Rolling Acne Scars · Subcision · Pacific Plaza
Rolling scars treatment has to begin beneath the skin, because a rolling acne scar is held down by fibrous bands rather than missing from the surface. At Atelier, Dr Sin Yong releases the bands with subcision, adds support only where the floor has thinned, and then chooses RF microneedling or fractional CO2 for what remains on the surface.
A rolling scar is a broad dip, usually wider than four to five millimetres, with soft sloping shoulders and a wavy surface. Deep acne inflammation healed with fibrous bands that tie the dermis to the tissue beneath, so ordinary skin cannot sit level with its neighbours.
Three signs point to a tether. The dip looks worse in light from the side, it deepens when you smile, and it flattens or nearly vanishes when the skin around it is stretched. A dent that keeps its sharp edge under stretch is a different scar, covered on boxcar scars treatment. Many cheeks have both.
At A Glance
Your plan is set at assessment.
Three Steps
Each step does one job. Done in order they build on each other; reversed, they work against each other.
| Step | What it does | What it cannot do |
|---|---|---|
| Subcision | Cuts the band through a small puncture, so the skin can rise; new collagen forms in the space | Smooth texture, soften edges or reach an ice-pick tract |
| Support | A collagen stimulator placed in the released space where the floor has thinned | Lift a scar while the band is still intact |
| RF microneedling | Heats the dermis at a set depth with the surface largely spared; suits shallower scars and darker skin | Cut a band |
| Fractional CO2 | Softens steep edges on deeper scars | Release a tether or replace lost volume |
| Laser alone, no release | Improves the surface around the scar | Change the depth for long: better skin, same dimples |
The Decision
Lasers and radiofrequency act from above, and the band sits deeper than resurfacing energy is meant to reach. More energy does not cut it, and in Fitzpatrick III to V skin it adds the risk of darkening. Why rolling scars plateau after laser is explained in subcision vs laser for rolling scars.
Wait first if acne is active, if you have taken isotretinoin recently, or if you are pregnant. Blood-thinning medicines or a bleeding tendency matter for subcision; a prescribed blood thinner is never stopped without the prescriber's advice. A keloid tendency is weighed carefully. A scar too deep or wide for these methods is assessed at Atelier, and a surgical punch technique arranged by referral where needed.
On The Day
Details are on subcision for tethered scars.
Recovery
Bruising, swelling and tenderness are expected and settle; cold compresses help, and strenuous exercise waits until the swelling eases. Resurfacing follows once bruising has fully gone, and in darker skin staging is often more conservative. See acne scar treatment downtime.
Risks
Bruising, small firm lumps, infection, pigment change and less improvement than hoped are possible. A band can partly re-form as it heals, which is why release is planned as a staged course. No outcome is promised. Contact the clinic the same day if swelling, pain or redness increases, or an entry point discharges pus.
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Atelier Aesthetics · Owned by AYA
9 Scotts Road, Pacific Plaza #12-01A, Singapore 228210 · +65 8023 7170
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