Acne and Acne Scarring Treatment in Dubai
Acne is blocked, inflamed oil glands, not dirt, and it responds to treatment chosen for its type and severity. Scarring is treated separately once the acne is controlled. At Smart Care Polyclinic in Deira, a specialist dermatologist assesses both and sets out a plan with the costs before anything starts.
For: teenage and adult acne, and the marks it leaves
Takes: a 20-30 minute consultation
Price: consultation AED 125
What it is
Acne starts in the oil gland. Extra oil, dead skin cells blocking the pore, bacteria and inflammation combine to produce blackheads, whiteheads, red spots and, in more severe forms, deep painful cysts. It is driven by hormones, which is why it starts in the teens and why adult acne in women often flares before a period.
Treatment depends on the type. Mostly blackheads and whiteheads need a different plan from inflamed spots, and cystic acne needs a different plan again. The dermatologist grades it, looks at what has been tried already, and chooses from a small number of treatments with strong evidence.
The 2024 American Academy of Dermatology guideline makes strong recommendations for benzoyl peroxide, topical retinoids, topical antibiotics and oral doxycycline, and recommends oral isotretinoin for acne that is severe, scarring, or has not responded to standard treatment.1 The same guideline advises combining treatments that work in different ways and limiting how long antibiotics are used, which is why a prescription here is usually two things rather than one.1
Acne scarring: treated after the acne, not during
Scars are treated once new spots have stopped, because treating skin that is still breaking out wastes the treatment. Flat red or brown marks usually fade on their own over months and can be helped with topical treatment. Indented scars need something that remodels the skin: radiofrequency microneedling is the option used here, with the number of sessions set at the consultation. Whether a scar is the kind that responds is something the dermatologist can tell you by looking at it.
What to expect from treatment
Acne treatments take weeks, not days. Topical retinoids often make skin drier and occasionally worse for the first few weeks before it improves; most plans are reviewed at six to twelve weeks. Isotretinoin is a course of several months with blood tests before and during, and cannot be taken in pregnancy, so it is prescribed with clear counselling.
What does not help: scrubbing, harsh cleansers and squeezing, all of which worsen inflammation and increase scarring.
The consultation, and what follows from it
Dermatology consultation
Assessment, examination and a plan with every cost stated before anything further is done.
AED 125
Bookfor indented acne scars
for congestion, once acne is controlled
Questions patients ask
No. You can book directly with the specialist dermatologist at Smart Care Polyclinic in Deira. The consultation is AED 125, and any prescription or procedure is priced separately before you decide.
Yes. Adult acne, often on the jawline and flaring with the cycle, responds to the same evidence-based treatments; for some women the guideline also conditionally recommends the combined pill or spironolactone, which the dermatologist can discuss.
Red and brown marks usually fade with time and treatment. Indented scars can be improved, often substantially, with microneedling-based treatment, but no honest clinic promises they will disappear. The dermatologist will say what is realistic for your scars.
It is a guideline treatment for severe or scarring acne. The dermatologist prescribes it with counselling and regular monitoring, dryness is common while taking it, and it must not be taken in pregnancy.
This guide is general information about a condition, not a diagnosis. Skin conditions overlap, and what looks like one thing is often another; the dermatologist's examination is what decides your treatment.
References
- Reynolds RV, Yeung H, Cheng CE, et al.. Guidelines of care for the management of acne vulgaris. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2024;90(5):1006.e1-1006.e30. PMID 38300170. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2023.12.01718 evidence-based recommendations: strong for benzoyl peroxide, topical retinoids, topical antibiotics and oral doxycycline; isotretinoin for severe, scarring or treatment-resistant acne; combine mechanisms and limit antibiotic duration.
Sources are listed for the specific statements they support. They are published research and guidance, not a substitute for a consultation — what applies to you is decided by a doctor who has assessed you.