Concerns

Surgical Scars

Improve the texture, colour and overall appearance of selected acne, surgical or injury-related scars with a personalised, consultation-led plan at our Notting Hill clinic.

What it is

A permanent change in skin texture or colour after injury or inflammation. Scars may be flat, indented, stretched, raised, red, pale or darker than surrounding skin.

Common causes

Acne, surgery, cuts, burns, infection, trauma, skin picking and an individual tendency to form hypertrophic or keloid scars.

Who it affects

Anyone can scar, but scar type and healing vary with injury depth, location, age, genetics and skin tone. Keloids are more common in darker skin.

How we manage it

Scar classification first, followed by selected microneedling, laser, peels or medical referral. Raised and keloid scars usually need a different pathway from indented scars.

Understanding Different Types of Scars

Atrophic scars sit below the surrounding skin and include ice-pick, boxcar and rolling acne scars. Hypertrophic scars are raised but remain within the original wound boundary. Keloids grow beyond that boundary and may continue to enlarge. Flat scars can remain red, brown, pale or otherwise different in colour without a major texture change.

Scar age, location, symptoms and cause all matter. A mature scar cannot usually be erased, but selected treatments may make it flatter, smoother, softer or less noticeable. Active acne or inflammation should be controlled before remodelling procedures. New, painful, rapidly growing, ulcerated or diagnostically uncertain lesions require medical assessment rather than cosmetic treatment.

How We Treat Scars

Your plan is based on scar type, age, location, colour, depth, symptoms, skin tone, tendency to form keloids, medical history and previous treatment. Different scar features may need different treatments, and some require referral beyond the clinic’s scope.

SkinPen Microneedling

Medical microneedling creates controlled micro-injuries to stimulate collagen remodelling and may improve selected indented scars and uneven texture over a course of treatment. It will not remove a scar and is not automatically suitable for active acne, infected skin, raised scars or people with a strong keloid tendency.

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Chemical Peels & Pigment Management

Selected superficial peels or medical skincare may help flat post-inflammatory colour changes and surface texture, but they cannot lift a deep indented scar or flatten a keloid. Treatment intensity must be matched to skin tone and sensitivity because irritation can create further pigmentation or scarring.

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Raised Scars, Keloids & Medical Referral

Hypertrophic and keloid scars may need silicone therapy, pressure treatment, prescription injections, cryotherapy, specialist laser or surgery, often in combination. Keloids can recur and may worsen after further trauma. We will refer when medical or specialist scar management is more appropriate than an aesthetic procedure.

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Why Asthetik for Scars

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Doctor-Led

A structured assessment identifies scar type, maturity, symptoms and risk factors before any treatment is recommended.

Safety & Ethics

We set realistic expectations and do not promise scar removal. Treatment is postponed, declined or referred when diagnosis is uncertain or risk outweighs likely benefit.

Personalised Care

Indented, raised and discoloured scars need different approaches. Recommendations are matched to the individual scar and skin response rather than a standard protocol.

Experience

Established clinical experience, careful treatment selection and transparent advice from consultation through aftercare.

Results

Results depend on scar type, age, severity, skin tone and treatment. Texture or colour may improve gradually over a course, but scars cannot usually be removed completely. Some scars need combination treatment or specialist procedures, and raised or keloid scars can recur.

Pricing

Scar treatment is personalised, so cost depends on the scar type, area, procedure selected and number of sessions advised.

Indicative price From £300
Your consultation includes Assessment of your concerns and skin history, discussion of suitable options, expected outcomes, risks, aftercare and a personalised plan.

Frequently asked questions

No procedure can guarantee complete removal. Treatment aims to make a scar flatter, smoother, softer, less red or less noticeable. The achievable improvement depends on scar type, age, location, depth, skin tone and individual healing.

Both are raised scars. A hypertrophic scar stays within the boundary of the original wound and may flatten with time. A keloid extends beyond the original injury and can continue to grow. Keloids have a higher recurrence risk and usually need specialist medical management.

No. It may help selected mature, indented scars, but it is not performed over active infection or inflammation and is generally inappropriate for raised or keloid scars. Deep ice-pick, tethered or surgical scars may require a different specialist procedure.

Scar remodelling is gradual and often requires a course. The number and interval depend on the scar, treatment and healing response. We review progress before recommending further sessions, and improvement may continue for months as collagen remodels.

Seek medical assessment if a scar is rapidly growing, painful, persistently itchy, ulcerated, restricting movement, changing unexpectedly or uncertain in diagnosis. Raised keloids, contractures, complex burns and scars needing steroid injections or surgery usually require specialist care.

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