Home · Acne Scar Treatment in Bali
Acne scar treatment, matched to scar type.
Not all acne scars are the same scar. Treating rolling scars like icepick scars — or texture like pigmentation — is the most common reason results disappoint.
Four different problems, one name
"Acne scarring" is used as though it were a single thing. In practice it usually describes several distinct patterns of tissue damage occurring in the same area, each of which responds to something different. Treating all of them the same way — one device, one setting — is the most common reason results are disappointing.
There is also a separate condition frequently mistaken for scarring: post-inflammatory pigmentation and redness left behind after a breakout has healed, which is not scar tissue at all and behaves very differently.
| Pattern | What it looks like | What tends to help |
|---|---|---|
| Icepick | Narrow, deep, pinpoint depressions | Often needs focal treatment or subcision before resurfacing — energy alone rarely reaches the base |
| Boxcar | Defined edges, shallow-to-moderate depth | Responds well to energy-based resurfacing that rebuilds collagen across the depression |
| Rolling | Broad, soft edges, tethered beneath the skin | Usually needs the tethering released first, then collagen stimulation — resurfacing alone under-treats it |
| Hypertrophic / keloid | Raised, thickened tissue | A different approach entirely; energy-based lifting devices are not the first-line treatment |
| Post-inflammatory marks | Flat brown or red marks, no texture change | Not scarring — usually fades with targeted pigment treatment and time, and is frequently over-treated as if it were scar tissue |
Most people who come in with "acne scars" have two or three of these patterns overlapping, plus some post-inflammatory pigmentation on top. A plan built for one pattern, applied to all of them, explains a lot of the disappointment we hear about from previous treatment elsewhere.
How the assessment works
dr. Jesslyn examines the area under raking (angled) light, which makes textural depressions visible in a way flat overhead lighting does not, and separates true scarring from pigmentation before proposing anything. Where subcision or a staged approach is appropriate, that is explained before any energy-based treatment is booked — not after.
At Elea, the technologies most often used for the resurfacing component are XERF for collagen remodelling across boxcar and rolling patterns, and Rejuran or Nucleofill to support dermal quality between sessions. Where pigmentation is the dominant issue rather than texture, Hollywood Laser is usually the more appropriate starting point.
Before scar treatment can start
Active, inflamed acne is treated and controlled first — resurfacing over active breakouts risks creating new marks while treating old ones. If you have used oral isotretinoin recently, tell us the date you finished it; many clinicians prefer to wait a period after isotretinoin before energy-based resurfacing, and dr. Jesslyn will confirm what applies to you.
Not sure which pattern you have?
A photograph in natural, side-angled light is often enough for a first read. Send one and we will tell you honestly what we see.
Ask dr. Jesslyn Replies Monday–Saturday 9.30am–7pm WITA, usually within 30 minutes.Nucleofill for acne texture
Nucleofill is one of several modalities used to improve acne-related skin texture at Elea Clinic. Individual results vary.
Questions we are asked
Can acne scars be fully removed?
Depressed scarring can usually be significantly softened, not erased. The realistic goal is a marked improvement in texture and light reflection, discussed honestly before treatment starts — not a promise of a completely blank canvas.
How many sessions does acne scar treatment need?
It depends on which patterns are present and how deep they are. Rolling and boxcar scarring treated with energy-based resurfacing typically needs a course of sessions spaced weeks apart, not one visit. dr. Jesslyn will give you a specific plan after assessment, not a generic number.
Is acne scar treatment painful?
Numbing cream is applied before energy-based procedures. Most patients describe a heat sensation rather than sharp pain. Subcision, where needed, is done under local anaesthetic.
Can this treat active acne as well as the scarring it left behind?
Active acne is addressed as its own problem first, sometimes with a different plan entirely, because inflamed skin does not respond safely to aggressive resurfacing. Scar treatment follows once breakouts are controlled.
What's the difference between acne scars and pigmentation left by acne?
Scarring is a change in the skin's texture — a genuine depression or raised area. Post-inflammatory pigmentation is flat discolouration with no texture change, and it usually fades on its own faster than true scarring responds to treatment. Many people are treating the wrong one.
Medically reviewed by dr. Jesslyn Amelia, Sp.D.V.E — Dokter Spesialis Dermatologi, Venereologi dan Estetika. Registered with the Indonesian Ministry of Health, STR JT00000382760637. Verify registration. Last reviewed 24 August 2026. Individual results vary; this page is general information and not a substitute for consultation.