Scarring

Scarring is a change in the structure of the skin rather than its colour — tissue that healed differently from what surrounded it. That is why it persists when a flat mark eventually fades, and why treating it means prompting the skin to rebuild rather than lifting something off the surface.

Marks are not scars

The first thing worth establishing is which one you have. Flat brown or red marks left by past breakouts are pigmentation, and they fade — with help, faster. Run your fingers over the area with your eyes closed: if you feel nothing, it is a mark.

A true scar has depth. It catches light differently and casts a small shadow, which is why scarring always looks worse under overhead lighting than in a bathroom mirror.

How it is addressed

Microneedling is the primary approach. Controlled micro-injury through the scar prompts new collagen to form in the indentation, lifting the floor of the scar closer to the surrounding surface over a course.

RF microneedling adds energy at depth and is considered where scarring is more established. Resurfacing peels work on the surrounding texture so the transition between scarred and unscarred skin softens.

Courses run long — six sessions spaced four to six weeks apart is typical, and the collagen continues organising for months after the last appointment. The final assessment happens six months in, not at the end of the course.