Acne, treated as a medical condition.
Acne is medical rather than cosmetic, and it responds to treatment aimed at what is causing it. We assess severity first, then plan around it — led by Dr Sam Lua.
Talk to us about acneWhat it costs, and where to find us.
Acne assessment is $38.15 including GST. Any medicines or tests are charged separately, and you are told what they cost before anything is dispensed or arranged.
Walk in during GP hours — Monday to Friday 9:00am–1:00pm and 2:00pm–6:00pm, Saturday 9:00am–12:00pm (last registration 11:00am). Kitchener Complex, 809 French Road, #02-32, Singapore 200809, less than five minutes’ walk from Lavender MRT.
If you are under 18, a parent or guardian needs to come with you for the first visit.
It starts inside the pore.
Hormones prompt the oil glands to produce more oil, dead skin cells stick together and block the pore, ordinary skin bacteria multiply behind the blockage, and the body responds with inflammation. That is the whole chain, and none of it is about hygiene.
It does not switch off at a set age either. Plenty of people carry acne into their twenties and thirties, and some see it for the first time as adults.
What we are assessing.
Acne is not one thing, and what is appropriate depends on which pattern you have and how deep it goes.
Comedonal
Blackheads and whiteheads, with little inflammation — blocked pores rather than angry ones.
Inflammatory
Red, raised and tender spots where the blockage has provoked a response.
Nodular and cystic
Larger, deeper and painful lesions under the skin. This is the pattern most likely to leave scars, and the one worth seeing early.
Hormonal pattern
Often along the jawline and chin, frequently cyclical, and more common in adult women.
A plan built around the severity.
Depending on what we find, a plan may involve topical treatments, prescription oral treatments where appropriate, and adjustments to what you are putting on your skin. Everything is explained and decided with you at the consultation.
Progress is reviewed as your skin responds rather than set once and left alone. Treating acne earlier lowers the chance of it leaving lasting marks.
Consult & assess severity → A plan for your skin → Reviewed as your skin responds
You are told the consultation fee beforehand. Medication, if needed, is charged separately.
Any prescription treatment is prescribed and monitored by your doctor as part of your plan, and discussed with you at your consultation.
What acne leaves behind.
Two different things get called scarring. The flat brown or red marks left after a spot settles are post-inflammatory pigmentation, and they fade over months if the skin is protected from sun. Indentations in the skin surface are true scars, and they are far easier to prevent than to treat.
That distinction matters, because it changes both what is realistic and how urgent it is to get the acne itself under control.
Acne questions, answered plainly.
When should I see a doctor about acne?
When pharmacy products have had eight to twelve weeks without clear progress, when the acne is painful or deep, or when it is starting to leave marks. You do not need to wait until it is bad enough.
How much does acne treatment cost in Singapore?
Consultations at Belief Medical are charged at a fee you are told beforehand, with medication charged separately. What a plan involves depends on the severity and pattern found at your assessment.
Can acne be cured?
Acne is treated and controlled rather than cured outright. The aim is to get it under control and keep it there, with a realistic picture of the timeline from the start.
Is adult acne different from teenage acne?
It often sits lower on the face, can be deeper and more tender, and may follow a hormonal pattern — but the underlying mechanism is the same.
Page reviewed: August 2026
Before you come in.
Two longer pieces: how acne is assessed and when it is worth seeing a doctor, and what changes when the patient is under 18.
Acne responds to being treated early.
Tell us what you have tried and how your skin has responded, and we will go from there.
Talk to us about acne