Tiffanyyong.com

The Clifford Clinic AGNES: Permanent Solution for Adult Acne

Be Acne Free 11: Battling Adult Acne with AGNES Treatment @ The Clifford Clinic (#ProjectBareFace 1)

I have been on the #BeAcneFree Journey for more about 2 years, and there were ups and downs. I’ve tried wrong products, and I’ve experienced effective facials or treatments, but there were never any treatments that was able to permanently solve my acne problem. 3-4 years ago, doctors told me my condition SHOULD stabilize when I’m 25 or 26, but now, I’m beyond that but there were no signs of improvement.
My Cozy Room post facialIf you remember, this was the results My Cozy Room managed to achieve within 10 days. I’m not scar-free, but temporarily pimple free. Celine, the owner of My Cozy Room recommended me to go for regular facial to stabilize my condition. I tried to do so, but the facials (not at My Cozy Room) were never able to stop my outbreaks.

Agnes Treatment 10So if you remember my Awkward Moment when filming the SG Care & Share Day 2015 Commercial which took place on the 31st December 2014, I had break outs at the worst moment and there was nothing much I can do to control it. That feeling was like the moment when Cinderella was getting ready to go to the ball with her mother’s gown (filming), only to be destroyed by the step mother (pimple) at the very last moment. Cinderella had her fairy godmother, but where’s mine?

There were friends who suggested doctors or dermatologist, but I am still resisting and very against the use of oral medication and Roaccutane. There were also beauty salons and aesthetic doctors who were more than happy to provide me with their fractional laser and scar removal service, after all, an actress with good skin condition is the best form of testimonial for them. But I had never accepted any of them.

Why? It’s because these scar-removal treatments are only effective IF the break outs have stopped, but my skin condition had hardly stabilised (+ it was worsened by the use of Black Paint Soap) and ALWAYS require monthly facials or TCM treatments to maintain. It was really difficult going out without makeup and having to answer the constant “What happened to your face?” questions.

Jacqueline Koh Tiffany YongAchieving good skin or should I say being able to walk on the streets without makeup had became one of my 2015 goals + Birthday wish. Somehow, with the law of attraction, or if you prefer the fairy godmother, my prayer was answered. Jacqueline Koh, a guru in aesthetic service came back to Singapore from Europe for Chinese New Year, and as one topic leads to another, she shared me about her AGNES treatment experience. Of course, ever since my Black Paint incident, my defense wall is higher than the Berlin Wall now, I was truly skeptical when she told me it was a permanent solution for Acne. Could it be another “Too-Good-To-Be-True”?

The Clifford Clinic with Dr Gerard Ee

Agnes Treatment 3I visited Dr Gerard Ee at the Clifford Clinic on the 6th February 2015 for a consultation, together with Jacqueline. So this Agnes Treatment is from Korea (Somehow, I felt a little more relieved when I heard that the machine originates from Korea- the country of cosmetic/plastic surgery) and how Clifford Clinic is currently the only one in Singapore using and carrying this machine. I did my little research to see how “invasive” this treatment is and decided to go ahead with this AGNES treatment (Yes, the things ladies are willing to go through in the name of beauty!)

AGNES Acne Treatment: What To Expect?

AGNES Acne treatment is the latest machine from Korea (Gowoonsesang Cosmetics Inc.), created specifically to treat adult acne. It consist of a 2 step procedure done over 2 consecutive days. Agnes Treatment 1So this was the condition of my face before the AGNES treatment. All the reddish bumps were active pimples, which are slightly painful and bumpy. The greyish spots every where else were the old pigmentation gotten from pimples and facial extractions (Yes, unlike most people, the marks on my face do not fade away quickly and take ages to recover). I can’t use whitening products either as the products are too rich and will cause sensitivity and breakout.

Agnes Treatment 2After washing my face and removing my makeup, the therapist applied a strong numbing cream on my face (to ease and discomfort during the treatment) and I had to wait for about 20 minutes before my extraction.

Agnes Treatment 4There after, she started on the extraction (just like how a normal facial extraction is done) but instead of tissue or cotton pad, gauze pads soaked with anti-bacterial liquid is used to squeeze out the pus and clean the inflamed pores.

Something About Acne (and Adult Acne)
We hate pimples and acne, they affect our mood and self confidence. Acne is an inflammatory disorder of hair follicle, and if you are a teenager, these acne (they call it Adolescent Acne) will stop occurring after you reached a certain age.
If your breakout continues (like mine), we “upgrade” it and call it Adult Acne.

According to Dr Ee, the reason might be due to our pores being damaged during out teenage years. You know, using products which might not be suitable, or too strong for our skin, and as the pimples heal, scar tissue formed caused these pores to be kinked.

How to Spot Adult Acne
If you have been following my #BeAcneFree journey, you will realise that acne always occur around the same area. Yes, sometimes, the pimples will even resurface on the same spot over and over again. What’s worse, my neighbouring pores were affected over the years of recurrence, which resulted in more and more pores getting constantly infected and inflamed. These are “malfunctioning” pores that require “treatment”.

Agnes Treatment 5After the extraction, the infected pores are cleaned but open, and what the AGNES radio frequency machine does was to make use of a partially insulated micro-needle to deliver radio frequency energy to”desensitize” the over-active and inflamed pores. When these targetted sebaceous glands are “destroyed” with 1MHz ~ 4MHz energy, acne cannot be formed thus won’t recur.

But will this damage our skin and result in pitted scars?
This special “needle” has two parts: The upper part of needle is insulated to prevent thermal injury of epidermis (outermost layers of cells in the skin). The lower part is not insulated to destroy sebaceous glands. According to Dr Ee, there is no risk of scaring as the needle is very small.

Agnes Treatment 7What It Felt Like: 
The treatment felt like little prickly zaps on my face, and if you can take the normal facial extraction, you won’t find this treatment painful. It looked a little swollen and scary after the treatment, but the swelling subsided in about half and hour.

Agnes Treatment 6To prevent an infection (there’s so many open wounds after-all), Dr Ee prescribed a course of oral antibiotics (Doxycycline 100NG & Dicofenac 50MG) SGD$37.52 and Foban Cream SGD$8 (to use for 3 days) which prevents the spread of susceptible bacteria and relieve any symptoms of the infection.

I was also prescribed a set of aftercare Aknicare products to use and control my skin condition. It’s usually not advisable to put on make up when your face has open wounds, so besides sunblock, I avoided make up for the next 3 days.

Skincare Routine: (1) Aknicare Cleanser SGD$63 | (2) Clindagel SGD$56 on scars and wounds | (3) Aknicare Treatment lotionSGD$54 on whole face | (4) Thin layer of Retacnyl Cream SGD$40 on whole face (Will cause peeling) | (5) Aknicare Skin Roller SGD$48 on affected bumps (Use when necessary)

Agnes Treatment 8On the second day after the AGNES treatment, you can see that there were no swelling nor pimples. I had to go back for another session which is called the RF treatment.

Agnes Treatment 9A gel was applied on my face before the RF apparatus was rolled around my face to help remove any dead debris.  There wasn’t any significant or visible difference after the RF treatment, but it was a relaxing procedure.

What Happens After the AGNES Acne Treatment?

I had to follow the prescribed skincare routin twice a day, and go back for a review 1 – 2 months later. As the scars and pigmentation will take a long time to recover, I was advised to go for a course Q-Switch and/or Hydrafacial treatments to shorten the recovery process.

*The Aknicare treatment lotion will cause a slight stinging/burning sensation on the face, especially after using the Retacnyl Cream for some time and my face started peeling slightly. I was worried and asked Dr Ee if I could stopped any of the products, but he advised to continue the products until my acne problem has been cured. I’m glad I did. 🙂 

Is AGNES Treatment a Permanent Cure?
I believe you will have 101 questions after seeing this article. Well, I had plenty of questions for Dr Ee when I was doing this AGNES Acne treatment. Is it permanent? How many sessions is needed? How much does it cost?

According to Dr Gerard Ee, the treatment is a long term cure for acne and there should be a low recurrence rate after AGNES. Generally, 2-3 treatments are required to fully cure the acne acne problem depending on your severity (with at least 1 Month interval between treatments) as there are times where not all the sebaceous glands can be identified at one setting and it may need to be repeated again. Depending on the severity of the condition, the cost each treatment range from SGD$800~$1500.

P.S. I’m a skeptical person and I won’t really believe unless it really worked for me. So I’m going to continue recording this journey to see if this is true!

Is AGNES suitable for me?

AGNES Acne Treatment is best suited for Adult Acne (21 years and above); for patients with recurring acne; patients who cannot take medication. Of course, the easiest way to find out is to consult the expert, Dr Gerard Ee, to see if you are suitable!

The Clifford Clinic

Opening Hours: Mon to Fri: 10am to 8pm | Sat: 10 am to 2pm | Sun: Closed
Address: 24 Raffles Place, #01-03 Clifford Centre, Singapore 048621
Tel:+65 6532 2400
Website: www.cliffordclinic.com | Email: thecliffordclinic@gmail.com

xoxo
tiffanyyong signature
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

Disclaimer: Opinions stated are genuine and honest. Also note that all links are valid to change at any time.

Dear readers: As I foresee that this AGNES treatment will most probably end my #BeAcneFree journey (though I will still write articles about services which I think will help you guys to achieve an Acne Free life, I thought that I will start a new series called the #ProjectBareFace which will cover on services & products that can allow us to present our Bare Face confidently!

35 thoughts on “The Clifford Clinic AGNES: Permanent Solution for Adult Acne”

  1. hi , may i check with you agnes treatment is mainly for those ppl with acne problem ? how about the clogged pore? does it help? how many times you have done for this type of treatments? any good news from your side ? hear from you soon

  2. Hi Tiffany,

    May I know how’s your skin now? Are you still having acnes post Agnes?
    My skin is just like yours and I have been trying different medication. Recently i was prescribed Doxyline, but my acne doesn’t seem to have much improvement.

  3. Hi, May I know why you did not go back my cozy room for facial? I read their reviews which are good. I having acne on my face, mainly T-zone areas. I am thinking which facial shop should I go as I have bad experience with another facial shop.

  4. Hi! I recently came across your blog about the AGNES treatment and am thinking if I should take it up as I have recurring stubborn acne. Would like to ask your current condition, is your face very dry from the destruction of oil glands? And are there recurrence of acne? Please advise as i came across a few negative review. 🙁

    Thanks and hope to hear from you 🙂

    1. Thanks for your message and I’m sorry to hear about your condition. Thought I will answer your questions before sharing more:
      1) would like to ask your current condition, is your face very dry from the destruction of oil glands?
      – No, my face is still on the pretty oily (combination skin) side. Depending on your condition, if you have only a few areas on your face, the doctor will only target those affected areas and not the entire face. So this will definitely not make your face dry unless you are saying every single pore on your face is affected.

      Also, the drying comes mainly from the medicated facial wash, creams and pills (if you take them) the doctor prescribe rather than the treatment itself.

      2) And are there recurrence of acne?
      For my case, yes, there’s still recurrence after some time (say half year later), and AGNES is not a one time treatment. Also, as I prefer not to be dependent on medications, I am not taking any hormonal pills that the doctor prescribed, nor did I stick to the facial washes for a long time as it’s pretty harsh on the skin.

      My Suggestions:
      – Go for a proper consultation with Clifford Clinic, aka Dr Ee. It should be complimentary when you quote my name, and understand the cost involved before you make a decision.

      – I’m not sure of the cause of your recurring acne, but if it’s due to hormonal changes, you might want to try out TCM if you aren’t afraid of acupuncture. This is more on a slower but long term cure.
      https://tiffanyyong.com/2013/05/13/be-acne-free-part1-han-dian-tcm-clinic/

      – Should you prefer something on a lower budget, I am currently going to a home-based facial therapists which had helped control my acne problem more efficiently than many other clinics, through a treatment that helps strengthen and cleans the cells beneath our skin.
      (P.S I haven’t write an article about this although I’ve been going to them for past half a year. The home-based facial is located between Chinese Garden Mrt and Jurong East MRT, you can call Rina 8222 2166 and quote my name should you decide to try this out instead)

      Hope this helps! Remember to update me with your condition should you decide to go for any of the above!

      1. would like to ask regarding the acupuncture, was it before or after the Agnes treatment? And how is it for you currently?

        Did it help to lesser your acne? I have under the skin bumps and always recur at the same spot so initially I was interested in the Agnes treatment however I realised it can be quite destructive and invasive as it “destroy” the glands.

        I am considering the acupuncture option now and I’m wondering if it’s been working well for you, and how Long have you been going to it already? Thank you so much for your help 🙂

        1. The acupuncture post was written before the Agnes treatment.

          AGNES doesn’t “destroy” the glands. It de-sensitize the glands, making the glands not produce too much oil. Do remember that there are countless glands on our face and desensitizing the affected glands doesn’t mean every single pore is treated or “destroyed”. I believe Dr Ee will be a much better person to explain this to you.

          Like what I’ve mentioned in my previous email, acupuncture or TCM will be a suitable approach IF the cause of your acne is hormonal or caused from the inside. If the cause come from the type of facial wash or makeup, TCM won’t be able to help much. My acne problem has already been brought under control currently so I haven’t been going to the TCM for that problem. You can read up more of my TCM articles to see if it answered your queries. Everyone have different conditions, so never judge a treatment by how it worked for others.

          I will proposed a 2 prong approach if you want a fast solution

          TCM: Suitable for hormonal / treatment from the inside, slower but less harmful on the body (in my opinion) as it’s herbs rather than chemicals
          AGNES: Treatment from the outside, desensitize the glands, but does not mean other glands won’t be affected in future.
          Leatiful Home-based Treatment: Treatment from the outside, cleans up the cells beneath the skin and no post-facial acne, soften hard bumps beneath skin, more affordable but slower than AGNES.

  5. Hi, i’ve had cystic acne a lot more often over the past few months as compared to before. i tried using pimple cream – 5% BP but it doesn’t seem to work very well on cystic acne (i always use that since i’m more towards pimple than acne until only recently..) and i heard from my friend that Tea tree oil helps. i’ve been using tea tree oil for 2 days now, morning and night, but it seems to make my existing acne bigger, and make my healing acne scar turn into acne again!! do you know if it’s just purging all the dirt out or is it not suitable for my skin? 🙁

    initially before i started using it, it was only 1 (big) healing acne on my left cheek, maybe 2 on my right cheek, and a scar on my forehead. now my left cheek healed but my right cheek have 4!!! i can’t live without makeup if my face is full of acnes like this cause i’m doing front line job so really cant afford to not cover up…

    1. Hi, you might want to call the clinic to fix a consultation (it’s free if you quote my name) before making any decision on treatment.
      I know how bad and painful it is. And it’s difficult to not use makeup, yet makeup will worsen it.

    1. Hi Jeff, AGNES works on active acne, but not on old acne scars. For scars, there are other solutions! Why not go for a free consultation with Dr Ee (just quote my name!) and consult the professionals for better advice? Your red spots might need a different treatment as it might be caused by a different problem! Hope that helps~

  6. Hi, I’m having a lot of issues with my adult acne. Retionol literally causes me a 24/7 red face. I will like to ask if you are still having acne after this Agnes laser? Is it really worth it?

    1. Hi, I do have breakouts once in a while, but it is much lesser than before. It will be good for you to go for a consultation before making any decision! Try calling them for a free consultation! Just quote my name! 🙂

  7. Hi Tiffany,
    I’ve always likes your blog. There are very inspiring and interesting.

    Read your good experience with Clifford clinic and I’m so happy for you in achieving the clear skin you want.

    I face the same problem as you and want to enquire how much is the Agnes treatment and Q switch treatment?

    Hope to get a reply.

    1. The treatment is suitable for people with adult acne, so above 21 or 25 year old.
      The doctor will have to advise on the cost, depending on how serious your case is.
      For Agnes treatment, it will be $800-1600, as for Q-switch, it will be around $350 per session (But there are package rates which will be cheaper)

  8. Hi there I heard from u from Jacqueline. I talk to her about Agnes. I am desperate as u are. I would like to know since u have undergone Agnes from Clifford clinic, is it permanent. I will choose whether to go if you recommend it. I do not want to waste any more money going to aesthetics clinic which serves only temporary solution. I have tried a lot of procedure( chemical peel, carbon peel, micro laser, toning laser,) I want to know whether Agnes is a permanent solution. 2ndly I’ve notice u went 2 sessions. How much u spend for both? U did full face at $1500 per session or partial. I saw the products u use too from the clinic and some I am also still using. Is it effective. Please advise I am really desperate.

    1. I believe you must have spent quite a lot (just like me!) on the various aesthetic treatments!

      Agnes does help on the areas where the doctor treat it, meaning all those acne prone zone.

      A suggestion is to consult Dr Gerard Ee (free consultation if you quote my name) and ask him based on your skin condition!
      Because there are skin conditions which need up to 3 times or more, while there are conditions which require only 1-2 times Agnes.

      I know how disappointing it is to have bad skin, so do not hesitate to update me with your condition!

      1. fairuz and tiffany , i also had spent about $30k on my face , but the results are not very satisfied. omg, we are from the same fate of persons. very heart pain cos that’s my herd earned money . i am so scared of spending on those kind of doctor treatments, need to think twice before doing as they are very pricey.

  9. With all these articles you are writing about pimples, you are already quite an authority on it. By the way, how do you pronounce the unique surname of your doctor? – Fred

  10. Actually on photos your skin looks perfect and till now didn’t realised you have this acne issue. I have heard about AGNES before from few of my friends and they were also quite impressed. It actually looks quite painful to me. Hope to see good results soon.

  11. Katrina Centeno

    No, I want to know what makeup you use. I never knew you had acne problems. Your skin looks good in photos and videos.

  12. Of all the articles in your blog, you BeAcneFree journey is my favorite, because you are always so honest. I love how factual you were but still showed us how skeptical you were unless proven wrong.

    1. Thanks babe. I was always skeptical about some beauty bloggers’ claims and endorsement. But they have great skin, so it seems like everything works on them! Since I can’t be a beauty blogger, I can only write truthful review!

  13. have you found out the root cause of your acne? is it hormonal, lifestyle, dietary habits or etc?
    and you mentioned that the sebaceous glands are destroyed, so will it result in dry skin problems?

  14. I had very bad acne when I was growing up so I totally feel what you are going through. I found my ‘miracle’ when I started using SK-II Essence and my sensitive skin with T-zones have cleared up significantly. And when I started taking the pill (after my girl is born), my acne disappears. There’s no one true method or product, IMHO. Keep trying till you find one that suits your skin best. Jia you!

  15. I didn’t know you had an acne problem, make up really does wonders. I sincerely hope that the Agnes treatment from The Clifford Clinic works for your skin and finally gets rid of your acne permanently. Looking forward to seeing the visible results.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.