Priorities
Acne scarring and texture
Pitted or raised scars and uneven texture left after acne, treated according to your scar type and skin tone.
Acne scars can remain for years after breakouts have cleared, leaving pitted or uneven texture that foundation tends to settle into. Serums rarely make a noticeable difference, because they work on the surface and scars sit underneath it.
Rebuilding collagen under a scar takes microneedling, with or without radiofrequency. The right choice depends on your scar type, your skin tone, and how much downtime you can plan for per session.
What we'd want you to know
Ice-pick scars respond less than rolling scars
For shallow, rolling scars on any skin tone, we’d suggest microneedling with PRP: three to six sessions, four weeks apart, with our medical esthetician. We draw a small amount of blood, spin it to concentrate the platelets, treat the skin with the microneedling pen, and apply your platelets into the channels. Expect pinkness for 24 to 48 hours.
For deeper, sharp-edged scars, or scars along with loosened skin, Morpheus8 is the next step. It delivers radiofrequency through the needles up to 4 mm deep over three sessions, with 2 to 5 days of redness after each, and we’ll review your results three months after the final session.
Matching treatment to your scar type
First, we’ll pull the skin taut to see how your scars change. Rolling scars, the wavy kind, disappear under tension and respond best. Boxcar scars keep their sharp edges and still respond well. Ice-pick scars, narrow and deep, don’t move under tension and respond very little to any needling. Most people have a mix of all three, so we’ll build your plan around the type that’s most prominent.
Microneedling with PRP is where most people start. A 2024 network meta-analysis of 24 randomized trials and 1,546 patients found every microneedling combination outperformed plain microneedling for acne scars, with microneedling plus a chemical peel ranked first and no extra side effects, per Archives of Dermatological Research. No heat means no pigment risk, which is especially important for skin types IV to VI. A VI Peel between sessions takes care of the brown marks and adds to your scar result.
Morpheus8 is the step up. It’s FDA-cleared for contraction of soft tissue and brings more change per session, along with more cost, more downtime, and the radiofrequency-specific risks the FDA flagged in its October 2025 safety communication. We use a conservative depth over thin skin and reserve it for scars that need it. Individual results vary.
Your questions, answered
What will my skin look like the day after?
After microneedling with PRP, expect pink, mildly swollen skin on day 1, an even pink that tinted sunscreen covers on day 2, and light flaking on days 3 to 5, though your skin looks normal to anyone else. After Morpheus8, allow two or three days for redness to settle before an important event. Skip makeup for 24 hours after microneedling and until the surface has closed after Morpheus8, and avoid heavy sweating for 48 hours after either.
Is the radiofrequency worth the extra cost for scars?
For shallow rolling scars on skin that hasn’t loosened, it isn’t. It is worth it for deep boxcar scars, for scars with laxity, or after a PRP series that has plateaued. Our RF microneedling vs microneedling guide breaks down the numbers by scar type.
Which months should the series run?
October through April works well. Each session needs two weeks of strict sun avoidance afterward, which is easier to manage in fall and winter, when sun exposure is lower. If you start in October and finish by March, your three-month result will be visible by early summer.
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