Dermatology
Subcision
A minor surgical release of the tethers that pull rolling acne scars down from beneath.
- Duration
- 60 minutes
- Downtime
- Significant bruising and swelling for 7–14 days. Plan around it.
- Results
- Emerging from 4 weeks, continuing to improve for 6 months.
- Sessions
- 1–3 sessions, 6–8 weeks apart
Rolling acne scars are not surface defects. They are depressions held down by fibrous bands that tether the skin to the tissue below, which is why resurfacing treatments alone so often disappoint. Subcision passes a fine blunt cannula beneath the scar and cuts those bands, releasing the skin so it can sit level again.
The controlled bleeding and healing that follows lays down new collagen in the released space. Subcision is usually combined with microneedling, filler or a regenerative treatment, and the combination is planned scar by scar rather than applied across the whole face.
Benefits
- Addresses the actual cause of rolling scars
- Produces change where resurfacing alone has failed
- Collagen fills the released space over following months
- Can be combined with filler or PDRN in the same visit
Treatment options
Areas and tiers bookable under this treatment. Which is right for you — and what it costs — is confirmed at consultation.
- Acne Scar Subcision
What happens during treatment
Scar mapping
Each scar is assessed and classified — rolling, boxcar or icepick — as they need different treatments.
Local anaesthetic
The area is numbed thoroughly with injected local anaesthetic.
Release
A blunt cannula is passed beneath the mapped scars and the fibrous tethers are divided.
Combination & aftercare
A regenerative agent is often placed into the released space, and bruising care is explained.
Common questions
Genuinely noticeable — expect one to two weeks, sometimes extending below the treated area. This is the treatment we most often ask patients to schedule around holidays or events.
Rarely. Scarring is usually mixed, and different scar types need different treatments. Subcision is one part of a plan we map out with you at the start.
