This is the protocol Dr. Shalthiel Sathe and the team at Eva Pimple Skin & Hair Clinic have refined for patients in Pune — built around the three root causes of acne: blocked pores, active bacteria, and chronic inflammation.

Step 1 — Chemical Peels: Clear the Pathway

The first step targets what lives at and just below the skin’s surface — excess dead skin cells, sebum plugs, blackheads, and the early-stage comedones that will become tomorrow’s pimples.

Medical-grade chemical peels used at our clinic — including salicylic acid peels, glycolic acid peels, and yellow peels — work by controlled exfoliation of the outermost skin layers. This process unclogs blocked follicles, reduces the density of acne-causing bacteria on the skin surface, and improves the penetration of any topical treatments used alongside.

Crucially, these are not salon facials. Clinical peels are calibrated in strength and formulation by a dermatologist based on your skin type, acne severity, and existing sensitivity. A peel that is too aggressive on the wrong skin type causes post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation — a very common problem when peels are done without professional supervision.

At Eva Clinic, each peel session is customised. Patients typically undergo 4 to 6 peel sessions spaced 2 to 3 weeks apart as the foundation layer of the protocol.

Also Read: Why Acne Gets Worse in Summer — Causes & Best Treatment — if your breakouts spike every summer, this explains exactly why and what to do about it.

Step 2 — Laser Therapy: Target the Source

Once the pathway is cleared through peels, Step 2 goes deeper — targeting the sebaceous glands and the bacteria living inside the follicle itself.

The Q-Switch Nd:YAG laser and CO2 laser used at Eva Clinic deliver focused energy into the dermis, achieving two outcomes simultaneously. First, the heat energy selectively destroys Cutibacterium acnes colonies that live inside the hair follicle — bacteria that topical treatments struggle to reach at this depth. Second, the laser energy reduces the activity of overactive sebaceous glands, directly cutting the oil supply that feeds acne formation.

For patients with existing acne scars alongside active breakouts, laser therapy also begins the process of collagen remodelling — gradually improving skin texture and reducing the appearance of rolling and boxcar scars over successive sessions.

This is the step most clinics skip or substitute with generic light-based treatments that lack the precision and depth to make a meaningful difference. The combination of the right laser, at the right wavelength, calibrated for your specific skin — administered by a trained dermatologist — is what separates Eva Clinic’s outcomes from standard acne facials.

Step 3 — Diet Protocol: Cut the Fuel Supply

This is the step that most clinics never mention — and it is the one that determines whether your results last 3 months or 3 years.

Acne is an inflammatory condition. And inflammation in the skin is directly fuelled by what enters your body. Dr. Shalthiel Sathe addresses this through a personalised dietary guidance protocol that every acne patient at Eva Clinic receives alongside their clinical treatment plan.

The key dietary triggers for acne are well-documented: high-glycaemic foods such as white rice, maida, sugar, and processed snacks cause rapid insulin spikes, which in turn stimulate IGF-1 production and drive sebum overproduction. Dairy — particularly full-fat milk and whey protein — has a similar hormonal effect.

The Eva Clinic diet protocol is not a restrictive crash diet. It is a practical, sustainable framework focused on reducing inflammatory foods, increasing zinc and omega-3 rich foods that naturally regulate sebum production, and maintaining adequate hydration — all of which directly support the clinical treatments being done in the chair.

Patients who follow Steps 1 and 2 alone typically see improvement that fades within 3 to 6 months. Patients who follow all three steps consistently see results that hold for years.