Priorities
Acne scarring and texture
Pitted or raised scars and uneven texture left behind after breakouts.
Treatments from $347
The short version
Acne scarring is the uneven texture that can remain long after breakouts have cleared: shallow, wavy depressions across the cheeks, small pits along the temples, and a surface that foundation settles into rather than smooths over. Creams and serums rarely make a meaningful difference.
That’s because scars are structural. Improving them means rebuilding collagen beneath the surface, and we offer two treatments for that here in Arlington Heights.
Why it happens
Why acne leaves a mark behind
When a breakout runs deep, the inflammation damages the collagen around it. As your skin heals, it doesn't always rebuild that collagen evenly, and the surface settles into a dip. The deeper and more inflamed the breakout, the more likely it is to leave a scar.
Inflammation reaches the collagen
Deep, painful breakouts like cysts and nodules carry the most inflammation, which is why they're the ones most likely to scar.
Too little collagen, and the skin dips
If your skin makes too little new collagen as it heals, it leaves a depression. Too much, and you get a raised scar instead, which is more common on darker skin.
Picking and genes play a part
Squeezing or picking a breakout adds to the inflammation. Some people are simply more prone to scarring, and it tends to run in families.
Your options
How we'd approach it
-
Step 1We'd start with
Microneedling with PRP
From $499
About Microneedling with PRPFor shallow, rolling scars, especially on medium to dark skin, we usually start with microneedling with PRP. Our medical esthetician needles the skin and works your own platelets into the channels. Plan on three or four sessions about a month apart, or up to six for deep scarring, with a day or two of redness after each.
-
Step 2If you need a little more
Morpheus8
From $799
About Morpheus8If your scars are deeper and boxcar-shaped, and the skin around them has loosened, Morpheus8 adds radiofrequency heat through the needles and does more per session. The series is three sessions, and we'll assess your result three months after the last session.
Side by side
Your options side by side
Here's how the treatments we use for acne scarring compare. Most people start with microneedling with PRP, and some add Morpheus8 later for deeper scars.
We'd start with
Microneedling with PRP
From $499
- Best for
- Shallow, rolling scars, on every skin tone
- Appointment
- 60 to 75 minutes, blood draw and numbing included
- Downtime
- Red for 24 to 48 hours, light flaking to day 5
- First results
- Brighter within a week
- Sessions
- 3 to 4, about 4 weeks apart
If you need a little more
Morpheus8
From $799
- Best for
- Deeper boxcar scars and skin that has loosened
- Appointment
- 60 to 90 minutes, numbing included
- Downtime
- 2 to 5 days of redness and pinpoint scabs
- First results
- Some tightening in the first few weeks
- Sessions
- 1 to 3, spaced 4 to 8 weeks apart
Microneedling
From $347
- Best for
- Mild, shallow scarring on a smaller budget
- Appointment
- 45 to 60 minutes, numbing included
- Downtime
- Pink for 24 to 48 hours, light flaking by day 3 to 5
- First results
- Hydration and glow within days
- Sessions
- 1 for glow, 3 to 6 for lines and scars
Prices are starting prices from our menu. Your provider will confirm the plan and total cost at your consult. Individual results vary.
What to expect
Your first few months with microneedling with PRP
Scars take a little patience. Your skin looks brighter within a week, and the change in scarring builds over the series, then keeps improving for about three months after your last session.
Days 0 to 2
Red, then pink
Red and warm with the PRP left on overnight, then pink, dry, and slightly swollen. Most people return to normal activities.
Week 1
Brighter surface
A brighter, smoother surface as the skin renews.
Weeks 4 to 12
Scars soften
Sessions two through four. Pores and texture improve, and scars begin to soften.
Month 3+
Review and maintain
We review your result three months after the last session. Maintenance every 6 to 12 months from here.
Timeline for microneedling with PRP, from our treatment page. Individual results vary.
Our reasoning
How we decide
First, we’ll stretch the skin. Rolling scars, the soft wavy kind, flatten out when the skin is pulled, and those respond best. Boxcar scars have sharp edges and also respond well. Ice-pick scars, the narrow deep pits, barely change when stretched and respond least to anything short of surgical techniques. Most people have a mix of scar types.
Microneedling with PRP is where most people start, because the evidence is solid and the risk is low. A meta-analysis of 14 controlled studies found that adding PRP to microneedling roughly tripled the odds of a better than 50 percent improvement on the Goodman scale, with no added redness or swelling, per Frontiers in Medicine. Because there’s no heat involved, it’s safe across skin tones.
If budget matters, microneedling on its own costs less and still helps shallow scarring, though adding PRP tends to do more.
Morpheus8 is the next step up. A randomized split-face trial found that radiofrequency microneedling gave comparable acne-scar improvement to fractional CO2 laser after three sessions, with shorter-lasting redness and fewer pigment problems, per the trial. It costs more and has more downtime, so we reserve it for deeper scarring. Between sessions, a VI Peel can help with any leftover brown marks. Individual results vary.
Your questions, answered
How many microneedling sessions for acne scars?
Usually three to six, four weeks apart. The trials used that pattern, and patient reports say scar changes don't show until at least the third session. We'd suggest planning the series over fall and winter, when sun exposure is lower, and we'll assess the result three months after the last one.
Microneedling with PRP or Morpheus8 first?
We usually suggest microneedling with PRP first, unless your scars are deep and the skin has loosened, or you've already done a needling series and plateaued. Morpheus8 does more, but it also costs more and has more downtime. Our Morpheus8 vs microneedling guide compares the two in more detail.
Can I go to work the next day?
After microneedling with PRP, you'll be red for 24 to 48 hours, so most people return to work two days after treatment. Your provider will tell you when to wash the PRP off. After Morpheus8, most people allow two or three days before an important meeting or event. Either way, plan on sunscreen. Skip makeup for 24 hours after microneedling with PRP, and until the surface has closed after Morpheus8.
Can acne scars go away on their own?
The red or brown marks a breakout leaves behind often fade on their own over several months. Pitted scars usually don't, because the collagen underneath is missing. Those need a treatment that helps rebuild it, like microneedling.
Should my acne be under control first?
Yes. We like to get active breakouts settled before you start a scar series, because new breakouts can leave new marks and we don't needle over active acne. Our acne and breakouts page covers the options.
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