Acne Scar Treatment in Los Angeles
Acne scarring happens when inflammation from a breakout damages the skin’s underlying collagen structure during healing. Not all acne scars look or behave the same way — they generally fall into a few recognized categories, and which type (or mix of types) is present is one of the main things that determines what treatment approach makes sense. Shiny Laser Skin Clinic in Koreatown, Los Angeles has treated acne scarring since 2014, starting with identifying which type of scarring is present rather than defaulting to one technique.
XEO
Xeo is a completely customizable laser and light-based system optimized to treat the widest range of today’s most common nonsurgical aesthetic concerns—veins, pigment, wrinkles, hair removal, and skin revitalization with a single, robust aesthetic device. Ultherapy is the only non-invasive procedure FDA-cleared to lift skin on the neck, under the chin and on the eyebrow. Now also FDA-cleared to improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles on the décolletage, Ultherapy can help you achieve a fresher look from your brow to your chest!eCO2
eCO2 from Lutronic is the smart choice for providing fast, full-spectrum CO2 treatments with improved pain management and unparalleled outcomes. Your busy practice will appreciate eCO2’s industry-leading reliability & ease-of-use, and your patients will rave about their spectacular results.CARBOXY
We breathe in oxygen, we breathe out carbon dioxide. We all know that one basic fact. I don’t know about you, but as a student back in high school and before, I always imagined oxygen being the “good guy” and carbon dioxide the “bad guy”! But carbon dioxide has its redeeming qualities, and the one I’m talking about today is carboxytherapy.
XEO
Xeo is a completely customizable laser and light-based system optimized to treat the widest range of today’s most common nonsurgical aesthetic concerns—veins, pigment, wrinkles, hair removal, and skin revitalization with a single, robust aesthetic device. Ultherapy is the only non-invasive procedure FDA-cleared to lift skin on the neck, under the chin and on the eyebrow. Now also FDA-cleared to improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles on the décolletage, Ultherapy can help you achieve a fresher look from your brow to your chest!
eCO2
eCO2 from Lutronic is the smart choice for providing fast, full-spectrum CO2 treatments with improved pain management and unparalleled outcomes. Your busy practice will appreciate eCO2’s industry-leading reliability & ease-of-use, and your patients will rave about their spectacular results.
CARBOXY
We breathe in oxygen, we breathe out carbon dioxide. We all know that one basic fact. I don’t know about you, but as a student back in high school and before, I always imagined oxygen being the “good guy” and carbon dioxide the “bad guy”! But carbon dioxide has its redeeming qualities, and the one I’m talking about today is carboxytherapy.
SELLAS LASER
Anyone with aging skin, pigmented skin, scars or struggling with wrinkles and sagging skin can now take advantage of the new technology based on microscopic treatment. Sellas laser treatment works within microscopic treatment zones and treats the epidermal pigment cells with precisions and without damaging the surrounding tissue.
Scar type matters
Three commonly recognized categories of atrophic (depressed) acne scarring:
- Icepick — narrow, V-shaped, and can extend fairly deep into the skin. Generally the most difficult of the three to treat.
- Boxcar — round-to-oval depressions with more defined, vertical edges and a flatter base, typically wider than icepick scars.
- Rolling — broader, shallower depressions with a wave-like surface, caused by fibrous bands tethering the skin’s surface to deeper tissue.
Many people have more than one type at once — part of why a single technique applied uniformly often underperforms compared to an approach matched to what’s actually present.
Educational, not a self-diagnosis tool — which type(s) are present, and how severe, is a clinical assessment.
Why one treatment doesn’t fit every scar
- Rolling scars respond well to subcision — releasing the fibrous bands under the skin — because it addresses the actual mechanical cause rather than resurfacing the surface alone.
- Icepick scars, being narrow and deep, generally respond better to a targeted, spot-treatment approach than to broad resurfacing.
- Boxcar scars — with more defined edges and often deeper walls — often respond to subcision, punch excision, or collagen-stimulating treatments, sometimes combined, depending on depth.
This is the core reason treatment planning starts with identifying what’s actually present, rather than applying one modality to every patient who comes in with acne scarring.
RF microneedling vs. resurfacing
Two broad categories are relevant to acne scarring, and they work differently.
| RF microneedling | Laser resurfacing (e.g., CO2) | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Fine needles create controlled micro-injuries, with radiofrequency energy delivered at a set depth to stimulate collagen remodeling beneath the surface | Resurfaces the outer skin layer(s) to a controlled depth, prompting new skin regeneration |
| Often used for | Textural irregularity, mild-to-moderate atrophic scarring, overall skin quality | Deeper or more defined scarring, more significant textural change |
| Pigment considerations | Generally a lower-risk option for pigment-prone skin, since the epidermis is largely preserved | Ablative resurfacing carries a materially higher pigmentation risk in darker skin types if not adjusted for skin tone — see hyperpigmentation for how that risk is managed |
| Downtime | Varies by depth and intensity — set individually as part of your treatment plan | Varies, generally longer for deeper settings — same |
| Why consultation matters | Depth and energy settings are adjusted to the scar type and skin tone being treated | Resurfacing depth is not one-size-fits-all either |
Why more than one approach is sometimes used
Many patients have more than one type of scarring — a few rolling scars alongside some boxcar, for example — which is part of why treatment sometimes involves more than one technique rather than a single pass with one device. What’s combined, and in what order, is decided during consultation based on which types are present and how deep they are.
Related Treatments and Pages
- hyperpigmentation and melasma treatment
- Potenza RF Microneedling — texture and mild-to-moderate scarring
- Profound RF Microneedling — deeper concern, more laxity-focused
- PicoSure Pro picosecond laser treatment
- choosing the right treatment for your skin
- our Korean-inspired approach to medical aesthetics
- the clinical standards we work to
Who this is for
If breakouts have left lasting texture — depressions, uneven surface, or visible marks — a consultation can identify which scar type(s) are present and what that means for treatment. This is educational information, not a diagnosis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which acne scar treatment is best?
There isn’t one answer — it depends on the type of scarring present. Rolling, boxcar, and icepick scars respond differently to the same technique, which is why matching treatment to scar type matters more than picking the newest device.
Will acne scar treatment also help with pigmentation left behind by acne?
Sometimes the same breakout leaves both textural scarring and pigmentation (PIH) — these are treated differently, and a consultation can address both. See hyperpigmentation and PIH.
Do you offer consultations?
Yes, we offer complimentary consultations to evaluate your skin and create a customized treatment plan.
Book a Consultation
Because scar type changes what actually works, identifying which type — or combination — is present is the first step, not an afterthought. We need to understand what we’re treating before deciding how to treat it.