K-Beauty’s Facial That Heals Your Acne. Forever.
If you struggle with severe or cystic acne like I used to and topical treatments/creams, regular facials, peels, or oral medication have not improved your skin you might want to check out the facial I had at my skin clinic in Gangnam. It’s called the Kobayashi Acne Treatment and I barely see English-speaking creators talk about it even though it’s one of the most effective yet gentle ways to permanently, let me repeat this: permanently remove your acne. So today, let’s unpack what exactly makes this rare treatment so special.
What IS the Kobayashi Facial?
I came across the Kobayashi facial when I first visited my dermatologist, Dr. Cho, at Theme Dermatology, one of Gangnam’s longest-running skin clinics with over 20 years of experience and 3 board-certified dermatologists.
The Kobayashi acne treatment is a medical procedure that uses radiofrequency waves to heat the sebum-producing cells in your skin. It shrinks the sebaceous glands (that in people like us who have acne are overproducing) permanently which prevents them from secreting sebum. As the name suggests, the treatment was first popularized in Japan and is now practiced all around Seoul.
Mapping out of the treatment area. Image Credit: Lisa (Author)
How does it work?
But how exactly does it work? My dermatologist Dr. Cho explained to me that the hallmark of this treatment is a gentle laser that has been FDA-approved for all skin types. This laser is composed of specially designed insulated microneedles from which current flows into your skin.
What is so great about this treatment is that it destroys the subcutaneous fat layers underneath the skin, where our sebaceous glands are located, without damaging the skin surface which makes it a non-invasive, highly effective treatment. It also stimulates your skin’s collagen production and strengthens its natural barrier which makes you more resilient to breakouts in the long term. And with the above picture of me in my cute treatment gown, let’s dive into the experience of it all~
My cystic acne at its worst in 2021: Never-ending, deep, painful cysts that did not respond to any meds — neither oral nor topical. Image Credit: Lisa (Author)
My Experience
Pricing & Sessions
I had two Kobayashi sessions in my chin area, where I experienced my cystic breakouts, please see my doctor’s assistant’s iconic mapping of the area they were going to target on the left lol. For everyone wondering about pricing: As this facial gives you permanent results with your acne, it is NOT a cheap treatment but falls into the higher pricepoint category so please be aware of that.
As everyone’s skin condition and history with acne are so different, pricing varies hugely from person to person but generally, here’s how the team determines your individual price: First, you’ll have an initial consultation with your dermatologist where you can pour your heart and you’ll do a deep dive into your acne concern because again, everyone’s acne is different. Then, your Dr. will suggest which areas of your face the treatment will focus on, again, in my case, this was the chin area. Personally, while it is an expensive treatment, I would say paying more for a medical-grade facial that actually permanently removed my huge acne breakouts and their intensity, was worth it 100% and I would recommend it if you experienced stubborn, inflamed, under-the-skin cystic acne.
They suggest you do 3 sessions with a downtime of one month in between to target all the sebaceous glands because while the doctors at Theme Dermatology are amazing, they have not yet evolved into super humans that have Xray skin vision that can detect every sebaceous gland which is why multiple treatments are necessary to give you that permanent effect. Depending on the severity of your acne this can also mean that you might need to receive more than three treatment sessions.
Close-up of the treatment needle. Image Credit: Lisa (Auhtor)
The Device
I actually saw the device used to do the Kobayashi treatment and it’s a very thin needle that’s so fine, you don’t feel it when it penetrates your skin.
Dr. Cho also told me that when you look at the needle under a microscope, the tip is actually made of white, shiny stainless steel, while the top is brown in color.
Pain Level
Another bonus point about the Kobayashi facial is that the pain level you’ll experience is quite low, especially when I compare it to some of the emotional damage acid peels I did in the past. Before you start, the team of nurses will also apply a numbing cream to your face to make sure you’ll feel no discomfort whatsoever.
My Results
My skin in 2023: No makeup, no filters. Image Credit: Lisa (Author)
As with all medical-grade treatments, I of course did experience purging and redness in the area that was treated which Dr. Cho explained is due to the sebaceous glands temporarily producing more oil BUT that is to be expected and normal and healed within five days. He also advised me to avoid sun exposure for 48 hours post-treatment and to not use any acne-fighting products for five days.
As mentioned earlier: I wholeheartedly was and still am to this day, very happy that I did the Kobayashi treatment because while it definitely is an investment, the results are unlike anything I have ever experienced. Full disclosure: The Kobayashi facial is not THE only thing that healed my cystic acne, as you can imagine, it was a complex process at the intersection of diet, cleansing, and figuring out which skincare products my skin loves and hates and I will have more blog posts to come on my healing journey, so stayed tuned! Also: Please comment below, on what kinds of treatments or products have helped you with your acne because I really want this blog to be a resource for anyone struggling with it, a space where we can skincare for and with one another.
That said: This facial is in my opinion, the gold standard when it comes to treating cystic acne, not at a superficial level as so many facials do which just irritates your skin barrier and in my case always led to even more breakouts but treat acne on a deeper, more effective level. I no longer get deep, painful cystic acne in this area, which is such a blessing. I did two sessions, not the recommended three so once in a while, I still get breakouts but again, the intensity never returned to how destructive it used to be ever since I got the Kobayashi treatment done, which if you ask me, is a huge achievement that I honestly never thought would be possible.
I also noticed, and this is Kobayashi handbook results if you will, that the appearance of the pores in my chin area became improved, plus I saw less formation of whiteheads. Most interestingly: the hyperpigmentation on my chin also reduced faster over time (as you can see, I still heal from my breakouts back then) and even the surgical scar I have from an operation faded faster. So yes, 10/10 I would recommend this facial if you struggle with persistent, severe, cystic acne and want to explore an innovative, pain-free treatment. The fact that the results are permanent and not just a nice glowy facial really impressed me and convinced me.
Lisa is a Cosmetics Marketer & Science Writer with 10 years of experience in curating Korean skincare. When she isn’t taking care of Eucerin’s global brand messaging, she’s researching K-beauty's latest launches and Seoul’s places to be for The Skin Special blog and podcast.
