Scar Treatment

What to expect

1. Consultation & scar assessment: Sophie Gatward, NP, examines your scars, reviews your health history and medications, and talks honestly about how much improvement is realistic. Active acne is usually brought under control before scar treatment begins.
2. Treatment day: After the skin is cleansed and numbed, a needle is carefully moved beneath each scar to release the bands pulling it down. The appointment usually takes 30–60 minutes.
3. Right after: Swelling, tenderness and bruising are normal, so the area may look worse before it looks better.
4. Following weeks: Bruising and swelling usually settle within about a week. As new collagen forms, scars can continue to soften gradually over 1–3 months.
5. Series & combined care: Most people need a series of sessions for meaningful softening. Scar treatment is often combined with PRP or biostimulators, and Sophie will explain what fits your scars.

Aftercare tips

• Follow the personalized instructions you receive at your appointment — they take priority over these general tips.
• Keep the treated area clean, and avoid touching, picking or squeezing it while it heals.
• A cool compress wrapped in a clean cloth, used gently for short periods, can help with swelling in the first day or two.
• Skip strenuous exercise, saunas and hot tubs for the first day or two.
• Protect the area from the sun while it heals, and wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen every day to help prevent dark marks.
• Ask the clinic before restarting retinoids, exfoliating acids or other active skincare on the treated area.

Possible side effects

• Bruising and swelling, which are expected and usually settle within about a week.
• Tenderness or soreness in the treated area for several days.
• Small lumps or firm areas under the skin as it heals, which usually soften over the following weeks — let the clinic know if a lump doesn't go away.
• Temporary darker marks in the treated area, which are more likely with deeper skin tones and sun exposure and usually fade over time.
• Rare but serious: infection. Increasing pain, redness, warmth, swelling or discharge after the first few days, or a fever, needs prompt medical attention.