Blackhead Treatment in Ho Chi Minh City: Clearing Open Comedones Safely
Blackheads don't clear on their own — the oxidized plug has to come out. Doctor-led blackhead treatment in HCMC: extraction, medical peels, IPL. Free exam.
Medically reviewed by Dr Quynh Trang, Dermatologist (HCMC) · Updated August 1, 2026
How it works
Medical acne extraction
Before any instrument touches the skin, the keratin sealing the follicular neck is softened and the pore is dilated, so the plug has an existing exit rather than being forced through a narrow opening. It is then brought out along the axis of the follicle with sterile instruments — force travels lengthwise, never laterally — so the body of the plug is not pushed back down. The governing rule is that only plugs that are ready come out; anything still firmly adherent is left for the next session rather than chased with more pressure. Indicated for open comedones on the nose, alar creases, forehead and chin. It is normally paired with a recovery step in the same visit, and the number of sessions depends on how densely the comedones sit — your dermatologist reassesses after each one. The treated area may look slightly flushed for a few hours; you go back to your normal day immediately. Oily and acne-prone skin program with recovery, 760,000 VND per session; the combo version with an added brightening step, 910,000 VND per session.
Medical peel
A peel uses acid at a strength your dermatologist selects to loosen the bonds between the keratinocytes sticking together at the follicular neck. For blackheads the relevant class is BHA (salicylic acid): because it is oil-soluble, it penetrates the sebum plug rather than acting only on the skin surface. One thing to be clear about, so expectations are correct — a peel does not pull comedones out. What it does is shed the keratin sealing the pore, which makes extraction easier at the following session and slows the rate at which new plugs form. Indicated for thickened, congested skin with widespread open comedones. Run on a cycle of a few weeks between sessions, interleaved with extraction visits. Skin is usually a little dry with light flaking for several days depending on peel depth, and sun protection matters throughout. Regional peel 790,000 VND per session, full-face peel 1,500,000 VND per session; the specialized peel lines are 890,000, 1,100,000 and 1,400,000 VND per session. Where acne extends to the neck, underarms or back, body peels run 890,000–2,200,000 VND per session.
IPL
IPL emits broad-spectrum light, filtered so target tissue absorbs it selectively, acting on acne bacteria and on dilated vessels around older lesions. Stated plainly so nobody misreads it: IPL does not extract open comedones. It creates no exit for a sebum plug, and on its own it will not clear a congested nose. Its role is controlling the background — reducing bacterial activity on oily, easily inflamed skin, and fading the red marks left behind by previous breakouts. Indicated where oily skin, a tendency to inflame, or residual post-acne marks run alongside the comedones. Delivered in a series, spaced as your dermatologist directs. Skin looks slightly flushed for about an hour afterward; there is no downtime. 370,000 VND per session.
Hydration electrophoresis
After extraction, the pore has just been instrumented and the barrier in that area is temporarily weaker than usual. Electrophoresis uses a very low-intensity current to carry soothing, hydrating actives into the superficial layers, shortening the flushed phase and easing the tight, stinging feeling that can follow a session. This is a recovery step, not a cleansing one — it does not replace extraction or a peel. Indicated after extraction over a wide area, or for thin, easily irritated skin. Performed within the same visit, with no downtime. On this page it is not sold standalone; it sits inside the comprehensive combo at 1,610,000 VND per session.
Carbon Peel — Spectra Laser (narrow indication)
A carbon suspension is applied and allowed to settle into the pore openings, then the Spectra laser fires short pulses that break up that carbon layer along with the sebum and dead cells clinging to it, while acting on the sebaceous gland and acne bacteria. This is a narrow option rather than a default step: it comes up when skin is heavily oily, pores are visibly dilated and comedones re-form quickly after each extraction, and only where your dermatologist judges it appropriate. Skin looks flushed afterward with no crusting, but sun avoidance matters for the following days. 2,750,000 VND per session.
Why choose this treatment
Treatments & pricing
100% of treatments are performed by dermatology specialists. Prices do not include 8% VAT. Contact us for a direct assessment and an exact quote based on your skin, severity and target area.
| Treatment | Price |
|---|---|
IPL technology for acne, inflammation and dark spots | 370.000 VND |
Oily & acne-prone skin care program — clearing and brightening (MA1) | 760.000 VND |
Renewing regional peel | 790.000 VND |
Dermalogica peel for brighter, clearer, less-marked skin | 890.000 VND |
Body acne peel (neck / underarms / upper back) | 890.000–2.200.000 VND |
Premium combo — deep extraction + brightening complex | 910.000 VND |
Dermalogica 3-Layer Peel | 1.100.000 VND |
INNOA ESTHETICS intensive peel for deep-seated, inflamed acne | 1.400.000 VND |
Full-face renewing peel | 1.500.000 VND |
Comprehensive combo — extraction + renewal complex + Aqua Hydro hydration + Nano C for post-acne dark-spot reduction | 1.900.000 VND1.610.000 VND |
Carbon Peel — Spectra Laser (oil and bacteria control) | 2.750.000 VND |
5 steps, clinically led
Step 1: Multi-layer skin exam — free
Your dermatologist examines the skin to separate open comedones, closed comedones and sebaceous filaments area by area, and reads oil production, stratum corneum thickness and any remaining post-acne marks. This step costs nothing, including if you decide not to treat.
Step 2: Protocol and itemized quote before anything starts
From the exam, your dermatologist selects the steps for the first session and estimates the rhythm of the ones after it, then itemizes each line and its cost so you decide before any procedure begins.
Step 3: Cleansing, keratin softening and pore dilation
Makeup removal and deep cleansing of the treatment area, then softening the keratin sealing the follicular neck and dilating the pore. This step is what decides whether plugs leave through an existing exit or under pressure.
Step 4: Extraction along the follicular axis with sterile instruments
The planned technique is performed area by area, drawing each plug out along the axis of the follicle, and only where the plug is ready. Anything not ready is left for the next visit — clearing an entire face in one sitting is the fastest way to tear a follicular wall.
Step 5: Barrier recovery, aftercare briefing and scheduled review
The treated area is calmed and the barrier supported within the same session. You leave with day-by-day aftercare and a review appointment, so your dermatologist can assess response and adjust the plan rather than repeat an identical session.
Make results last
Cleanse gently, and retire the scrubbing habit
Wash twice a day with a gentle product, using the water rather than your hands to do the work. For the first days after extraction, keep grit scrubs and cleansing brushes off the treated area: the pores are wider than usual and the barrier has not fully closed. If exfoliation is part of your routine, switch to a chemical exfoliant at the frequency your dermatologist sets rather than a physical one — the difference between the two is worth understanding, and it is covered in our guide to treating blackheads at home.
Choose base makeup and sunscreen by texture
The T-zone is where product settles most, so texture matters as much as ingredients: favor lighter formulas, and cleanse thoroughly every evening even on days when you only wore sunscreen. Daily sun protection stays non-negotiable, because a mark where a comedone was extracted will darken and take longer to fade if it is exposed.
No strips, no home extraction, no letting it build up
This is the part that decides the long-term result. Pore strips and a drugstore extraction tool put freshly treated skin straight back into the old loop. Rather than letting comedones accumulate for months and then attacking them with force, keep the maintenance extraction schedule you were given — plugs removed while still shallow leave a pore that has not had time to stretch, and that is how pores stay the size they are.
Support the barrier between sessions
Skin that has just been extracted or peeled needs adequate hydration and calming before the next session, particularly on a tighter treatment schedule. Where skin is thin or flushes easily, your dermatologist may add a deep hydration and recovery step between visits.
When to come back
Come in if the comedones are spreading quickly and starting to be accompanied by red, tender papules, or if you extracted something yourself and the area is more swollen and warmer after 24 hours. At that point the problem has moved from open comedone to inflammation, and treating it early is considerably simpler than waiting another week.
Still have questions?
Do blackheads go away on their own?
Is it bad to squeeze blackheads on your nose?
Do pore strips actually work?
How long does it take to get rid of blackheads?
Does blackhead extraction hurt or leave scars?
Why do blackheads keep coming back?
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