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Acne Scar Treatment Options: Lasers, Microneedling and More
There is no single best treatment for acne scars, because not all acne scars are the same. The right plan depends on the type of scar, your skin tone and how much downtime you can manage.
Matching the treatment to the scar
Start with the type of scar
- Ice pick scars: narrow, deep pits.
- Boxcar scars: wider depressions with defined edges.
- Rolling scars: broad, shallow depressions that give the skin a wavy texture.
- Raised scars: less common, and treated differently from depressed scars.
Red or brown marks left after a breakout are not true scars. They often fade with time and can also be treated.
Treatment options
- CO₂ laser resurfacing: removes thin layers of damaged skin and stimulates new collagen to smooth depressed scars.
- UltraClear laser: a cold fibre laser that resurfaces scars with a lower risk of pigmentation and redness, particularly in skin of colour.
- Microneedling: stimulates collagen with fine needles and is suitable for most skin tones.
- PicoWay and Vbeam lasers: can improve the pigmented or red marks that acne leaves behind.
- Chemical peels: can improve discoloration and texture.
- Dermal fillers: may be used to lift selected depressed scars.
- Steroid injections: can flatten raised scars.
Why most plans combine treatments
Most people have more than one type of scar, so a single treatment rarely addresses everything. Plans usually involve a series of sessions and often combine approaches, for example resurfacing for texture and a different laser for redness.
Treat active acne first
If you are still breaking out, new scars can form while the old ones are being treated. Bringing active acne under control is usually the first step.
What results to expect
Acne scar treatment improves the appearance of scars, often substantially, but it does not make skin look as though the scars were never there. Improvement is gradual, as new collagen takes months to form.
Read more on the acne scar treatment page, or book a consultation with Dr. Guo for an assessment of your scars.
Related reading: UltraClear vs. CO₂ Laser Resurfacing: How Do They Compare? · How microneedling improves your skin · Everything you need to know about acne · UltraClear laser in Calgary · CO₂ laser resurfacing in Calgary · Microneedling in Calgary · PicoWay laser in Calgary
Matching the treatment to the scar
Start with the type of scar
- Ice pick scars: narrow, deep pits.
- Boxcar scars: wider depressions with defined edges.
- Rolling scars: broad, shallow depressions that give the skin a wavy texture.
- Raised scars: less common, and treated differently from depressed scars.
Red or brown marks left after a breakout are not true scars. They often fade with time and can also be treated.
Treatment options
- CO₂ laser resurfacing: removes thin layers of damaged skin and stimulates new collagen to smooth depressed scars.
- UltraClear laser: a cold fibre laser that resurfaces scars with a lower risk of pigmentation and redness, particularly in skin of colour.
- Microneedling: stimulates collagen with fine needles and is suitable for most skin tones.
- PicoWay and Vbeam lasers: can improve the pigmented or red marks that acne leaves behind.
- Chemical peels: can improve discoloration and texture.
- Dermal fillers: may be used to lift selected depressed scars.
- Steroid injections: can flatten raised scars.
Why most plans combine treatments
Most people have more than one type of scar, so a single treatment rarely addresses everything. Plans usually involve a series of sessions and often combine approaches, for example resurfacing for texture and a different laser for redness.
Treat active acne first
If you are still breaking out, new scars can form while the old ones are being treated. Bringing active acne under control is usually the first step.
What results to expect
Acne scar treatment improves the appearance of scars, often substantially, but it does not make skin look as though the scars were never there. Improvement is gradual, as new collagen takes months to form.
Read more on the acne scar treatment page, or book a consultation with Dr. Guo for an assessment of your scars.
Related reading: UltraClear vs. CO₂ Laser Resurfacing: How Do They Compare? · How microneedling improves your skin · Everything you need to know about acne · UltraClear laser in Calgary · CO₂ laser resurfacing in Calgary · Microneedling in Calgary · PicoWay laser in Calgary