Acne Scarring and Uneven Texture Treatment in Marylebone, London
The textural aftermath of acne: rolling, boxcar, and pitted scars, enlarged-looking pores, and a surface that catches the light unevenly. Improved with UltraClear laser resurfacing and regenerative injectables that rebuild collagen, after a doctor-led assessment of your skin and scar type.
Overview
Understanding acne scarring
Acne scarring is what can be left behind once the spots themselves have settled. During an inflamed breakout the skin loses collagen in the deeper layer, and as it heals the surface is pulled down into atrophic scars: the rolling, boxcar, and icepick patterns, alongside enlarged-looking pores and a generally uneven, pitted texture. This is different from the flat brown or red marks left after a spot (post-inflammatory pigmentation and redness), which usually fade on their own over months. True textural scarring sits in the dermis and does not respond to volume or muscle-relaxing treatments, because the problem is the skin surface and its collagen, not a line or a loss of fullness.
The tools that work are the ones that resurface and rebuild. UltraClear is a cold-fibre laser platform used to remodel scar tissue and refine uneven texture by stimulating fresh collagen, with controlled downtime; regenerative polynucleotides improve the skin’s repair, elasticity, and quality from within and support the result; and a corrective daily skincare routine prolongs it. Assessment comes first: laser settings are matched to your skin type because in darker skin the wrong energy can worsen pigmentation, deep icepick scars respond only partially so expectations are set honestly, and any active acne or changing lesion is treated or referred before resurfacing. As a GMC-registered medical doctor, Dr Elgey establishes suitability and safety before any treatment, not after.
Why it happens
What causes acne scarring?
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A history of moderate-to-severe or cystic acne, where inflammation reached the deeper skin
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Delayed or untreated active acne, allowing inflammation to persist
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Picking, squeezing, or scratching lesions, which deepens scarring
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A genetic tendency to scar or to over-produce pigment after inflammation
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A skin type prone to post-inflammatory pigmentation
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Cumulative sun exposure, which darkens marks and slows skin renewal
Treatment approach
How do we treat acne scarring?
UltraClear Laser Resurfacing
By consultationFirst-line for textural scarring. UltraClear cold-fibre laser resurfacing remodels scar tissue and refines uneven texture by stimulating fresh collagen, with controlled downtime. Indication and settings are matched to your skin type at a doctor-led assessment first: particularly important in darker skin, where device and energy selection reduces the risk of pigment change.
See treatment detail →Polynucleotides
By consultationRegenerative injectables using purified DNA fragments stimulate repair and improve the skin’s elasticity and tissue quality from within, supporting and prolonging a resurfacing result. Useful as part of a staged plan rather than as a standalone scar treatment.
See treatment detail →Skin Renewal Programme
By consultationWhere uneven texture sits alongside dullness, pigmentation, or early laxity, the Skin Renewal Programme sequences resurfacing, regenerative injectables, and a corrective daily skincare routine across staged appointments so the skin is improved in the right order over months.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Common
questions
Can acne scarring actually be improved?
Often meaningfully, though rarely to nothing at all. Resurfacing and regenerative treatment rebuild collagen and refine texture over a course of sessions, with the skin continuing to improve for weeks afterwards. Shallow rolling and boxcar scars respond best; deep icepick scars respond least. Realistic expectations are set at consultation and progress is tracked with photographs.
What is the difference between scars and the marks left after a spot?
True acne scars are textural: pits and depressions where collagen was lost, and they are permanent without treatment. The flat brown or red marks many people call scars are post-inflammatory pigmentation and redness, which usually fade over months on their own. They need different approaches, so the first step is identifying which you actually have.
I still get active breakouts: can I be treated?
Active inflammatory acne is treated first, because resurfacing into a breakout can worsen it. As a GMC-registered medical doctor and GP, Dr Elgey assesses your skin, advises on or refers for acne management where appropriate, and addresses the scarring once the skin has settled. Honest sequencing like this is where a medical background matters.
Is laser resurfacing safe for my skin type?
It can be, but only after an assessment. In darker skin the wrong device or energy can worsen pigmentation rather than improve it, so indication and settings are matched to your skin type before treatment, never assumed. Sometimes the honest recommendation is a gentler, regenerative or skincare-led route instead of laser, which is the point of a medical assessment.
How many sessions will I need, and is there downtime?
Texture improvement is built over a course rather than in one session. UltraClear is designed to keep downtime controlled, but resurfacing does involve a period of redness and flaking as the skin renews, with the exact recovery depending on the depth chosen. Diligent daily SPF afterwards is essential, or new sun exposure simply undoes the gain.
Related Concerns
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Dr Paul Elgey Aesthetics • UNTIL Marylebone, 1 Orchard Street, London W1H 6HJ
BookAppointments typically available within 1–2 weeks