Acne scars, surgical scars, the uneven texture left after skin has healed imperfectly. They're not surface marks — they're structural. The collagen framework beneath the surface was damaged, and that's where the repair has to happen.
A scar forms when inflammation or injury destroys collagen in the dermis — the layer beneath the surface. With acne, a deep spot inflames the follicle wall, which ruptures and damages the surrounding collagen. The skin heals, but the structure is left uneven: some scars are depressed (atrophic — the collagen framework collapsed inward), some are raised (hypertrophic), and some are pigmented where the mark simply didn't fade.
The key point: the scar sits below the surface. What you see is the shadow or texture of a structural problem underneath. That's why treating the surface alone — exfoliating, peeling, creams — gives limited results. The top layer alone can't fix what's underneath.
Scars are structural — the collagen framework beneath the surface is damaged or destroyed. Creams can improve the surface layer, hydrate, and fade pigmentation. Some can stimulate mild surface-level cell turnover. But no cream can rebuild the collagen framework that's been lost. Exfoliating the surface of a scar doesn't change the scar — the indentation is still there because the structure beneath it is still missing.
That's the gap: surface treatments treat the surface, but scars sit in the structure. To genuinely improve a scar you need something that reaches the dermis where the damage actually is.
How we treat it
Radiofrequency energy delivered through fine needles into the dermis triggers new collagen to remodel and fill scars from beneath.
Scarring is a structural problem — the collagen framework beneath the surface is damaged — so the treatment has to reach the structure. RF microneedling does exactly that: fine needles physically penetrate to the depth of the dermis where the scar sits, and radiofrequency energy is released at that exact depth, heating the tissue and triggering collagen remodelling. The energy goes where the damage is, not where it isn't.
That's why it works where creams don't: the needle reaches the dermis, the energy triggers repair at the site of the scar, and new collagen forms to fill the indentation from within. It's a rebuild, not a resurface. Surface treatments like microdermabrasion or light peels can improve the top layer, but they can't reach the dermis. RF microneedling does because it's designed to — the needles go in, the energy releases at depth, and the skin rebuilds from the inside out.
For deep atrophic scarring, a course of 3 to 6 sessions is typically needed, and the improvement is gradual and cumulative. Anne will tell you honestly at consultation what's achievable for your specific scars — some respond very well, some (particularly deep boxcar or ice pick scars) may need a combined approach with subcision or TCA cross, which she'll discuss with you.
A free consultation first — Anne will look at your scars, assess what type they are and how deep, and give you an honest plan. The treatment itself takes 30 to 45 minutes: a numbing cream is applied for 20 to 30 minutes, then the RF microneedling device passes over the area. You'll feel warmth and pressure but not sharp pain — the numbing keeps it comfortable. Afterwards you'll be pink and slightly swollen for a few hours to a day.
Results build over 2 to 3 months as new collagen remodels the scarred area — a course of 3 to 6 sessions is typical for scarring, spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart. The improvement is gradual: each session adds another layer of collagen remodelling, and the scars soften and fill progressively. Maintenance is a top-up session every 6 to 12 months.
RF microneedling genuinely improves scarring — scars soften, texture smooths, and the overall appearance improves significantly with a full course. But it's an improvement, not a complete erasure. Very deep ice pick or boxcar scars may need a combined approach (subcision, TCA cross) for the best result, and Anne will tell you that plainly at consultation. The aim is real, visible improvement — scars that are less noticeable, skin that's smoother and more even — not perfection. Anyone who promises to erase your scars completely is overpromising.
RF microneedling breaks down the scar tissue and stimulates new collagen to fill in the depressions. A course of sessions is usually needed for visible improvement.
Acne scars form when deep inflammation destroys collagen in the dermis. The skin heals but the structure is left uneven — either depressed (atrophic) or raised (hypertrophic). The scar sits below the surface, which is why surface treatment alone can't fix it.
No. Scars are structural — the collagen framework beneath the surface is damaged. Creams can improve the surface and hydrate, but they cannot rebuild the collagen framework. RF microneedling reaches the dermis where the scar actually sits.
Acne scarring typically needs a course of 3 to 6 sessions, spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart. Improvement is gradual and cumulative as new collagen remodels the scarred area over months.
Book a free consultation. Anne will assess your scarring and give you an honest plan — what's achievable, how many sessions, and what result to expect.
Book a free consultation