Acne is one battle; the marks it leaves behind are another. Scarring happens when inflammation deep in the skin damages collagen as it heals, leaving pits, dips or a rolling texture, and it is more likely with severe or long-running acne, with picking and squeezing, and in people who scar easily. Scars do not fully disappear with treatment, but they can be softened a great deal, and most people are pleasantly surprised by how much.
Types of scar
It helps to know which you have, because they respond differently.
- Ice-pick scars: narrow, deep pits, often on the cheeks. The hardest type to treat.
- Boxcar scars: wider, shallow or medium depressions with defined edges.
- Rolling scars: soft, wave-like undulations caused by bands of scar tissue pulling the skin down.
- Red or brown marks where spots used to be, which are not true scars and usually fade with time and the right skincare.
What helps
SkinPen microneedling is the workhorse for acne scarring. Controlled micro-injuries prompt the skin to lay down new collagen beneath the scars, gradually lifting and smoothing them over a course of sessions. Combining microneedling with PRP, platelet-rich plasma prepared from a small sample of your own blood, strengthens the repair response and gives better results than microneedling alone. Medical-grade chemical peels improve surface texture and the red and brown marks between sessions. Deep ice-pick scars may need additional techniques, and we will be honest about what is realistic.
Treatment is only started once active acne is under control, because treating scars over active breakouts creates new ones.
What a consultation involves
We will map the types of scar you have, check that your acne is quiet, and set out a course, typically three to six sessions four to six weeks apart, with photographs to track progress. Expect a few days of redness after each session.
