03/16/2026
We have to have a chat about this acne situation!! This is pretty well exactly what I mean when I say it WILL get worse before it gets better. Trust the process.
Photos are May 2025 -> October 2025 -> March 2026.
May was my 4th appointment with this client and the first appointment where we noticed the very textured congestion that is almost invisible until you zoomed in or stretched the skin to reveal the pore congestion. These aren’t blackheads and they’re not whiteheads. They’re a type of non-inflamed closed comedone where keratin is accumulating but not infecting and isn’t easily released by extraction. The reason I’m pointing these out in particular is because if you have this type of acne starting out then you should expect your purge to get as inflamed as the October photo (this was at the peak of this clients purge).
The reason this worse before better stage happens is because new routines, exfoliation, and/treatments increase cellular turnover rapidly which in turn increases activity and inflammation in the skin. This isn’t always a bad thing though it can seem like we’re heading in the complete opposite direction of where we want to be. I cannot stress this enough, this is when you really need to trust the process and keep going.
Our after photo here (March 2026) is now just red scarring, it’s smooth to the touch, there’s nearly zero underlying congestion and she’s now ready for Microneedling 👏🏻 today we started the Microneedling process so keep and eye out for those progress photos!!
