Founded in 2014 as a women-owned, esthetician-run holistic acne clinic, Saving Face operates out of a private studio at 3307 Fourth Ave in Hillcrest's 92103 ZIP. The practice pairs topical protocols with nutrition and lifestyle coaching, a root-cause approach that dovetails with the hormonal and stress-cycle work done at Vanessa Mergulhão Acupuncture for clients whose breakouts track their cycle or cortisol. The LGBTQ+ friendly room treats cystic and hormonal acne as its core specialty, with separate tracks for rosacea, melasma, and reactive barrier-compromised skin. Custom facials layer enzyme exfoliation, extractions, high-frequency, and LED across a 60-to-90 minute window, stopping well short of the downtime procedures handled in the surgical suite at Evolve Aesthetic Surgery. The deepest protocol is a multi-month acne-clearing program combining in-studio peel sequences, at-home actives, and food-journal review for stubborn adult cases that have cycled through antibiotics without lasting results.