We're not putting something into your skin to disguise the scars. We're using technology to stimulate your own skin to remodel, rebuild and improve the texture from within. As the collagen develops, those depressions can progressively soften and become less and less noticeable.
Acne scar improvement is for anyone who has been left with depressed, uneven or textured skin after acne, whether those scars are on the cheeks, temples, jawline or other areas of the face. It can be particularly helpful for softening the look of boxcar and rolling scars, where we can use controlled energy to stimulate collagen deep within the skin and gradually soften those depressions, improve texture and create a much more even surface.
It's also a treatment I use for deep stretch marks, particularly when they are wide, indented or heavily textured and have made someone self-conscious about showing their body.
The people I think are best suited to this treatment are those who understand that we are remodelling the skin progressively, rather than simply polishing the surface.
Acne scar improvement isn't right for someone who is expecting me to completely erase deep scarring in one treatment. These are scars that have changed the structure of your skin, so we're working progressively to soften their look and stimulate new collagen, and I want you to have a realistic understanding of what we can achieve before we begin.
I'll also ask you to wait if your skin is sunburned, recently tanned, irritated, inflamed, broken or still healing from another treatment. If you have active acne that is significant or uncontrolled, I may also recommend getting that under control first so we're working on the look of the scars rather than continually chasing new breakouts.
And ultimately, if I don't believe the treatment is going to give you a result that I'm happy to put my name to, I won't treat you. I know what these treatments can do, but I also know their limitations, and I'd much rather be honest with you from the beginning.
For acne scar improvement, the two technologies I use most often are Sublative Fractionated Radio Frequency and fractionated CO2 laser.
Sublative Fractionated Radio Frequency uses controlled radio-frequency energy. It's particularly useful when I want to work beneath the surface and progressively improve the texture and depth of the scars.
Fractionated CO2 laser is another one of my go-to treatments for softening the look of more significant acne scarring. It gives me the ability to work more deeply and precisely where the skin needs it. I can control the depth and density of the treatment depending on your skin and the severity of your scarring, rather than treating every person in exactly the same way.
And that's really the important part, you're not choosing a machine off a shelf. I'm looking at your scars, the depth and type of scarring, the condition of your skin and how much improvement we're trying to achieve, and then I choose the technology I believe is going to give you the best possible result.
The number of treatments really depends on the type and severity of your acne scarring, because not all acne scars behave in the same way. You may have boxcar scars, rolling scars or ice-pick scars, and each requires a different approach.
Unfortunately, there is very little I can do for true ice-pick scars with the treatments I offer here. Those deeper, narrow scars are generally better suited to a medical procedure performed by a doctor. If you have significant ice-pick scarring, I would rather refer you for the treatment that is specifically suited to that type of scar.
For most people with more noticeable acne scarring, I would recommend a minimum of four to five treatments to give us a meaningful opportunity to remodel the skin. You are certainly welcome to have two or three treatments, and you will usually see some improvement, but it may be relatively subtle or temporary compared with completing a fuller treatment series.
I don't publish my clients' photographs on this website. I can show you before and after photographs, with their permission, at your consultation.
Having said that, if your scarring is very mild, you may be perfectly happy with just one or two treatments. When I say mild, I mean that the scarring is really only noticeable under certain lighting, perhaps when you're standing in a particular light and a shadow catches the skin at just the right angle. If you can barely see the scarring unless the light hits it that way, that would generally be considered a much lighter level of scarring, and you may find that one or two treatments give you the improvement you're looking for.
Ultimately, I'll assess your skin and the type of scarring you have, and we'll decide together how much treatment is appropriate. I'd rather give you an honest idea of what I believe you need than put you through more treatments than necessary.
I don't normally want to treat the same area any sooner than four weeks apart. I'd rather give your skin enough time to respond properly before we stimulate it again.
You can also stretch your treatments out to every three months if that works better for your lifestyle or your budget. There's no need to feel pressured to rush through your treatment series, your acne scars aren't going anywhere.
The spacing between your acne scar treatments really matters because we're not simply treating something superficial like pigmentation, we're working with your skin and encouraging collagen remodelling.
Your skin needs time to respond to each treatment. Collagen remodelling is a gradual process, and although the deeper changes can continue developing for many months, with the technologies I use I can often start to see a noticeable improvement within around 5 to 6 weeks, once the initial swelling and treatment response have settled. You may notice some improvement sooner, particularly after your third or fourth treatment.
How quickly you want to soften the look of your scars is really up to you. We can create a treatment schedule that gives your skin the time it needs while also fitting comfortably within your lifestyle and budget.
For acne scar improvement, if we're using CO2 or Sublative Fractionated Radio Frequency, I would generally allow around five days of downtime. Your skin may be red, warm, slightly swollen and feel rough or sensitive while it settles, but this is all part of the normal healing process.
If we're treating stretch marks, the recovery can be a little longer. I would generally allow around 8 to 9 days of redness over the treated areas before your skin has settled back down.
I'll explain what I expect your recovery to look like before we begin, because the downtime is influenced by the technology, the intensity of treatment and how your individual skin responds. My aim is to give you enough treatment to create a meaningful result while still keeping the recovery as manageable as possible.
As a general guide, treatments can range from approximately $700 to $1,850 per session. Sublative Fractionated Radio Frequency will generally sit toward the lower end of that range, while a more intensive fractionated CO2 treatment will be toward the higher end.
Acne scar improvement is one of those treatments where I don't like giving you a blanket price, because the cost really depends on how much scarring we're working on, which areas are involved and which technology I believe will give you the best result.
If you have extensive scarring or we're treating a larger area, I'll assess everything properly first and give you a clear price before we begin. I can also structure a treatment series where appropriate, because I'd rather plan the whole journey with you than have you coming in one treatment at a time without knowing where we're heading.
Your investment includes my assessment of your skin and scarring, choosing the appropriate technology and treatment intensity, the treatment itself, personalised aftercare and ongoing guidance throughout your treatment journey.
Acne scarring is something I'm particularly flexible with when it comes to budget. I've experienced acne scarring myself, and I have very close friends who have too, so I understand that this isn't always simply a cosmetic concern. Acne and acne scarring can have a huge impact on your confidence, self-esteem, social life and the way you feel about being seen.
So although I have general treatment prices listed above, I don't want the price to be the reason you don't treat something that is genuinely affecting your quality of life. If you come in, let me assess your skin and tell me what you can comfortably afford, I can work with your budget and adjust the treatment plan accordingly.
We might treat a smaller area, use a different modality, spread your treatments further apart or create a progressive treatment plan that allows you to achieve meaningful improvement without putting you under financial pressure.
All I ask is that you show up and commit to the process. I would much rather work with you over time and help you improve your skin than have you walk away because you think you can't afford the treatment.
And because acne scarring can be quite emotional for people, I want you to know exactly what I believe we can achieve before you invest. I'll explain what I think is realistic for your particular scars and then you can decide whether you'd like to go ahead.
The one thing I find myself saying over and over again is: don't underestimate what it could mean to you to finally stop thinking about your scars.
Because acne scarring isn't just something you see in the mirror. It can become something you think about when someone takes a photograph of you, when you're meeting someone new, when you're standing under harsh lighting, when you're having a conversation and wondering whether they're looking at your skin. You can find yourself turning your face a certain way, avoiding photographs, avoiding social situations, avoiding being seen, and eventually it can become part of the way you see yourself.
For some people, it can be a genuine lifestyle change.
The other thing I want you to understand is that this is a process, but it can be an incredibly rewarding one.
And I want to be very honest with you about what I can achieve. I'm not going to promise you that I can make every scar disappear.
Come and let me look at your skin. I'll tell you honestly what I think we can achieve, how I would approach it and what I believe is realistic for you.
The amount of improvement depends on the type and depth of your scarring.
If your scars are affecting the way you feel about yourself, I think this is a very important question to ask. I've had acne scarring myself and I've seen what it can do to someone's confidence, avoiding photographs, hiding behind makeup, feeling uncomfortable in conversations or simply not wanting to be seen. When you reach the point where you no longer think about your scars every time you look in the mirror, that can be worth far more than the treatment itself.
Results vary from person to person.