Consultant Dermatologist Dr Justine Kluk is London's go-to expert for acne treatment.
23/09/2025
If you’ve ever felt like managing acne is a full-time job, you’re not imagining it. The endless Googling, second-guessing every product, comparing your skin to strangers on the internet… it’s a lot.
I’m a consultant dermatologist and here’s the truth I see in clinic every week: most people are stuck in a loop of trial and error. Not because they’re lazy or doing something “wrong,” but because acne is a complex condition with so many moving parts. The internet makes it look like there’s always one magic fix around the corner, but in reality it usually takes a clear, personalised plan to break the cycle.
The relief that washes over someone when we map out that plan is enormous. You can see the tension leave their shoulders.
✨ You don’t need to keep guessing. Acne clears faster and with less stress when you have the right guide and a proven roadmap. If you are ready to stop the cycle of trial and error, comment “stop” below and I will send you my free training on how to build an acne safe routine 💫
17/09/2025
Some inspo to help you support your gut (and skin) health ✨ Swipe for a peek at what’s been keeping me energised and satisfied these last couple of weeks.
And yes, even the quick between-clinic desk lunch made the cut because it looked so colourful 😹
For me it’s about finding simple ways to add more plants and keep things interesting, rather than sticking to the same few foods on repeat. Our gut microbes thrive on diversity.
3 tips:
1️⃣ Make a fruit & yogurt bowl for breakfast. Chuck in mixed nuts & seeds. Minimal prep time needed. Easy to switch up different seeds, nuts, berries etc. Maybe add some spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
2️⃣ Try having brown rice instead of white rice. Or have quinoa, barley, bulgur wheat or faro instead of rice. In many cases you can get pre-cooked pouches that you warm up in the microwave if you’re time poor or unfamiliar with how to cook these.
3️⃣ Add some tempeh (fermented soybeans) to stirfry instead of (or as well as) chicken or prawns. It’s a good plant-based source of fibre, protein & probiotics.
I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you’d like any of the recipes ⬇️
10/09/2025
🥣 An easy, skin-friendly breakfast
Step 1: Plain Greek yoghurt (lasts all week in the fridge after opening).
Step 2: Blackberries, blueberries and pomegranate seeds (no chopping needed).
Step 3: A handful of mixed seeds — fibre, zinc & healthy fats all doing their bit for skin health.
Step 4: Golden kiwi on top for a bit of extra colour & different fibre (took 20 secs to slice).
That’s it. No faff, no “must-have powders” you’ll buy once and then leave to gather dust at the back of the cupboard. Quick to assemble, tastes good, keeps you going & also happens to be good for your skin (and gut health 💩).
And in case the finished bowl makes it look like I’ve got life neatly sorted… swipe on for the reality: me heading to Pilates before clinic in leggings, ski socks and Birkenstocks. Put together it is not. But we got out the door, and that’ll do.
How was your start to the day?
04/09/2025
This morning’s breakfast: half a nectarine, half a plum, a handful of blueberries, a dollop of full-fat Greek yoghurt, roasted nuts and seeds straight from the cupboard. The only “prep” was chopping the fruit. That’s it. No cooking skills required, no fancy gadgets.
I’ll be sharing more of these simple recipes here because looking after your gut health (and, in turn, your skin health) doesn’t have to mean complicated cooking or obscure ingredients. It can be as easy as opening the cupboard and throwing together what you already have.
And just to say….I never post polished food photography (or any kind of polished photography). These are my real breakfasts, taken in real life, on my kitchen counter. No filters, no editing suite. Just ideas you can actually recreate.
Because if it’s not doable, what’s the point?
03/09/2025
First day back after the summer holidays, so it feels like the right time to say hello again 👋🏻
I’m Justine. Consultant dermatologist. Acne specialist. Former acne sufferer. I’ve had spots since I was 12, and I still remember the sting of being told “it’s just cosmetic.” It wasn’t then, and it isn’t now.
I started my own dermatology practice 10 years ago because I couldn’t keep doing 10 minute conveyor belt consultations. Now I run a small Harley Street clinic with 4 of my dermatologist friends where I get to practise medicine properly, with kindness, detail and enough time to actually listen.
Most of the people who come to see me are women with adult acne. They’ve tried all the creams, been through antibiotics, maybe been told to “just go back on the pill.” My job is to help them feel human again, combining medicine with skincare, nutrition tips, stress management and often a dose of hope. Sometimes it’s the last bit that matters first.
A few things about me:
✨ I’m a mum of two (one six, one seventeen, pray for me).
✨ I love cooking, sharing recipe photos & tips, and exploring the links between what we eat, our gut health and our skin.
✨ I do pilates and yoga to keep my body and brain ticking over, but I dabbled with Joe Wicks (virtually!!) over the summer and I am hooked to the 20 minute body weight workouts.
✨ I’m in perimenopause, which is humbling in all the ways I didn’t expect. Like going through puberty in reverse.
✨ I want my patients, and anyone following along here, to feel less ashamed, more confident and better equipped to look after their skin.
That’s me in a nutshell. If you’re new here, welcome. If you’ve been here a while, thanks for sticking around 🫶🏼💕
If you could ask me ANYTHING, what would it be ⬇️ 🫣
22/08/2025
This summer has delivered exactly what I was craving…. slow mornings, sunshine on my skin, plates piled high with good food, movement that doesn’t drain me & beautiful scenery that fills my cup.
I’ve rested. I’ve connected with my family. I’ve looked after myself. And, maybe most importantly — a lesson I’ve really come to appreciate over the past 12 months — is that agency — the ability to choose how we spend our time, what we feed our bodies and how we treat our minds and skin — is something we have far more control over than we often realise.
For most of my life, I felt like people and circumstances were steering the ship and that my job was to keep going, keep up, keep everyone else happy. But I’ve realised I want to live my life on my terms, not let my life live me.
So, I accept myself as I am, while still steering towards the kind of health and life I want. I choose nourishment. I choose exercise that energises me. I choose things that bring me pleasure. The permission to take a break from work and responsibility, to stop, breathe and live in the moment. And not feel guilty for being happy and fulfilled on my own terms. We just have one life and it is ours to shape.
I hope you’re feeling good too. And if you’re not in that place right now, maybe this is your nudge to take one small step that puts you in charge of your own story.
📚 If you’re looking for a starter-for-ten, download and listen to The Courage to Be Disliked on Audible 🎧
✨ Do you feel like you’re in control of your life, body, skin? And if not… what’s one thing you could choose differently next week?
21/08/2025
I know what it feels like to leave the doctor’s office unheard. No explanation of why your acne is happening, no discussion about triggers, just a “take this prescription” and out the door?
I lived it for years during my teens and twenties. Rushed appointments, confusing advice and feeling like no one was really listening to my story.
As a dermatologist myself, I now know that it doesn’t have to be this way. Acne has multiple root causes: hormones, stress, diet, gut health, skincare, genetics & understanding them matters. Treating the skin blindly without context often leaves your skin irritated, red and frustrated…or clears the breakouts for a short while only to return….while your confidence takes the hit.
✨ A small first step you can take today is to start a simple acne diary.
You can track:
🔸Your periods or hormone-related changes
🔸Stress levels
🔸Food and lifestyle patterns
🔸Products you use
🔸Flare-ups
Make a note of 2-3 key observations & take this to your next appointment. Not the whole diary or a 5 page summary as you will run out of time. Don’t wait to be asked or mention it right at the end of the consultation!
Being prepared & forthright turns rushed conversations into meaningful, personal discussions. It’s empowering & it actually works.
If you’d like to go deeper and finally take control of your skin in a way that makes sense for you, I made a free 12-minute video training showing you exactly how to build an acne-safe routine without buying another “miracle” product.
You’ll learn how to:
✅ Understand your unique acne triggers
✅ Treat your acne in a way that works for your skin (without irritation)
✅ Combine lifestyle, skincare, mindset and medications (when required) for predictable results
I created this training because I’ve been where you are and I don’t want anyone else to feel hopeless or dismissed when managing a condition that affects nearly 1 in 2 women at some point in their lives. Most acne can be managed effectively when you know what’s really driving it.
🎯 Take the first step: watch my free training and start understanding your acne today. Comment “acne routine” & I’ll send you the 🔗
1️⃣ Go wide brimmed
Ideally look for a brim that’s at least 7–10cm wide all the way around. It should shade your face, ears and the back of your neck, not just the top of your head. Baseball caps? Cute, but not quite cutting it.
2️⃣ Tightly woven
Choose tightly woven fabrics like canvas if you can. If your hat is made from straw or raffia, check there aren’t lots of gaps. If you can see sunlight through the weave, UV can get through too. Look back at my post from late June where my beautiful straw hat turned out to be a sieve for the sun. Whoops!
3️⃣ Bonus points for built-in UPF
Some hats are labelled with a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) rating - like SPF, but for fabric. A UPF of 50+ blocks around 98% of UV rays, which is excellent protection for prolonged sun exposure.
Mine is foldable so perfect for sunny travels & cost £29 from
16/08/2025
Many of my patients know that diet can impact their acne - but they don’t know what to eat.
They’ve heard that dairy and sugar might make things worse. They’ve cut out foods.
They’ve gone on super strict exclusion diets.
They’re taking armfuls of supplements “for gut health” but still struggling with breakouts.
This is what I tell them:
✨ There’s very little evidence that supplements help acne (even probiotics).
✨ There’s stronger evidence that dietary patterns matter far more than exclusions.
✨ A healthy, diverse, Mediterranean-style diet supports the gut-skin axis and can absolutely be part of your long-term acne control.
And guess what?
It doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive or time-consuming. In fact, the easier we make it the more likely we are to stick with it.
Here are some of the actual meals I’ve thrown together while on holiday this week:
🍅 Mozzarella, tomatoes & basil with olive oil and balsamic
🍓 Natural yogurt with chopped fruit, nuts & seeds
🥗 A 1-minute salad with chickpeas, green beans, sweetcorn, beetroot & shredded carrot
🥣 Whole foods, healthy fats, fibre, polyphenols (helpful immune boosting chemicals found in nature) - no cookery skills required
If you’ve ever wondered “What should I eat to help my skin?”, I’ve got you.
🧑🍳 Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing easy meals, simple swaps and gut-friendly recipes to help support your skin from the inside out in a way that feels realistic and sustainable.
🍽️ No guilt
🚫 No restriction
🧠 Just real food that makes sense for real life
And if you want to start today with a clear strategy that actually works…
🎥 My free training — How to Build an Acne-Safe Routine Without Buying Another Miracle Product — is available now.
It even includes a gut health cheat sheet to get you started.
👇🏻 Comment “acne routine” below and I’ll send it to you.
11/08/2025
Dermatologist out of office ✉️
Love my 🧺 And apparently everything else I own is black, white or 🤎
09/08/2025
Acne is not just a teenage thing. Throughout life, your skin is responding to signals from your hormones.
I often talk about the 7 P’s in clinic & my Clear Skin Programme:
👉🏼Puberty
👉🏼Periods
👉🏼PCOS
👉🏼Progesterone
👉🏼Pregnancy
👉🏼Post partum
👉🏼Perimenopause
Understanding the key hormones helps us understand why certain treatments & lifestyle measures can be helpful to reduce acne flare-ups.
🧠 So what can you do?
Balancing hormones isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about supporting your body consistently.
✔️ Eat balanced meals (protein, fibre, healthy fats)
✔️ Move regularly, especially after meals
✔️ Manage stress (as much as real life allows)
✔️ Prioritise sleep. Your hormones literally reset overnight
✔️ Support your gut health
💭 Remember that hormones are not the ONLY factor so focusing on these obsessively at the exclusion of other relevant risk factors may not lead to good long term control.
We need to look at the whole person & their environment for best outcomes 🧠 💩 🏃🏻♀️ 🧘🏻♀️
Are you confused about how your hormones impact your skin? Save this post for reference & share with someone else who is mystified by their hormones & acne.
07/08/2025
I was recently chatting to my friend and fellow dermatologist on the podcast (out today!!!). We were talking about acne, something I’ve devoted much of my life and career to, and she asked me why I became a dermatologist.
The truth is, I didn’t always feel in control. Not of my skin, and not of a lot of things in my life at the time. And I think that’s something many people with acne experience…this deep, unsettled feeling. Like things are happening to you & you don’t know how to stop them.
Often, in that time of uncertainty, we pour all our anxiety into one visible, tangible thing. For some of us, that becomes our skin.
That doesn’t mean acne isn’t distressing in its own right. It absolutely 💯 is. It’s visible, it’s painful & it impacts self-esteem. But I think we often don’t realise how much we’re asking our skin to carry for us emotionally.
Fixing your skin doesn’t fix everything. But understanding your skin - learning how to support it, treat it, manage it - can create a ripple effect. That small sense of agency can be the first step in reclaiming a broader sense of control in your life 🏆
That’s what I needed, and why, as a dermatologist, I am so passionate about helping people who have acne to learn, to understand and to develop that same knowledge and strategy.
Because handing someone a solution is helpful. But teaching them how to understand their skin? That’s how you help change someone’s story 💪🏼
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dr Justine Kluk - Consultant Dermatologist London posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Contact The Practice
Send a message to Dr Justine Kluk - Consultant Dermatologist London:
Consultant Dermatologist Dr Justine Kluk is London's go-to expert for acne and acne scarring. Read here about her own journey with breakouts and how she can help you in her clinic.
“I get asked all the time about why I decided to become a dermatologist. The short answer is this. Acne. I started to get spots when I was about 12 years old. My dad bought me Clearasil and told me that I would grow out of it. He’d grown out of it when he was my age after all, but not before developing scarring on his cheeks which is still there today in his sixties. So, I used my facewash and sometimes a bit of toothpaste (or Sudocrem or whatever happened to be knocking about on the bathroom shelf for that matter) and patiently waited for it to go away.
Having grown up in South Africa, my mum was always very concerned about skin cancer. I remember very clearly, later on as a teenager, being taken to a dermatologist to have a mole on my right shoulder checked. When I sat down on the examination couch the first thing the specialist said to us was “Never mind the mole. What are you doing about her acne?” This was just the start of my lifelong battle with breakouts, and harsh as it sounded back then, I was relieved for the validation that this thing that was a source of real unhappiness to me was deserving of proper attention and that now we were really going to do something about it. This is where my fascination with skin health began and how my passion and determination to help others feel good about their skin started.
Acne is the medical term used to describe spots or breakouts. It is easily the most common skin concern there is, affecting as many as 85% of teens. Unfortunately, research shows that more and more of us are continuing to suffer with it in our twenties, thirties and beyond meaning that spots are definitely not just a teenage issue. In fact, it is estimated that up to 20% of adult women are still battling blemishes. When you think that acne can lead to scarring, poor self-image and loss of confidence, this amounts to a big problem. If you’ve suffered with persistent acne, you’ll recognise the feeling that your face never feels clean. No matter how much time or money you spend on grooming, you still feel like a spotty mess. You long to be one of those carefree people who wakes up 5 minutes before they need to leave the house in the morning. Instead, you have to put aside a full 30 minutes to try and painstakingly conceal each and every spot and you definitely need to get to the bathroom first if you have a new partner for fear that they might reject you if they knew what you really looked like.
Yes, some people can manage the occasional pimple at home with appropriate store-bought products or advice from a GP. Many others are fed up by a lack of improvement and are understandably worried about developing dark marks or permanent scarring if their symptoms are left unchecked. Emotional scarring should not be downplayed either as acne erodes self-esteem, causing sufferers to feel embarrassed and isolated. It doesn't have to be like this! If you want really effective treatment for persistent acne or scarring, come see me in the clinic to talk about the options because there is plenty we can do. As well as prescriptions and procedures that really work, I’m keen that you have a skincare plan that helps you maintain the results in the longer run so you'll want to show your skin off, not hide away.”
