX)
Our high-power panel: 2,000 blue 415 nm LEDs deliver the light dose of a full hour-long session in 5 minutes, plus red/near-infrared light. Blue light targets acne-causing bacteria, including down in the pores and oil glands, and helps reduce inflammation.
Serums, moisturizer & SPF
Level 1 finishes with organic serums with tea tree, willow herb and stonecrop. Clinical levels use niacinamide, azelaic acid and growth factors, an oil-free moisturizer and SPF.
Levels 1 and 2 take about 55 minutes, and Level 3 MAX takes about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Prices
Acne Facial Prices
Three levels. Every level is fully customized to your skin that day, extractions are included in all of them, and HSA/FSA cards accepted.
Level 1 – Organic Acne Facial
55 min
$119
Organic enzymes and botanicals for everyday breakouts, blackheads and sensitive skin.
- Fruit-enzyme cleanse & plant-based exfoliation
- Extractions
- High-frequency
- Probiotic masks
- Tea tree, willow herb & stonecrop serums
Level 2 – Clinical Acne Facial
55 min
$129
Adds a clinical acid for moderate acne and blackheads that keep coming back.
- Everything in Level 1
- Lactic, glycolic or salicylic acid, chosen that day
- Extractions under magnification
- Niacinamide, azelaic acid & growth-factor serums
- Oil-free moisturizer & SPF
Level 3 – Blue Light MAX Acne Facial
1 hr 10 min
$149
Our strongest acne facial: everything in Level 2 plus our high-power blue light panel and extra calming care.
- Everything in Level 2: deep cleanse, clinical exfoliation & precision extractions
- High-power blue light LED panel: 2,000 blue 415 nm LEDs, a full hour-long light dose in 5 min, + red/near-infrared
- Clinical actives
- Two calming masks
- Probiotic healing mask & anti-inflammatory finish
All three levels are booked through one appointment page; choose your level when you book.
Add-ons
- Lux Blue Light Therapy · $29 · 5 min, add to Level 1 or 2
- 15 minutes of extra extractions · $39 · 15 min
- Chest Acne Treatment · $49 · 20 min, booked with a facial or back acne treatment
HSA/FSA cards accepted for every acne facial and back acne treatment.
Find your fit
Acne Facial or Something Else?
Active acne is treated here in our skincare studio. Acne scars are a different job, best started once breakouts are calm.
| Treatment | Best for | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Acne FacialThis page | Active breakouts on the face, from mild to cystic acne | Skincare studio | from $119 |
| Advanced Acne Peel | Breakouts, oily skin and clogged pores, as a salicylic peel customized light to deep | Skincare studio | $149 |
| Blackhead Extraction Facial | Clogged pores and blackheads without many active breakouts | Skincare studio | $119 |
| Back Acne Treatment | Breakouts on the back and shoulders | Skincare studio | from $119 |
| Korean Coral Spicule Peel | Texture and post-acne marks once breakouts are calm | Skincare studio | $169 |
| Microneedling MAX | Rolling and boxcar acne scars | Skincare studio | from $199 |
| Morpheus8 RF microneedling | Deeper acne scars, plus firming | Med spa | see med spa |
Working on acne scars? See every option in one place with our acne scar treatments filter, including Microneedling MAX here at the studio and Morpheus8 at our med spa. For smoother texture and marks, the Korean Coral Spicule Peel and Korean Glass Skin Peel are popular next steps.
Results
Acne Facial Results Timeline
Acne clears over a plan, not a single visit. Here’s what to expect.
Same day
Calmer, cleaner skin
Pores look clearer right away. Extraction spots can stay pink for a few hours, and clinical levels may leave skin a little warm.
Days 1–3
Settling in
Redness from extractions fades. A few spots can surface as congestion works its way out, which is normal early in a plan.
Weeks 2–4
Your next visit
Clinical levels are planned every 2 to 4 weeks, so you’re back before pores fill up again.
Over a series
Fewer breakouts
With regular visits and the right home care, most clients see fewer, smaller breakouts and fading marks. Blue light results build over several sessions.
What you can expect
- Cleaner pores and calmer skin after each visit
- Calmer, less swollen cystic breakouts
- Fewer, smaller breakouts over a series
- Post-breakout marks that fade faster
What an acne facial won’t do
- Change your hormones or completely clear all acne immediately
- Clear everything in one visit; results build over a series
- Fill in pitted acne scars
For scars, see Microneedling MAX or the acne scar options at our med spa.
Aftercare
Acne Facial Aftercare
Simple steps protect your skin while it heals between visits.
Do
- Wash with a gentle, non-comedogenic cleanser
- Wear SPF 30 or higher every day
- Keep your hands, phone and pillowcase clean
- Follow the home-care steps your skin therapist recommends
Skip
- Picking or squeezing anything
- Scrubs, strong acids and retinoids for 2 to 3 days
- Heavy makeup for the rest of the day
- Saunas, hot yoga and hard workouts for 24 hours
Before you book
Acne Facial FAQ
Answers to what people ask most about acne facials. Still unsure? Talk to a skin therapist, it’s free. Curious about the light itself? Read blue light therapy, explained.
How much is an acne facial in San Diego?
Our acne facials start at $119 for Level 1 – Organic Acne Facial (organic, 55 minutes). Level 2 – Clinical Acne Facial adds clinical exfoliation for $129 (55 minutes), and Level 3 – Blue Light MAX Acne Facial (Level 3 MAX), our strongest acne facial with our high-power blue light panel (2,000 blue 415 nm LEDs delivering the light dose of a full hour-long session in 5 minutes, plus red/near-infrared), is $149 (1 hour 10 minutes). Extractions are included at every level, and HSA/FSA cards accepted. Other San Diego studios list acne facials from about $85 to $275.
Can you get a facial with cystic acne?
Yes, we treat cystic acne. Your skin therapist calms and soothes cystic breakouts with clinical exfoliation, anti-inflammatory masks and blue light therapy, which targets acne-causing bacteria, including down in the pores and oil glands, and helps reduce inflammation. Cysts that can't be extracted safely are left alone and calmed instead. Level 3 MAX is the usual choice, and most clients see calmer, less swollen breakouts over a series.
Which acne facial level should I book?
Book Level 1 – Organic Acne Facial for everyday breakouts, blackheads and sensitive skin. Choose Level 2 – Clinical Acne Facial for moderate acne or blackheads that keep coming back. Choose Level 3 – Blue Light MAX Acne Facial for cystic, painful or inflamed breakouts. Not sure? Book Level 1 and your skin therapist can move you up a level at your visit if your skin needs it. Every level is fully customized to your skin that day.
Does blue light therapy really help acne?
Blue light targets acne-causing bacteria, including down in the pores and oil glands, and helps reduce inflammation, which is why it's part of Level 3 MAX. Results vary from person to person and build over a series of sessions, so we pair light with exfoliation, extractions and calming masks instead of using it alone. You can also add 5 minutes of blue light to Level 1 or 2 for $29.
Can an acne facial help hormonal acne?
Yes. No facial can change your hormone levels, but we can calm and clear what hormonal acne leaves on your skin: congestion, oil, inflammation and breakouts along the jaw and chin. If you already use a prescription such as spironolactone or antibiotics, acne facials can work alongside it.
How often should I get an acne facial?
For active acne, most clients come every 2 to 4 weeks, and a series of about 6 sessions is a common plan. Clients booking Level 3 MAX for cystic or inflamed breakouts often come once a week for 4 to 6 weeks, then space visits out. Your skin therapist will suggest a schedule based on how your skin responds.
Can teenagers get an acne facial?
Yes. Teens with blackheads, oily skin or breakouts are a great fit, and each treatment is adjusted for younger skin.
Can I pay with my HSA or FSA card?
Yes. HSA/FSA cards accepted for every acne facial and back acne treatment.
Will an acne facial get rid of acne scars?
It can help the red and dark marks breakouts leave behind fade faster, but it won't fill in pitted or rolling scars. For scars, start with our Microneedling MAX or the Korean Coral Spicule Peel, or see the acne scar options at our med spa, such as Morpheus8. It's best to calm active breakouts first.
How should I prepare for my acne facial?
Come with clean skin if you can, and skip strong exfoliants, scrubs and retinoids for 24 to 48 hours before your visit. Tell us at booking if you take isotretinoin (Accutane) or another prescription acne medication, so your skin therapist can plan a safe treatment.
Is my acne facial done by a licensed esthetician?
Yes. Every Advanced Acne Facial at Conjure is performed by a licensed esthetician, which we call a skin therapist, in our private Hillcrest studio.
Book Your Acne Facial in Hillcrest
Level 1 $119 · Level 2 $129 · Level 3 MAX $149 · extractions included · HSA/FSA cards accepted · 1450 Washington St, San Diego · Open daily 9:00 AM–9:30 PM
