Acne Scars: Can One Laser Session Fix Them?

💡 Before You Read — Check This First

Q. Can't acne scars just be filled in

with a few laser sessions?

A. The right treatment depends entirely

on the shape and type of the depressed scar.

Laser alone cannot physically lift

a scar floor that's being pulled down by fibrous tissue.

Q. So what kind of treatment do I actually need?

A. We first classify the scar type,

then combine Juvelook, CureJet, and subcision accordingly —

that's what creates real, visible volume restoration.

📌 Key Takeaways from This Post

Depending on the shape of the depressed scar,

the approach changes — Juvelook alone to fill,

CureJet + Juvelook combined, or subcision first.

A multi-modal treatment plan is what delivers

truly meaningful tissue regeneration.

Not All Depressed Scars

Are Created Equal

This is one of the most common misconceptions we see —

when people hear "acne scar treatment,"

they immediately picture a single laser device.

Whether it's Fraxel, CO2 Laser, or something else,

the assumption is: stimulate the skin with a machine,

trigger recovery, and you're done.

But here's the critical point most people miss:

depressed scars come in very different shapes.

There are three main types.

Icepick Scars

Deep, narrow puncture-like depressions —

as if the skin were pierced by a needle.

Boxcar Scars

Flat-bottomed depressions with

sharply defined, near-vertical walls.

Rolling Scars

Wave-like undulations caused by

fibrous bands beneath the skin pulling the surface downward.

To be honest,

most patients present with all three types

on the same face at the same time.

And each type requires a different treatment strategy.

For narrow, deep icepick scars,

no matter how many laser passes you apply from above,

the energy simply doesn't reach deep enough to make a difference.

Boxcar scars do respond to laser to some degree,

but without volumetric support at the base,

true tissue fill has a hard ceiling.

Rolling scars are a completely different structural problem.

Fibrous bands beneath the skin

are actively tethering the scar floor downward.

Until those tethers are released,

no amount of laser energy applied from the surface

will allow the scar to lift.

What makes this frustrating is that

many patients who feel their laser treatments "didn't work"

aren't wrong — but it's not that the laser was ineffective.

It's that they were receiving the wrong treatment

for their specific scar type.

👨‍⚕️ Dr. Wi Young-jin's Key Summary:

Each type of depressed acne scar

involves a different underlying structural injury.

Rolling scars, where fibrous tissue is pulling

from beneath the skin, require subcision first

to release those tethering bands.

Volume-deficient scars then need Juvelook

to stimulate true Collagen regeneration from within.

Laser treatment alone cannot address

these structural issues.

How the Treatment Combination

Changes Based on Scar Type

Every case is different, of course,

but here's the general framework I follow.

① When Rolling Scars Are Present

→ Start with Subcision

Subcision involves inserting a needle beneath the skin

to physically sever the fibrous bands

that are tethering the scar floor downward.

Without this step, nothing that follows

will create the space needed for the scar to lift.

② Volume-Deficient Depressed Scars

→ Juvelook (PLLA) Injection

Juvelook is not simply a volumizing Filler.

Its active ingredient, PLLA (poly-L-lactic acid),

gradually biodegrades within the body,

stimulating natural Collagen synthesis along the way.

This means the most noticeable results

appear 2–3 months after the procedure, not immediately.

That's exactly why patients describe it as

"feeling like new tissue is growing in."

③ Narrow, Deep Scars Requiring Deeper Penetration

→ CureJet as an Adjunct

CureJet delivers active ingredients deep into the skin

using high-pressure jet injection technology —

no needles required.

Because it drives effective compounds into even the deepest scar tissue,

combining it with Juvelook enhances both absorption

and Collagen regeneration efficiency.

That said, this approach isn't without trade-offs.

A combined treatment naturally involves

more Downtime and higher cost than a single procedure.

Subcision in particular often causes Bruising

that can last around a week,

so patients with upcoming events

should plan their timing carefully.

That said, I've seen many patients

who underwent 10 laser sessions elsewhere with minimal results

achieve dramatic improvement

in just 2–3 sessions with this combined approach.

The key is always the same:

understand why the scar formed and what structure was damaged,

then build the treatment sequence from there.

Who Actually Needs

a Combined Treatment Approach?

Not everyone requires

subcision + Juvelook + CureJet all at once.

If scars are shallow and broadly distributed,

laser treatment alone may still deliver

satisfying improvement.

Combined treatment deserves serious consideration

in the following situations:

— You've undergone multiple laser sessions with little to no visible change

— You have inelastic scars that depress again immediately after being pressed

— You have rolling-type scars that cast shadows depending on the angle of light

— When you manually stretch the scarred area, the skin temporarily lifts

That last point is especially telling.

If the skin lifts when you pull it,

it means fibrous tethering bands beneath the surface are at work.

In that case, laser treatment alone will not resolve it —

subcision is essential.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Can older, long-standing scars

still be improved with treatment?

A. Yes, absolutely.

Older Scars do have more hardened fibrous tissue,

which can slow the treatment response somewhat.

But by releasing that fixed tissue with subcision

and then stimulating Collagen production with Juvelook,

even long-standing Scars can show meaningful improvement.

More sessions may be required.

We've personally seen cases where Scars over 10 years old

responded well to treatment.

Q2. If Juvelook is injected into Scar tissue,

will it feel like a foreign body — like a Filler?

A. Juvelook is fundamentally different

from HA Filler (hyaluronic acid).

Because PLLA naturally biodegrades in the body

and works by inducing Collagen production,

it does not leave a long-term foreign body sensation.

Over time, it integrates naturally —

feeling like your own tissue —

and that process is precisely how it improves Scar appearance.

Temporary Swelling or Bruising immediately after injection

is possible, however.

Q3. My Acne is still active —

is it okay to start Scar treatment now?

A. Honestly, starting Scar treatment

while Acne is still active means

new Scars keep forming,

which significantly reduces treatment efficiency.

Ideally, you'd stabilize the active Acne first

before focusing on Scar correction —

though in some cases, addressing both simultaneously is appropriate.

During your consultation, we'll assess your current condition

and determine the right sequence for you.

If you have any questions,

feel free to reach out via KakaoTalk or phone anytime.

This has been Dr. Wi Young-jin at BeautysDoctors.

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