Clinical · Self-paced · 11 sections
Acne Decoded
- Scope
- 11 sections
- Pace
- Self-paced
- Price
- £150
- Commitment
- ≈ 1 hr/wk · 5 wks
The promise. Stop guessing. Start treating acne with NICE-aligned clinical reasoning you can defend to a GP, an insurer, or a complaint reviewer.
Most acne treatment plans are educated guesses. Same protocols, same disappointed clients, same results that don't hold. I built Acne Decoded as the science behind the condition. What drives breakouts at the cellular level. How to assess severity correctly. How to treat without over-treating. NICE guidance translated into clinical decisions you can defend. One course. £150. No upsells.
Lifetime access
Self-paced, no expiry.
Updates included
As guidance evolves.
Yours to keep
One-off payment, no rebill.
CPD evidence · NMC revalidation
Certificate of Completion at the end. Suitable as reflective practice for revalidation portfolios.
I'd been treating acne for years and still felt I was guessing. Acne Decoded grounds you in NICE pathways without making it feel academic. I now consult with a structure I can defend to a GP, an insurer, or a complaint reviewer.
The transformation
Before the course→ after the course.
- TransformationBefore the course
Treating acne with the same protocol regardless of severity, type, or driver.
After the courseDifferentiating comedonal vs inflammatory vs nodular acne and matching the right pathway to each.
- TransformationBefore the course
Disappointed clients whose results don't hold past the third treatment.
After the courseRealistic expectations set at the consultation. Treatment plans staged for the long term.
- TransformationBefore the course
Borrowing protocols from social media. Hoping for the best.
After the courseNICE-aligned, evidence-led decision-making with defensible documentation behind every plan.
- TransformationBefore the course
Charging beauty-room prices for clinical-level work.
After the courseCharging premium fees with the clinical reasoning to back them, and the photographic documentation to prove the outcome.
From Acne Decoded students
What practitioners take away.
I'd been treating acne for years and still felt I was guessing. Acne Decoded grounds you in NICE pathways without making it feel academic. I now consult with a structure I can defend to a GP, an insurer, or a complaint reviewer.
Dr Priya R.Aesthetic Doctor · Birmingham
“Acne is not simply a cosmetic concern. It is a complex, chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects individuals physically, psychologically, and socially.”
Inside the lesson
Editorial lessons, built to be read.
Each lesson opens with an audio intro, runs as a clean editorial article, and ends with the next lesson cued up. Mobile-first when you're catching up between consultations, keyboard-navigable when you're at your desk.
- Audio intro on every lesson, listen while you make a coffee
- Per-lesson progress tracking, with the next lesson queued up
- Keyboard navigation for desk study (arrow keys / J–K)
- Calm typography, no auto-play video, no marketing pop-ups
What you’ll learn
The outcomes,not just the topics.
- Acne pathophysiology
- NICE-aligned protocols
- Treatment decision-making
- Severity assessment
The curriculum
8 modules.Built to ship change.
- 01
What is acne?
Definition, types, UK classification, key facts, and why “teenage acne” gets it wrong.
- Definition of acne vulgaris (medical, not cosmetic)
- Open vs closed comedones
- Inflammatory lesions: papules, pustules, nodules, cysts
- UK classification framework
- Comedonal vs inflammatory acne
- Adult-onset vs adolescent acne
- 02
Anatomy & physiology
Sebaceous gland biology, follicular hyperkeratinisation, microbiome, hormonal drivers. What's happening underneath every breakout.
- Pilosebaceous unit anatomy
- Stratum corneum & barrier function
- Four core pathophysiological drivers
- Comedogenesis (microcomedone formation)
- Cutibacterium acnes colonisation
- Inflammatory & immune response cascade
- 03
Causes & risk factors
Modifiable vs non-modifiable drivers. The lifestyle, hormonal, and pharmaceutical triggers behind most adult-onset cases.
- Hormonal drivers (androgens, PCOS, menstrual, perimenopause)
- Excess sebum production
- Abnormal keratinisation
- C. acnes microbiome imbalance
- Genetic predisposition
- Lifestyle & environmental contributors (stress, occlusion, pollution)
- 04
Risk & complications
Scarring, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, psychological impact. Red flags and when to refer up.
- Persistent inflammation & dermal damage
- Skin barrier damage from over-treatment
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH)
- Atrophic vs hypertrophic scarring
- Psychological & emotional risk indicators
- Red flags: when to refer
- 05
Clinical assessment
The consultation that surfaces the right history, sets realistic expectations, and de-risks the plan from day one.
- Confirming acne vulgaris vs mimickers (rosacea, folliculitis, perioral dermatitis)
- Lesion-type identification
- NICE severity grading (mild / moderate / severe)
- Distribution mapping
- Scarring & PIH/PIE assessment
- Psychosocial impact screening (NICE-emphasised)
- Photographic documentation protocol
- 06
Treatment pathways
Topicals, oral, in-clinic, when each belongs and how to sequence without burning the barrier.
- AHAs (glycolic, lactic, mandelic): mechanism + indications
- BHAs (salicylic): when, why, how
- Retinoid use & sequencing
- Antibacterial + anti-inflammatory topicals
- Oral pathways & prescriber referral
- In-clinic adjuncts (peels, light-based, microneedling)
- When NOT to treat in clinic
- 07
Case studies & applied learning
Real cases, decision walkthroughs. Mild, moderate, severe, what you'd do, why, and what NICE backs.
- Mild comedonal: full pathway walkthrough
- Moderate inflammatory: sequencing decisions
- Severe / scarring risk: escalation triggers
- Hormonal adult acne: assessment + collaboration
- Post-acne pigmentation case
- When to refer to dermatology / GP
- 08
NHS guidance & summary
How NICE pathways map onto private clinic practice. Knowledge check + recap. Certificate of Completion.
- NICE acne guidelines applied to private practice
- Documentation standards that defend a treatment plan
- Final knowledge check
- Certificate of Completion (CPD evidence)
Why I teach this
I’m Bernadette Tobin, RN, MSc.
Advanced Nurse Practitioner. Senior Lecturer. Head of Clinical Workforce, NHS Trust. Founder of Visage Aesthetics, Best Non-Surgical Aesthetics Clinic 2026. Educator of the Year 2026 Nominee.
I hold an MSc Advanced Practice (Level 7), I'm NMC registered, I lecture postgraduate clinicians, and I run an award-winning aesthetics clinic, Visage Aesthetics, which won Best Non-Surgical Aesthetics Clinic 2026 (Essex). I built Acne Decoded on the same NICE pathways the NHS uses, translated for private clinic practice by a nurse who's spent twenty years inside the system that wrote them.
Recognised by the industry
- 2026Nominee
Educator of the Year 2026
Beauty & Aesthetics Awards
- 2026Winner
Best Non-Surgical Aesthetics Clinic 2026 (Essex)
Health, Beauty & Wellness AwardsFounder, Visage Aesthetics
What’s included
Everything thatcomes with enrolment.
- 11 sections covering pathophysiology, assessment, and treatment
- NICE-aligned consultation framework + severity scoring
- Treatment pathway decision tree (mild / moderate / severe)
- Real case study walkthroughs
- Certificate of Completion for CPD evidence
- Lifetime access, including future updates
- Self-paced · self-marked knowledge check
Frequently asked
Before youenrol.
Is this CPD-accredited?
Acne Decoded is designed to count toward CPD evidence and is appropriate as reflective practice for NMC revalidation. The Certificate of Completion at the end gives you the documentation to attach to your portfolio.
Will this teach me to inject?
No. This is clinical reasoning around acne, assessment, treatment decisions, NICE-aligned pathways, when to escalate. Hands-on technical training requires a separate insured pathway.
Do I need to be a nurse to take it?
No. The course is designed for any practitioner working with skin who wants the clinical reasoning behind acne decisions, including aestheticians, beauty therapists, advanced facialists, and prescribing clinicians.
Is it really £150 with no upsells?
Yes. £150 one-time, lifetime access, no upsells inside the course. Bernadette's stance is that clinical education should be priced honestly.
“The best aesthetic work is the kind no one notices. People should just think you look well.”
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