Does HydraFacial Actually Clear Acne? What a Clinical Study Found

Active acne is one of the most common reasons people walk through our doors, and it is one of the concerns we sort through on our facials page. And one of the most common questions we hear is: 'Will a HydraFacial actually help, or is it just a glow-up for an hour?'

We've always believed in it from the chair — clients leave with calmer, clearer skin and the results compound over a series. But anecdotal results only get you so far. So when a peer-reviewed clinical study was published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology specifically testing HydraFacial's Clarifying Treatment on active acne, we read it cover to cover. Here's the breakdown in plain English.

What the Study Actually Tested

Researchers at two clinical sites — including Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach — ran a 12-week, multi-center study on 20 adults with mild-to-moderate acne. Patients received six HydraFacial Clarifying Treatments, one every two weeks.

Each session followed the same three-step protocol we use at SKIN Las Vegas:

• Cleanse and peel using glycolic acid (7.5%) and salicylic acid (2%) solutions
• Vortex suction to extract dead skin cells, sebum, and pore-clogging debris
• Eight minutes of blue LED light therapy to target acne-causing bacteria

Severity was scored at every visit using the Global Acne Severity Scale (GASS) — both by the treating clinician and by the patient themselves. No oral antibiotics, no isotretinoin, no other acne devices were allowed during the study. Just the HydraFacial.

The Results (And Why They Matter)

The headline number: the percentage of patients with clear or almost-clear skin jumped from 20% at baseline to 65% by the final treatment, per investigator scoring. Patients rating themselves were even harder on their own skin at the start (only 5% considered themselves clear or near-clear) and ended at 55% — a more than tenfold improvement.

Even more interesting: the improvement held at the two-week follow-up after the final treatment. This wasn't a temporary post-facial glow — it was sustained clearance.

What Patients Said About Their Skin

Numbers are one thing, but the patient-reported feedback is what really stood out to us:

• 100% agreed their skin looked and felt cleaner after the series
• 100% felt more confident in their appearance
• Over 80% reported clearer, less inflamed skin with fewer breakouts
• Investigators rated 100% of patients as having clearer, healthier, more radiant skin
• Over 80% of patients showed reduced redness and less oiliness/congestion

Was It Safe?

Yes — and that's a big deal for anyone who's been burned (literally) by aggressive acne treatments. Mild itching and burning during the treatment dropped to zero by the final session as patients' skin barriers strengthened. There were no serious adverse events.

What This Means If You're Dealing With Acne

A few honest takeaways from us:

• One HydraFacial is a glow-up. A series of six is a treatment plan.
• It works best for mild-to-moderate acne — not severe cystic acne (which needs a dermatologist and likely medication)
• Spacing matters: every two weeks for 12 weeks is the protocol that produced these results
• The exfoliation + extraction + blue LED combo is doing the heavy lifting — skipping the LED step (some spas do) means leaving results on the table
• Pairing it with a clean home routine accelerates everything

How We Run It at SKIN Las Vegas

We follow the same Clarifying protocol used in the study — same booster solutions, full extraction, full blue LED cycle. Most acne clients book a six-session package spaced two weeks apart, then drop down to monthly maintenance once their skin is clear. We'll often pair it with a custom home routine (cleanser, retinoid, SPF) so the results we build in the chair don't get undone at home.

The Source

Storgard R, Mauricio-Lee J, Mauricio T, Zaiac M, Karnik J. Efficacy and Tolerability of HydraFacial Clarifying Treatment Series in the Treatment of Active Acne Vulgaris. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2022;15(12):42–46.