Technology
AviClear is a laser that calms the oil glands behind acne, giving a way to treat breakouts on the face and body without relying on daily medication.
AviClear, explained
Acne is rarely just about skin. It can change how you feel walking into a room, how you show up at work or school, and how freely you meet someone's eye. AviClear is a treatment aimed squarely at the cause of it.
It is an acne laser treatment made by Cutera that uses one specific wavelength, 1726 nm, which is drawn to sebum, the oil inside the skin's glands. Most lasers target pigment or blood vessels. This one targets the oil glands themselves, which are one of the main drivers of acne. By calming those glands and settling how much oil they make, AviClear works on the cause rather than the surface, which is why it can help clear skin without daily creams or pills. It is used on the face and on the body, including the back and chest.
A few clear reasons patients and parents consider AviClear. Whether it suits you is always decided with a physician.
AviClear targets the sebaceous glands, which produce the oil that can contribute to acne. This approach may help reduce breakouts over time.
For patients who cannot tolerate acne medication or would prefer another approach, AviClear can be considered as part of a physician-guided treatment plan.
You do not have to stop your medication to start. Your physician reviews what you are taking and guides any changes, sometimes lowering a dose so treatment can go ahead, and sometimes reducing it as your skin responds.
AviClear may be used for acne on the face, back and chest, from the teenage years through adulthood. Your physician will assess the area and your suitability before treatment.
Improvement may continue after the treatment course is complete. How much your skin improves, and how long the benefit lasts, varies between patients.
Acne can affect much more than your skin. Feeling more comfortable at school, at work, or with other people matters too, and you do not have to work it out on your own. Our doctors will look at your skin, talk you through every option honestly, and help you choose what is genuinely right for you.
Flexible payment plans are available for AviClear, so getting started can fit comfortably around your budget.
The 1726 nm wavelength is absorbed by sebum, so the energy concentrates inside the oil glands rather than spreading through the surrounding skin. Gentle, controlled heat then settles how active those glands are and how much oil they produce, which reduces what acne relies on to form.
While this happens, the surface of the skin is cooled and protected, so the energy can reach the glands deeper down while the top layer stays comfortable. The change is gradual by design. Skin usually keeps improving over the weeks and months after a course, as the glands stay calmer and produce less oil.
AviClear is an acne laser treatment used for active acne, from mild to severe, including the kinds that are hard to settle:
It works well on the body as well as the face, so the back and chest can be treated too. There is no strict age limit either. It is used from teenagers through to mature adults, with suitability always decided individually.
It is a strong option for people who would rather not take long-term medication, or who have tried medication and not done well on it. It works alongside medical care rather than instead of it, and for many people it becomes the part of the plan that finally settles skin that has not responded to creams and pills alone.
AviClear is FDA-cleared (2022) and Health Canada licensed for mild, moderate and severe acne. Its main role is treating active acne by calming the oil glands that drive it. Its Canadian clearance also covers acne scarring, though established scars are often improved with other treatments as well, so your physician will advise what suits your skin.
Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic
Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic can help you explore this technology, related treatments, and connected concerns.
Most effects are mild and short-lived: redness, warmth and a little swelling in the treated area soon after a session, usually settling within a day. Less commonly, and reduced by careful settings and skin cooling, there can be temporary changes in skin colour, blistering, or more noticeable discomfort. These are uncommon and are part of what the team watches for and manages.
Some situations mean we talk things through first rather than proceed the same day. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, taking a medication that increases sensitivity to light, or living with certain skin conditions, our doctors will review it with you and advise what is safe and sensible for your skin. None of these automatically rules treatment out. They are simply reasons for a proper conversation first.
This is not a complete list. Your medical history, medications and skin are all reviewed at your consultation before any treatment is planned.
AviClear may be a good fit if you have active acne that keeps coming back, if medication has not agreed with you, or if you would simply prefer to treat the cause without long-term prescriptions. It suits teenagers and adults alike, and people looking for a considered, medical approach rather than a quick fix, who are comfortable with improvement that builds over months.
It is not the right answer for everyone, and we will tell you if it isn't. Some acne is better managed with medication or a combination of approaches. Which route makes sense for you is decided at your assessment, with the reasons explained plainly.
Your skin is cleansed, and photographs are usually taken so gradual progress can be tracked fairly over the course. Coming well hydrated and with clean, product-free skin on the day helps.
Treatment is delivered by our experienced laser technicians, working under the medical direction of our physicians. The handpiece is moved across the area while the surface of your skin is cooled at the same time. Most people feel a warm snapping sensation with each pulse, which eases between pulses. A typical facial session takes around thirty minutes, a little longer for larger areas such as the back.
Most people find it very manageable. In the clinical studies behind its clearance, no pain relief was needed by participants, and the built-in cooling is a large part of why. If you tend to find treatments uncomfortable, tell the team beforehand so comfort can be paced to you.
Your skin may look flushed and feel warm, a little like mild sunburn, and this usually settles within hours to a day. Most people go straight back to their normal day.
The course. AviClear is usually given as a course of three thirty-minute sessions, spaced roughly three to four weeks apart. Your physician confirms the plan for your skin at the assessment.
When you'll see change. This is a gradual treatment. Some people notice a difference during the course, but the fuller effect builds over the weeks and months afterwards as the glands stay calmer and produce less oil. In studies, results have continued to improve after the third session.
Follow-up. We review how your skin has responded after the course and adjust the plan from there, including how any medication you are on is managed as your skin settles.
Maintenance. Many people are well served by the initial course. Some choose an occasional top-up session later to keep things settled. Whether that is worthwhile is a simple conversation once we see how your skin holds.
Good day-to-day skincare protects and extends what the treatment achieves. In the days after a session, keep things simple and gentle: a mild cleanser, a light non-comedogenic moisturiser, and daily sun protection, which matters for any skin recently treated with a laser. Strong active ingredients are usually paused briefly around each session and reintroduced on your physician's advice.
Beyond that, the clinic can set you up with a medical-grade routine matched to your skin, so what you do at home works with your treatment rather than against it. Your physician will tell you what to use, what to hold off on, and for how long.
Acne treatment often happens in stages. Some treatments help manage active breakouts, while others address the redness, marks and texture changes that can remain after acne improves.
Targets acne-related bacteria and inflammation.
Deep cleansing for excess oil, congestion and clogged pores.
Helps improve clogged pores and congestion.
Physician-administered treatment for painful inflammatory acne cysts.
Persistent acne wears people down, and watching your teenager struggle with it is harder still. Our physicians look at what is really driving the breakouts and tell you honestly whether AviClear is the right step, for your skin or your child's. You do not have to work it out on your own.
Related Treatments
A physician-guided program to reduce active breakouts and calm excess oil and inflammation, combining in-office and medical options selected after assessment.
A physician-guided topical and skincare program using evidence-based ingredients to help control acne, oil, inflammation and post-acne marks.
Conditions It May Help Address
The relationship between a technology and a concern depends on the treatment plan, patient assessment, and how the technology is being used.
Acne is a skin condition that can affect people of all ages and skin types. Our physicians assess what is happening in your skin and help you choose an appropriate medical treatment, maintenance and preventive plan as well as your at-home skincare.
Excess oil with clogged pores, blackheads, whiteheads, or uneven texture.
Darkened patches, spots and texture changes caused by excess pigment and cumulative sun exposure.
Persistent facial redness, flushing, visible vessels or rosacea-related bumps and sensitivity.
Talk with Anti-Aging Clinic about your goals and the options that may be worth exploring.
Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic
Acne is a medical condition, and it is treated here by experienced physicians who decide what will genuinely help before reaching for any device. Your skin is assessed by a doctor who works out what is actually driving your breakouts, and AviClear is offered as part of that plan rather than as a device looking for a use. When Health Canada cleared it in 2022, AviClear was among the first energy-based devices approved in North America to treat acne, and we were early to bring it into a proper, physician-led acne program.
Sessions are carried out by experienced laser technicians under the physicians' direction, and any medication you are on is managed alongside your treatment rather than left to you to juggle. Where medication or a combination of approaches would genuinely serve you better, we say so. Patients come to our Vancouver clinic from across the Lower Mainland for physician-guided acne care, where medical experience guides every plan.
Evidence & Patient Resources
AviClear uses a 1726 nm laser wavelength that targets the sebaceous (oil) glands. Its regulatory clearances — FDA (2022) and Health Canada (2022) for mild, moderate and severe acne — were supported by clinical study of this approach. Suitability and results are assessed individually, and outcomes vary between patients.
Verifiable references for the information on this page:
This page is reviewed by our physicians and is for general information. It does not replace a personal medical assessment.
FAQ
No. You do not need to stop everything to begin. Your physician can keep your skin managed and reduce or adjust your current medication as the laser starts to take effect, so you are supported through the change rather than left without treatment while you wait for results.
Often yes, with your physician's guidance. Isotretinoin is not an automatic barrier to AviClear. In some cases your physician will lower the isotretinoin dose so treatment can go ahead safely, and for some patients AviClear then becomes a way to reduce medication further over time, and occasionally to move away from it. Your physician guides this throughout, and what is right for you depends on your skin and history. Individual results vary.
AviClear may suit people with active acne that keeps returning, those who cannot tolerate acne medication or would prefer not to rely on it, and both teenagers and adults looking for a medical approach rather than a quick fix. It is used on the face and body. Suitability is always confirmed by a physician after reviewing your skin and medical history, and we will tell you honestly if another approach would serve you better.
It can help. Hormonal acne is often driven by excess oil, which is exactly what AviClear targets, and it is frequently used for the jawline and lower-face breakouts common in adult and hormonal acne. Where hormones are strongly involved, your physician may combine it with other medical treatment, decided at your assessment.
AviClear is licensed for mild, moderate and severe acne, and it works by calming the oil glands that contribute to breakouts. For deeper cystic or severe acne, your physician may recommend it as part of a broader plan that includes medical treatment, rather than on its own. What suits you is decided after a proper assessment of your skin.
Yes, where it is clinically appropriate. AviClear is often used as part of a wider, physician-guided plan that can include topical or medical treatment and, in some cases, light-based treatments such as Forever Clear BBL for active inflammation. Your physician plans the order and timing so the treatments work together rather than against each other.
Yes. It works well on the body as well as the face, so the back and chest can be treated. How many sessions each area needs is decided at your assessment.
No strict limit. AviClear is used from teenagers through to mature adults. What matters is your skin and medical history, which is reviewed individually, and for younger teens a parent is part of the conversation.
Most people find it very manageable. In the clinical studies behind its clearance, participants needed no pain relief, helped by the cooling built into the device. Each pulse feels like a brief warm snap. If you tend to find treatments hard, tell the team beforehand so comfort can be paced to you.
Most effects are mild and short-lived, such as redness, warmth and a little swelling soon after a session, usually settling within a day. Less commonly, and reduced by careful settings and skin cooling, there can be temporary changes in skin colour, blistering, or more noticeable discomfort. Your physician reviews your skin and history first and explains what to expect for you. This is educational information and not a complete list.
AviClear is usually given as a course of three thirty-minute sessions, spaced about three to four weeks apart. Your physician confirms the right plan for your skin at the assessment.
Gradually. Some people notice change during the course, but the fuller effect builds over the weeks and months after the third session, and in studies has continued to improve after treatment finishes.
Some people have a temporary flare in the early weeks as the skin responds, and this usually settles. It is not a sign the treatment has failed. Tell your physician if it is marked, so they can advise and adjust the plan and manage any medication you are on alongside your treatment.
Because AviClear calms the oil glands themselves, improvement can be lasting, and in studies has continued after the course finishes. Acne can still be influenced by hormones and other factors over time, so some patients choose an occasional top-up session. How long the benefit lasts varies between people.
Its main job is treating active acne by calming the oil glands that drive it. Its Health Canada clearance also covers acne scarring, but established scars are often improved with other treatments as well, so your physician will advise the best approach for your skin.
Once active acne has settled, any remaining marks, redness, pigmentation or textural scarring are usually addressed with separate treatments chosen for those specific concerns. Your physician can talk you through the options at follow-up and plan them in the right order, rather than treating everything at once.
Yes. Because the wavelength targets oil rather than pigment, AviClear can be used across a wide range of skin tones. Your individual skin and history are still reviewed first.
Yes. AviClear is licensed by Health Canada (2022) for mild, moderate and severe acne, and it was FDA-cleared in the United States earlier the same year. In our clinic it is used as a physician-planned treatment for acne, chosen after a full skin assessment.
Yes. Flexible payment plans are available to help spread the cost of a treatment course, so getting started can fit comfortably around your budget. Our reception team can walk you through the options when you book.
Talk to our doctors first. Treatment during pregnancy or breastfeeding is reviewed individually rather than assumed either way, and the team will advise what is safe and sensible for now and for later.
Reviews
Reviews help show the human side of care, from the first consultation to comfort, communication, treatment planning, and follow-up.
Visit Our Clinic
Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic combines medical assessment, individualized planning, physician oversight, and a broad range of treatment options in its Vancouver clinic.
Bring your questions, treatment history, and goals. Your provider can help you understand appropriate options, expected recovery, and realistic outcomes.
Make an Appointment
Use our consultation form below and the clinic can guide you toward the appropriate starting point.
