The first useful thing to know about acne scars is that many of the marks people want treated are not scars at all. Telling the difference changes both the treatment and how long it takes — and it is the reason two people with seemingly identical skin get very different answers.
Flat brown or red marks left after a spot are pigmentation, not scarring, and usually fade over months. True scars are textural — indentations in the skin — and need treatments that stimulate collagen, such as CO2 laser, Morpheus-8 or microneedling with PRP. At ASN Aesthetics, laser sessions start from PKR 5,000, with the right device chosen at assessment.
Marks are not scars
A flat brown or red mark left after a spot has healed is pigmentation. The skin surface is intact; only the colour has changed. These fade on their own over months, and can be sped up with pigment-targeting treatment.
A true scar is a change in texture — a dent, a pit, or raised tissue. Running a finger over the skin tells you more than looking at it in the mirror. If you can feel the difference, it is textural.
This distinction decides everything. Treating pigmentation with resurfacing is overkill; treating textural scars with brightening does nothing.
The main scar types
Ice-pick scars are narrow and deep, like a puncture. They are the most stubborn, because the damage extends well below the surface.
Boxcar scars are wider with defined edges, a little like a small crater. Rolling scars give the skin an undulating, wavy look caused by tethering underneath.
Most people have a mixture, which is why a single treatment rarely addresses everything and why combination plans are common.
What each treatment does
Fractional CO2 laser resurfaces by creating controlled microscopic injury, prompting the skin to rebuild. It is effective on boxcar and rolling scars and involves genuine downtime.
Morpheus-8 combines microneedling with radiofrequency, working deeper into the skin, and is often chosen for rolling scars and tethering.
Microneedling with PRP stimulates collagen more gently, with less downtime but usually more sessions. ASN Aesthetics runs all of these — CO2, Morpheus-8 and PRP-based skin therapy — so the choice is made on your scar type rather than on what happens to be available.
Treat the acne first
Resurfacing skin that is still actively breaking out is a poor investment. New lesions create new scars, and active inflammation makes treatment riskier.
Getting the acne under control first, even if that means a delay, gives a far better long-term result. A clinic willing to tell you to wait is giving you good advice, not losing a sale.
This is also the point at which a dermatologist's input matters, which is why acne cases at the clinic are seen by the dermatology side rather than treated straight from a menu.
What to expect realistically
Significant improvement is achievable. Complete erasure usually is not, especially with ice-pick scarring.
Scar treatment is a course, typically several sessions spaced over months, with collagen remodelling continuing well after the last one — final results are often judged six months on.
Sessions start from PKR 5,000, with the total depending on the device, the area and how many sessions your scarring needs.
Related at ASN Aesthetics: laser treatments · skin therapy. Book a consultation or message us on WhatsApp.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Suitability and results vary from person to person — book a consultation so your own skin and history can be assessed.