McKeown Medical
167 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4SQ
Can You Get Rid of Acne Scars? Your Questions Answered
Published by Dr Rhona Cameron
Date posted — 7.05.25
If you’ve struggled with acne, you’re likely all too familiar with the scars it can leave behind. Acne scarring can be an extremely distressing condition to deal with, particularly since it serves as a constant reminder of the emotional trauma at the time of the original acne. While there are plenty of at-home treatments promising results, the truth is, many of these solutions aren’t effective in significantly improving scars. There are effective treatments available in clinics that can significantly improve the appearance of your scars, especially laser treatments, although no treatment is able to get rid of scars completely.
What are acne scars?
Acne scars occur when acne lesions inflame the skin deeply enough to damage the tissue beneath it. When your body tries to heal these damaged areas, it does so by creating scar tissue. Acne scars can look different depending on their type:
- Atrophic scars: These are scars that are indented in areas where tissue has been permanently lost. There are three main types of atrophic scars: ice pick, which look like a small slit in the skin, similar to what you might imagine an ice pick might make; rolling scars, which are depressed areas of the skin; and boxcar scars which are said to look more ‘punched out’. The thing that all of these scar types have in common is that they are the result of tissue loss.
- Hypertrophic scars: These are raised scars that are caused by too much collagen production during healing. They look more like raised bumps on the skin and are often associated with red or brown marks on the skin, which are the result of longer-term inflammation.
Understanding your acne scars can help you choose the right treatment.
Can acne scars be removed permanently?
While completely removing acne scars might not be achievable, significant improvement is possible, especially when combination treatments are employed. Acne scars are famously stubborn, and results can vary greatly from person to person depending on scar severity. However, advanced combination treatments can reduce the appearance of acne scars, enhancing your skin’s texture and boosting your confidence.
What are my treatment options?
Acne scarring treatments fall into several categories:
At-home treatments
- Topical creams and gels
- Microneedling devices
Dermatological treatments
- Chemical peels
- Steroid injections (particularly effective for hypertrophic scars)
- Botox (used occasionally to reduce the appearance of scars by relaxing surrounding skin, especially on the forehead or around the eyes)
- Filler injections – this is especially effective for atrophic scars, where loss of fat below the scar makes the lesion look deeper and more noticeable.
Surgical treatments
- Minor surgical techniques, such as punch excision. This is especially helpful for ice pick scars.
Laser treatments for acne scarring
Laser treatments are particularly effective and are generally considered the most effective treatment. At McKeown Medical, we specialise in several advanced laser treatments:
- Full Laser Resurfacing: Ideal for deeply scarred skin, this intensive treatment significantly improves texture by removing the outer layers of skin and stimulating collagen production during the healing process.
- ProFractional Laser Treatment: Targets specific areas with precision, allowing for faster healing despite going very deep within the skin.
- HALO Laser Treatment: Combines both ablative and non-ablative technology to deliver impressive improvement in scars associated with poor skin texture. This treatment has the benefit of less downtime.
- BBL® Treatment: Intense pulsed light therapy that gently addresses redness and pigmentation issues often associated with acne scars. We normally use this as an adjunct to other types of lasers when treating acne scars.
Each treatment has its own indications, and at McKeown Medical, we’ll help identify the best approach tailored to your skin and your particular pattern of scarring.
Getting the results you want at McKeown Medical
While acne scars can be tough, achieving clearer, smoother skin is entirely possible. McKeown Medical has proven results in reducing acne scarring, helping many patients regain their confidence. Our expert team will work closely with you to achieve the best possible outcomes through advanced laser treatments.
At McKeown Medical, we can help you achieve the results you desire with our range of laser treatments. Check out our gallery to see patient results.
Book a consultation to discuss the options that would be right for you.
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Introducing Julaine - a new biostimulator I am very excited about!
To explain the background, we need to start with Sculptra - which is having a bit of a moment again on socials. Sculptra is made of PLLA which stimulates your own body to create more collagen, which sounds instantly appealing especially for patients who want to avoid HA fillers.
The problem is that 1 in 5 people who have Sculptra develop nodules which is why - despite the beautiful results we often see from it - I have never used it in my practice (at least not in the face). The trade off in terms of the risk of nodules is just too high for me to feel comfortable with.
We now have a new version, called Julaine, made from a Swedish company called Nordberg. The scientists at Nordberg have refined the manufacturing process to make the PLLA particles smaller and smoother and in doing so have eliminated the problems associated with Sculptra.
I have only just recently started working with Julaine (it’s been around for a couple of years now, but I never like to be the first to use it - I always want to make sure the real world data matches up to what the pharma companies tell us). The treatment is delivered over three sessions, one month apart, with gradual tissue regeneration and volumising occurring slowly over time.
The course of 3 sessions costs £3000 and results typically last up to 2 years. It’s a great addition for other regenerative treatments like Sofwave skin tightening. It’s also great for patients who’ve had HA fillers and feel like they need something else, but aren’t quite ready for more HA yet.
What do you think?
One of Dr Kavita’s breast reduction patients sent this gorgeous bouquet of flowers after her follow up - simply because she felt so grateful for her result and the care our team provided.
Moments like this remind us why we do what we do and why ‘how’ we do it is so important. Surgery has traditionally been a very male-dominated world, but Kavita brings something different - exceptional technical skill combined with empathy, warmth and a genuine understanding of women’s bodies and aesthetics.
There can be a lot of pressure on women in surgery to abandon their femininity to fit in. Kavita hasn’t done that. She’s succeeded by being completely herself.
And that’s exactly why our patients love her (and why we do too).
We’re very proud to have her as part of the McKeown Medical team.
This patient came to the clinic thinking she needed a facelift to get what she wanted. We do facelifts - lots of them. But for this patient, her biggest issue wasn’t loose skin.
It was skin quality, which is something we see a lot of, so we suggested she fix that first. This is the result. Fully ablative resurfacing isn’t easy, but for the right patient, it can be life-changing.
The patient is delighted with her results. What do you think?
Another gorgeous result for another gorgeous patient by the very talented @bramhallplasticsurgery.
This patient is 2 months post-op and loving life with her new eyelids. As well as looking better, she can see better because the weight of the excess skin has been removed. The patient is delighted.
What do you think?
Last week marked a huge milestone for us at McKeown Medical.
Our first full lists of major surgical procedures - something we’ve been carefully building towards for several years - and I couldn’t be prouder of this team.
Led by Dr Kavita, we treated patients for breast augmentation (using both implants and fat transfer), breast reduction, uplift surgery and intimate female procedures, with every case approached thoughtfully, calmly and with meticulous care.
What meant the most to me wasn’t just the surgery itself - it was the experience our patients had.
Thanks to Dr Rob and his modern anaesthetic techniques, patients were comfortable, clear-headed and walking around within an hour of surgery - no nausea, no vomiting, just smooth recoveries.
Our wonderful nursing team cared for everyone before and after, and Lorraine kept the entire day running like clockwork behind the scenes.
Moments like this remind me why we’ve taken our time to grow these services properly. We could have rushed this process, but we’ve taken our time to get it right. I never wanted to simply add surgery to the clinic - I wanted to rethink how patients experience the surgical process.
We’re only just getting started, and I’m incredibly excited about what this means for the patients across Scotland and beyond who choose to trust us with their care.
As all of our patients know, the neck is the one part of the anatomy we always struggle to treat without surgery.
This patient underwent CoolSculpting to reduce some of the excess fatty tissue under her chin, followed by @sofwave.uk to tighten the skin. This is still early days for her, but we can see she is already well on her way to a great result.
When it comes to the neck, combination treatments are usually the answer to the best results.
What do you think?
We have an exciting new addition to the clinic - Visia skin analysis.
We’ve had a growing focus in the clinic on skin quality and skin health over the years with more and more investment in lasers and devices that improve skin quality as the foundation of what we do in aesthetic medicine.
The Visia is a great tool for helping us to analyse the skin and track progress of treatments over time. As well as doing a thorough analysis of all the components of sun damage and skin health, it also gives us an estimate of our ’true age’, which is a reflection of the condition of our skin compared with average for our age.
This is one of my own analysis images. It got my ’true age’ pretty much spot on with my chronological age, which is perhaps surprising given that I spent most of the 90s lying under a sun bed. What was interesting is that I scored really well on superficial pigment and redness, which is consistent with the fact that I love BBL and have a treatment a few times per year. I scored less well on deeper pigment and texture issues, which I guess is consistent with the fact that I’ve not had a Halo laser for nearly 4 years now. So I guess I will be booking another Halo for myself very soon!!!
We`re offering the Visia skin analysis free as part of our laser consultation process. If you`re interested in laser treatment, come in for a consultation with Dr Sharon and you’ll have your analysis done as part of planning your treatment strategy.
You’ll also be scanned again after your course of treatment so we can track your progress.
What do you think of this new addition to the practice?
I am very humbled to share these incredible reviews from our patients.
We are very fortunate to have a team who LOVE their work and will always go the extra mile to ensure our incredible patients are properly taken care of at every step of their journey with us.
We couldn’t do what we do without our incredible (and growing!) team and I am so proud of every one of them.
We have some very exciting developments on the horizon, so keep watching this space!
Join us on Instagram to keep up with the latest results and expert insights from the clinic team.
Our dedicated team of experts are on hand to help you as you navigate your journey with us.
When you first make contact with us you will be assigned your own personal Patient Relationship Manager. They’ll start by understanding your needs and liaising with our doctors to book you an appointment with the most suitable specialist. For any additional questions or needs, you can message or call them anytime and they’ll be delighted to assist you. Our entire team is dedicated to providing you with the best possible treatment and care tailored to your needs.
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