WASHINGTON -- Move over Clearasil. New high-tech treatments claim to zap zits without serious side effects.

A few months ago, 18-year-old Bonnie was so embarrassed about her acne that she thought fellow students were starting at her.

"You want to almost fake sick because you don't want to come to school," she said.

She tried different creams and gels, but nothing worked. So the aspiring model tried Aesthera, an acne vacuum that literally sucks the pimples away.

"It's like a warm vacuum sucking at your face, but it doesn't hurt," Bonnie said.

Dermatologist Dale Isaacson said the device suctions and stretches the skin, removing dirt clogging the pore.

The suction also removes oil. Then a bright burst of broad spectrum light kills bacteria and shrinks the oil gland.

The acne vacuum isn't the only new treatment replacing those creams and lotions. There's a device called "Clearlight," which uses phototherapy to kill bacteria.

But before trying these new high-tech treatments, doctors recommend giving topical treatments a shot. The latest includes Ziana, a combination of Retin-A and antibiotic.

Another ointment, Differin, is supposed to destroy skin cells that clog pores.

The new creams are replacing Accutane, which medical experts said can cause dangerous side effects -- from depression to birth defects.

Female accutane users are asked to sign a pledge promising they won't have children while on the drug.

"These newer treatments are used to help fill a void that for patients not willing to go on Accutane who need something stronger than just conventional therapy," Isaacson said.

Bonnie said the new treatments are helping her feel more confident as she prepares to begin her freshman year in college.

"If you want to have confidence, you need to have clear skin," she said. "You need to look good to feel good about yourself. So getting this done … is making me feel more excited knowing that I'm going to be walking in there and not feeling all gross."

But the latest in acne treatments aren't cheap and require multiple visits to the doctor.

The acne vacuum costs about $300 per treatment and patients usually need about five treatments.

Clearlight therapy costs $90 per treatment and patients need between eight and 12 treatments.