15/06/2026
Not all acne is the same, and treating Grade 1 the same as Grade 4 is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make for your skin.
Save this. Your aesthetician should know your grade before a single product touches your face.
Grade 1 is comedonal. Blocked pores, blackheads, whiteheads. No active inflammation yet. Your barrier is compromised but your immune system has not been triggered. This is the most treatable grade and the most commonly overtreated with harsh actives that break the barrier further and create the next problem.
Grade 2 introduces papules and pustules. Bacteria has breached the follicle wall and your immune system is now actively responding. This is where inflammation becomes visible and where the wrong products can accelerate the damage.
Grade 3 is where most people say they have tried everything. Deeper, more widespread inflammation, nodular activity beginning beneath the surface. Topical treatments alone will not clear this. The skin needs a systemic, structured approach to stop the cycle.
Grade 4 is nodulocystic acne. Deep structural lesions that live beneath the skin and cannot be extracted. This grade scars when mishandled, and it requires clinical intervention, not a new cleanser.
Knowing your grade is not just information. It is the starting point of a protocol that actually works.
