An acne treatment we saw in June, which is Acne Awareness Month, from Lira Clinical is sure to change the way you think about one of the most common concerns seen in treatment rooms across the country.
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend Lira Clinical’s Purely Clinical event in San Francisco. Throughout the day, education sessions led by co-founders Francine Kagarakis and Metaxia Dalikas explored everything from pigmentation and healthy aging to some of the newest innovations arriving within the REGEN collection.
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One topic in particular caught my attention.
During one session, the conversation turned to acne.
At first, I was surprised.
For many professionals, Lira Clinical has become synonymous with advanced hyperpigmentation protocols, corrective peels, and pro-aging solutions. Their reputation has been built on award-winning professional treatments and home care collections that consistently deliver results.
So when I heard the REGEN collection discussed as a powerful option for acne clients, I wanted to understand why.
What followed was a fascinating conversation with Francine Kagarakis about inflammation, recovery, regenerative skincare, and why the future of acne treatment for skincare professionals may look very different from the past.
Acne Treatment for Skincare Professionals Starts With Understanding Acne Differently
Barry:
Can you give us the Lira Clinical understanding of acne? What does Lira Clinical see as the key issue to treating acne?
Francine Kagarakis:
“For years, acne has largely been viewed through the lens of excess oil, follicular congestion, and bacterial overgrowth. While these factors contribute to acne formation, they do not fully explain why many individuals continue to struggle with redness, pigmentation, barrier disruption, and skin sensitivity long after a breakout has resolved.”
According to Francine, one of the biggest shifts occurring within professional skincare is recognizing the role inflammation plays throughout the entire acne cycle.
“Today, inflammation is recognized as one of the primary drivers behind the acne cycle itself, influencing not only the breakout, but what happens afterward.”
That distinction is critical.
Many professionals focus heavily on clearing active lesions. Yet clients are often equally frustrated by what remains after the breakout is gone. Persistent redness, post-inflammatory erythema (PIE), post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), barrier impairment, and ongoing sensitivity frequently linger for weeks or months.
As Francine explained:
“Simply put: acne isn’t always a blemish problem. Often, it’s an inflammation problem.”
Regenerative Acne Treatment for Skincare Professionals
Barry:
What is it about the REGEN collection that focuses on acne? Can you explain Traditional Acne Management vs. REGENerative Acne Management?
Francine Kagarakis:
“Historically, acne management has centered around clearing the breakout: reducing oil, controlling bacteria, and encouraging exfoliation. While each remains an important part of treatment, they only tell part of the story.”
She believes the future of acne treatment for skincare professionals extends beyond correction and moves toward recovery.
“A REGENerative approach looks beyond the lesion itself and focuses on the skin’s recovery process. By supporting repair, resilience, and a more controlled inflammatory response, we can influence not only the breakout, but many of the visible consequences that follow it.”
This philosophy sits at the core of the REGEN collection.
Instead of focusing exclusively on clearing acne, the collection is designed to support the skin’s ability to recover from acne.
That means helping address inflammation, supporting barrier function, encouraging resilience, and minimizing the lingering effects that often follow breakouts.
As Francine put it:
“Traditional acne management focuses on controlling the breakout. REGENerative acne management focuses on controlling what happens next.”
How EXO-tech™ Supports Acne Treatment for Skincare Professionals
Barry:
How does your EXO-tech™ fit into the equation?
Francine Kagarakis:
“Advanced ingredients can only perform as well as the systems used to deliver them.”
The REGEN platform incorporates Lira Clinical’s proprietary EXO-tech™ technology, a biomimetic phospholipid encapsulation system designed to do far more than simply enhance penetration.
According to Francine, EXO-tech™ helps:
- Protect regenerative actives
- Support skin barrier function
- Enhance ingredient compatibility
- Support delivery of larger molecules such as PDRN
Combined with Oligopeptide-1, a pure Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), the technology creates what Francine describes as a system built around three principles:
Deliver. Signal. Regenerate.
The result is a platform that not only delivers ingredients into the skin but supports the communication pathways involved in recovery and renewal.
Why PDRN+ Is Creating Excitement in Acne Treatment for Skincare Professionals
Barry:
How does the new PDRN+ collection fit into Lira’s concept? What is it about the PDRN+ collection that impacts acne and the treatment of acne?
Francine Kagarakis:
“At the center of Lira Clinical’s REGEN line, including the REGEN PDRN+ Serum, REGEN PDRN+ Crème, and Smart Booster PDRN+, is PDRN (Polydeoxyribonucleotide), a DNA-derived ingredient recognized for its ability to support skin recovery, tissue repair, and visible signs of inflammation.”
However, Francine was quick to point out that PDRN represents only one part of the formula.
The “+” in PDRN+ refers to a broader regenerative ecosystem developed through Lira Clinical’s partnership with biotechnology company Wildtype.
Together, the technology combines PDRN with Wild Salmon Stem Cell Conditioned Media (MCC), which contains:
- PDRN
- Salmon-derived Exosomes
- Growth factors
- Peptides
- Antioxidants
- Marine Collagen
Rather than functioning as a single active ingredient, MCC acts as what Francine describes as a regenerative nutrient ecosystem that supports skin communication, repair, and renewal.
Research conducted by Wildtype demonstrated that MCC outperformed conventional PDRN alone in markers associated with inflammation, microbiome balance, and skin recovery.
When combined, MCC and PDRN created a regenerative platform shown to be up to four times more effective than conventional PDRN alone.
For acne clients, that is particularly significant because inflammation is often responsible for many of the visible issues that remain after breakouts have been resolved.
Acne Treatment Protocol for Skincare Professionals: The IMPACT Clarifying Protocol
Barry:
Can you tell me about an acne treatment that Lira has designed that leverages the REGEN PDRN+ Serum that clinical skincare professionals can use on acneic clients?
When we featured your IMPACT Guide in a recent article, we noticed the IMPACT Clarifying Protocol. Can you tell us about this protocol and why it works so well on acne?
Francine Kagarakis:
“For optimal acne management, professional treatments and home care should work hand in hand.”
The IMPACT Clarifying Protocol was developed to do exactly that.
The treatment combines strategic exfoliation, regenerative support, inflammation management, and barrier recovery into a single professional protocol.
The protocol incorporates:
- Green Power, Lira Clinical’s signature Collagen Induction Therapy Alternative (CIT-A)
- Retinol
- Multiple forms of Vitamin C
- Smart Booster PDRN+
- Regenerative home care support through REGEN PDRN+ Serum
According to Francine, the protocol helps:
- Strengthen skin defense and microbiome balance with postbiotics that support barrier resilience and promote healthier skin.
- Clarify and brighten the complexion by using natural microchannels to enhance the delivery of multiple forms of Vitamin C, along with two retinoids for visible skin renewal.
- Encourage oxygenation and melanin management to help improve the appearance of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), uneven tone, and discoloration.
Most importantly, it addresses both active breakouts and the recovery process that follows.
That makes it a powerful example of how acne treatment for skincare professionals is evolving beyond simply managing lesions and toward supporting healthier skin function overall.
The Future of Acne Treatment for Skincare Professionals
One of the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Francine was that acne management is no longer solely about stopping breakouts.
It is about helping skin recover from them.
For years, professional acne protocols focused on oil reduction, bacterial control, and exfoliation. Those strategies remain important, but regenerative science is expanding what professionals can achieve for their clients.
By supporting barrier function, improving recovery pathways, addressing chronic inflammation, and helping minimize PIE and PIH, regenerative skincare offers a new dimension to acne management.
As Acne Awareness Month reminds us, clearer skin is only part of the goal.
Healthier, stronger, more resilient skin may ultimately be the future.
And based on what I learned from Francine Kagarakis and the REGEN collection at Purely Clinical, that future is already beginning to take shape.