Depressed Scar Treatment Borciani London
Depressed scars – referred to as Atrophic scars are indented rather than raised, they are often a result of an accident, childhood diseases (such as chickenpox) and very common after a prolonged acne breakout
The key to treating these scars is to stimulate collagen production to ‘plump’ the tissue back up, this can be in a number of ways including CO2 Laser, injectable collagen, biostimulators and mechanical stimulation like microneedling. Scar Excision is also an excellent way to ‘release’ tissue that is anchored.
Laser Treatments
CO2 lasers and Er:YAG lasers can be used to smooth out the texture of atrophic scars, they work by not only plumping the depressed area but can also ablate the surrounding tissue, softening the look of the scar.
Chemical Peels
Medium depth chemical peels are an excellent way to improve the texture of post acne scarring for those who prefer chemical peels or are not a good candidate for laser treatments.
Scar Excision
This procedure is often used for deep Ice Pick or Boxcar scars which are often anchored deep in the skin. A cannula is used to 'release' this tissue raising its surface.
Biorevitalisers
These are often injectable products that either work to directly 'fill' the area or stimulate collagen to promote growth of the tissue here. These can be products like Profhilo, Dermal Fillers, Polynucleotides and Linerase
Let us know what works for you
It’s really important that you feel as comfortable as possible when you visit the clinic, our first session is usually a consultation and these are very informal – during this time we will assess your scars and talk through the treatment options and likely outcomes and perform any necessary patch tests.
You are welcome to bring a friend or family member to your appointment and they can be present during the consultation, but we often find that people are more open and able to talk freely when it is just the patient and practitioner in the room.
We do understand that you may be nervous and possible triggered so please do let us know if you have any anxiety and how we can best manage this for you. Please try not to worry too much ahead of time, we really have seen every type of scar and our only goal is to improve your scars without judgement.
THESE RESULTS SHOW HOW DIFFERENT PEOPLE RESPOND TO TREATMENT, SOME ARE ONLY PART WAY THROUGH THEIR SESSIONS
Depressed scars before and after treatment
Am I a good candidate?
The ideal candidate is anyone over 18 who would like to reduce their scars, it is important to have a realistic expectation of the outcome and to be patient with the results. Regenerating skin is a complex process.
For safety reasons, you may not be able to get this treatment if you have/are:
- If you are under 18
- If you are pregnant or breastfeeding
- If you are in an active harm cycle
- Treating over tattoos or permanent makeup – but please check with us
- Excessively tanned – recent sun exposure
We will have an informal consultation with you to assess your scars and explain the treatments in detail, we can then recommend a treatment plan that fits with your lifestyle.
Can I remove scars?
In some cases yes absolutely, this will depend on the scar and a number of factors. Larger, older scars can be reduced are not often possible to remove completely. Acne scars can be softened out very wel using Co2 laser and needling. Large Self Harm scars can be reduced and some will dissapear. Red scars can be reduced with a vascular laser and pigmented, dark scars can respond well to laser, melanin inhibitors and peels.
What will it look like afterwards?
Following ablative treatments such as CO2, the skin will be quite red for around 7-10 days and form a sandpaper layer that will shed after a week. The needling and Nano Fractional options will have far less downtime and the Quadrostar Pro has almost zero.
How can I prepare for the treatment?
We ask that you stay out of the sun for 4 weeks prior and do not use any self tanning products for 2 weeks to avoid any pigmentation issues. Please also avoid any active products such as retinols/acids on the area.
I'm quite nervous about showing my scars
This is absolutely normal and to be expected. For a lot of our patients, it’s the first time that someone has really seen their scars and examined them and this can make you feel self conscious.
We really do appreciate that this can be difficult and please just let us know if at any time you are feeling nervous or anxious or anything that will make you feel more at ease.
The constulations and treatments will be very informal and a time for you to ask any questions that you have.
What improvements will I see?
This is quite difficult to predict as scars can respond differently in different people. With CO2 sessions, you can see a softening from the first session although we tend to see the real changes at the 3rd session as skin takes a few months to rebuild.
Reducing the redness in new scars can happen quite quickly, often with a very noticeable change after the first or second session
The average scar reduction is between 35%-80% and of course this will depend on the severity and type of scar.
How many sessions will I need?
This is a very difficult thing to predict as there are a number of factors such as the age and severity of the scar, skin tone, age of the patient etc. We generally need between 5-10 session for softening and reducing the scars and 2-3 for camouflage.
How often can I have treatments?
CO2 treatments are a minimum of 4 weeks apart but can be as long as needed, this will make no difference to how effective the treatment is. Quadrostar Pro and needling can be 3 weeks apart.
Are treatments safe for everyone?
The treatments are generally very well tolerated. We will patch test the CO2 to check for any pigmentation issues as this is a risk for Fitzpatrick IV and higher, we will likely use alternative methods and prep with a melanin inhibitor to reduce any post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
There are a few general contraindications, pregnancy & breastfeeding, use of Accutane in the last 12 months and some auto-immune conditions. We will cover these off in your consultation or do contact us at
What is the cost?
The price will depend on the number of scars and size of area we are covering, prices generally start at £350 per session.
