The breakouts are mostly behind you — but the scars and dark marks aren't. Atrophic scars where the skin healed lower than the surrounding tissue. Brown spots that mark where every old pimple used to be. A texture that makeup settles into rather than smooths. A protocol that addresses all of it together.
Acne scarring shows up in two distinct ways that often coexist. The first is textural — atrophic scars where the skin healed lower than the surrounding tissue. Boxcar scars are broad, shallow depressions with defined edges. Rolling scars are wave-like undulations across the cheeks. Ice-pick scars are narrow, deep pits that look like the skin was poked with a pin. Most clients have some combination of all three.
The second is pigmentary — flat brown marks where pimples used to be. This is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), and it's usually more visible in medium and deeper skin tones. Together, the texture and the dark marks create the visual sense that the skin still "remembers" the breakouts, even years after they cleared.
When a deep, inflammatory pimple resolves, the body's repair process doesn't always restore the skin to its original state. If the inflammation damaged enough collagen in the dermis, the skin heals lower than the surrounding tissue — an atrophic scar. The deeper and longer the inflammation, the more visible the resulting depression. Different scar shapes — boxcar, rolling, ice-pick — reflect different patterns of underlying damage.
Separately, the inflammation triggers melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) to deposit melanin in the area. When the breakout heals, that deposited pigment doesn't always clear with it — leaving a flat brown mark on the surface. This PIH is more pronounced and longer-lasting in melanin-rich skin, where the melanocytes are more reactive to inflammation in general.
The protocol below addresses both — the structural damage with collagen-building microneedling, the pigmentary record with the VI Peel Purify system.
Order matters here — we don't start microneedling on active acne. The order is: calm the activity, fade the marks, then rebuild the texture.
The Purify peel is formulated for active and acne-prone skin — targeting bacteria, oil production, and clogged pores while simultaneously fading the dark marks left by past breakouts. If your acne is already calm and you're mostly addressing the dark marks, Precision Plus is the pigment-correcting peel. Either way: 1–3 peels first to settle the surface before any texture work.
Read the full chemical peel guideOnce active acne is calm, microneedling is the core of acne-scar revision. Calibrated micro-channels trigger the dermis to build new collagen inside atrophic scars, gradually lifting the depressed tissue back toward the surrounding skin level. 4–6 sessions, spaced 4–6 weeks apart, is the standard series for meaningful scar revision. The deeper the scars, the more sessions.
Read the full microneedling guidePDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide, also known as VAMP) and exosomes are regenerative serums applied during or immediately after microneedling. They feed the freshly-created micro-channels with growth factors that accelerate repair, calm inflammation, and amplify the collagen-building response. Optional, but they noticeably improve the trajectory of a series — especially for deeper scarring.
Read about PDRN & exosome upgradesAtrophic acne scarring is a structural problem in the dermis — the layer of skin where collagen lives. You can't smooth it with anything topical because the topical can't reach the structural deficit. Microneedling is one of the only treatments that actually triggers your body to make new collagen inside the depressed scar tissue, gradually lifting the floor of the scar over months. That's the texture half of the protocol — and it takes time because real collagen takes time to lay down.
PIH — the dark marks — is a completely different problem: it's accumulated melanin in the upper layers of skin. Microneedling alone doesn't address pigment efficiently. The VI Peel system does, and the Purify peel does double duty by also targeting the bacteria and oil that drive future breakouts. That's the pigment half of the protocol.
The order matters because microneedling on active inflammation can worsen it. So we use the peel first to calm and fade, then start the texture work once the surface is stable. The optional PDRN or exosome upgrade isn't strictly necessary — but for deeper scarring, the regenerative boost meaningfully improves the per-session result, which compounds across a series.
An honest expectation: 50–70% improvement is realistic for atrophic scarring with a well-executed series. Most scarring doesn't vanish completely. But that 50–70% is usually enough to dramatically change how the skin looks, feels, and photographs — and to stop the scarring from being the first thing you notice in the mirror.
1–3 VI Peel Purify or Precision Plus peels. Active flares settle. PIH starts to fade noticeably after the first peel.
4–6 sessions, 4–6 weeks apart. Optional PDRN or exosome boost. Collagen rebuilding inside atrophic scars; texture refining visibly over the series.
Collagen continues maturing for months after the last session. The texture change you'll see at month 12 is meaningfully better than at the last appointment.
Microneedling every 3–6 months as desired. Periodic peels for tone. Result holds long-term; can be revisited if you want further refinement.
Atrophic acne scars — the depressed, indented kind — respond well to microneedling over a series. This includes boxcar scars (broad, shallow depressions), rolling scars (wave-like undulations), and superficial ice-pick scars.
Deep, narrow ice-pick scars are the most stubborn category and may benefit from TCA cross or subcision (which we don't offer in-house — we'd refer for those). Hypertrophic or keloid scars (raised) don't respond to microneedling and need a different approach.
Yes. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is one of the most responsive concerns to the VI Peel system, especially the Precision Plus and Purify peels.
PIH typically fades over a series of 3–6 peels paired with disciplined SPF use. The texture work (microneedling) and the pigment work (peels) compound, so you address both at the same time.
Yes — and that's why the VI Peel Purify is the entry point for clients with both active acne and scarring. It targets the bacteria, oil, and inflammation driving current breakouts while simultaneously fading the dark marks left behind by old ones.
We don't perform microneedling on actively inflamed acne (it can worsen inflammation); we'll usually do a Purify peel or two first, then start the microneedling series once active flare-ups are calmed.
No — not while on Accutane (isotretinoin) or within 6 months after stopping. Accutane affects skin healing, and chemical peels and microneedling carry a higher risk of unusual scarring during that window.
We'll wait until you've been off Accutane for 6 months and reassess. If you're considering Accutane for severe cystic acne, see a dermatologist first — we can help with the scarring after.
PIH (the dark marks) often fades visibly after 1–2 peels. Atrophic scarring is slower — meaningful texture change typically shows after the 3rd or 4th microneedling session, with the full result of a 6-session series visible 3–6 months after the last treatment.
Adding PDRN or exosomes accelerates and amplifies the response. Most scarring isn't going to vanish completely — but a well-executed series can produce 50–70% improvement, which is enough to dramatically change how the skin looks and photographs.
A few details about your scarring and current skin — and whether your acne is fully cleared or still active — and I'll reply within 24 hours with where I'd suggest starting.
Thank you — I'll reply within 24 hours. If anything's urgent, you can also email info@essencebyshine.com.