Treatment Personalization
Microneedling SkinStylus®
$350
Single session. Collagen induction for depressed acne scarring and uneven texture.
Package of 3
$900
$150 savings compared to per session. Three sessions spaced four weeks apart.
IPL Laser, Face
$350
For redness and brown marks left behind by breakouts, on suitable skin tones.
IPL Laser, Face & Neck
$400
Adds the neck, where post-breakout discoloration often carries down.
Start With a Look
Book a free consultation and we will sort scarring from pigment before anyone quotes you a package. You can also book online or call 703-992-8504.
Acne Scar Treatment in Tysons Corner, VA
Acne scar treatment in Tysons Corner, VA begins with a plain question: is what you are looking at in the mirror actually a scar? Depressed pits, raised bumps and flat brown or pink marks all get called acne scars, and they behave nothing alike. One group is a change in the structure of your skin. The other is pigment that usually fades on its own.
At HS MedSpa inside Tysons Galleria, a licensed medical professional sorts the two at a free consultation. From there we build a plan around what is really on your skin. For depressed scarring and uneven texture that means microneedling with the SkinStylus® SteriLock® MicroSystem, starting at $350 a session. For redness and brown discoloration left behind by breakouts it often means IPL laser photofacial, starting at $350 for the face. Individual results vary, and scars soften rather than disappear.
Acne Scar Treatment in Tysons Corner, VA
Scarring is the part of acne that outlasts the acne. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that while acne scars can fade, they rarely go away completely on their own. That is the honest starting point for this page. Our aim is to soften the depth and the shadow of scarring so skin catches light more evenly, not to promise a reset.
Two things shape the plan. The first is what kind of scar you have, because a shallow rolling scar and a narrow ice pick scar respond very differently. The second is whether you still have active breakouts. New inflammation lays down new scarring, so calming the acne comes first. That side of the work sits on our acne treatment page, and it usually runs through the SkinCeuticals Acne Facial and a consistent routine at home.
Consultations here are free and there is no pressure to book anything on the day. Say your scarring is deep, widespread or raised. We will tell you a dermatologist is the better next call, rather than sell you a package that will not move it.
Which Acne Scars Respond, and Which Do Not
Depressed scars form where inflammation destroyed collagen, and they come in three familiar shapes. Ice pick scars are small at the surface but travel deep. Boxcar scars sit as round or oval depressions, wider than an ice pick scar. Rolling scars are wide and shallow, and enough of them together give skin a soft, wavy look. Collagen-building treatment suits this group. It works most predictably on rolling and shallow boxcar scarring, where there is a sloped edge to soften rather than a narrow shaft to fill.
Raised scars are a different problem. Skin that laid down too much collagen while healing can leave a firm hypertrophic scar or a keloid that grows beyond the original breakout. A systematic review of microneedling for atrophic scarring in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology is blunt about this. Its authors state that the effects of microneedling on hypertrophic scars and keloids have not been investigated and need further research. So we do not treat raised scarring here. A history of keloid scarring is also a reason to pause and see a dermatologist first.
Ice pick scars are the most stubborn of the depressed group. Needling can improve the skin around them, but a very narrow, deep scar often needs a procedure we do not offer. We would rather say so at the consultation than after three sessions.
How We Handle Acne Scar Treatment in Tysons Corner, VA
Microneedling for depressed scars. A matrix of fine sterile needles creates thousands of controlled channels, and your skin answers with fresh collagen and elastin over the following weeks. We use the SkinStylus® SteriLock® MicroSystem, a medical device built for even depth across the treatment area. Microneedling starts at $350 a session, and a package of three starts at $900. Our standard course is three sessions spaced four weeks apart. Skin usually looks smoother around three weeks in, with the fuller effect building over about three months as new collagen forms.
Be ready for more than one course. Across published trials, the systematic review cited above found microneedling performed between three and eight times, at two to four week intervals. It also quotes a separate review putting the minimum at four to six sessions for significant improvement. Scarring that has been there for years does not resolve in a single visit, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling. Details of the treatment itself sit on the microneedling page.
IPL laser for what breakouts leave behind. Intense pulsed light targets red and brown pigment rather than texture, so it is the tool for lingering flushing and dark marks, not for pits. It starts at $350 for the face and $400 for face and neck. IPL is not suited to every skin tone. Published work links light-based treatment to a raised chance of post-inflammatory pigment change in deeper phototypes. That makes this a consultation decision rather than a booking decision. Both appear on the full price menu, and many people run them in sequence rather than together.
Flat Marks That Usually Fade Without Treatment
Here is the money-saving part of the conversation. A flat spot of color left where a pimple used to be is generally not a scar at all. The American Academy of Dermatology calls this post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. It describes these flat spots as pink or red on lighter skin tones, and brown or bluish gray on medium and deeper tones. Unlike scars, the AAD notes, they usually fade and leave no trace. Fading takes time, and it takes daily sunscreen.
If that is what you have, the sensible plan is patience, a good routine, and possibly a course of facials to keep skin clear while the marks settle. Should you want to nudge the pigment along, IPL laser can help on suitable skin tones. Nobody should buy scar treatment for marks that were going to fade anyway, which is why we look before we quote.
One more thing worth repeating from the dermatology guidance: picking and squeezing breakouts drives scarring. The single most effective scar treatment is treating the acne early and keeping your hands off it.
What Acne Scar Treatment Actually Feels Like
Microneedling is done under topical numbing, and most clients describe it as a light vibration with pressure rather than sharp pain. You should expect to leave with your skin flushed, and over the next day or two some flaking, puffiness or minor bruising is normal.
Acne scar treatment in Tysons Corner, VA asks for a little planning around ordinary life. Makeup goes back on after a day or two, exercise waits, and direct sun waits about a week with sunscreen in between. Booking a session a few days before a wedding or a photo shoot is a mistake we would rather you avoid.
IPL is a different sensation, closer to a quick snap of heat, and it leaves brown spots looking temporarily darker before they lift and flake away. Neither treatment stops your life for long, but neither is invisible on the day.
Suited To:
Rolling and Shallow Boxcar Scars
Uneven Texture
Marks Left After Breakouts
All Skin Tones, Assessed First
Uneven Texture
Marks Left After Breakouts
All Skin Tones, Assessed First
Better Treated Elsewhere:
Raised and Keloid Scars
Deep Ice Pick Scars
Widespread Active Acne
Deep Ice Pick Scars
Widespread Active Acne
Rolling Scars
Wide, shallow depressions with sloped edges. These respond most reliably to collagen-building treatment, because there is a gradual edge to soften rather than a narrow shaft to fill.
Boxcar Scars
Round or oval depressions with clearer walls. Shallow boxcar scarring often improves with a course of microneedling; deeper examples improve less and we will say so.
Ice Pick Scars
Small at the surface, deep underneath, and the most stubborn of the depressed scars. Needling can improve surrounding skin, though a narrow deep scar may need a dermatologist.
Marks and Discoloration
Flat pink, brown or gray spots after a breakout are usually pigment rather than scarring. These often fade on their own, and IPL laser can help on suitable skin tones.
Overall Texture
Skin that reads as rough or shadowed in raking light, even where no single scar stands out. Collagen induction tends to show here earliest across a course of sessions.
Suited To:
Rolling and Shallow Boxcar Scars
Uneven Texture
Marks Left After Breakouts
All Skin Tones, Assessed First
Uneven Texture
Marks Left After Breakouts
All Skin Tones, Assessed First
Better Treated Elsewhere:
Raised and Keloid Scars
Deep Ice Pick Scars
Widespread Active Acne
Deep Ice Pick Scars
Widespread Active Acne
How It Works
How It Works
How It Works
Acne Scar Treatment at A Glance
Before Your Treatment
- Stop retinol and exfoliating actives such as acids, scrubs and benzoyl peroxide about a week before your session.
- Tell us about any history of keloid scarring, cold sores, recent Accutane use, or pregnancy, since each one changes the plan.
- Come with clean skin and no makeup where possible.
- Avoid tanning and sun exposure beforehand, particularly before IPL laser.
After Your Treatment
- Expect redness for a day or two, sometimes with flaking or minor bruising.
- Skip makeup for one to two days and skip strenuous exercise on the day.
- Use sunscreen daily and stay out of direct sun for about a week.
- Leave the skin alone. No picking, no scrubs, no active serums until we say so.
Results
- Smoother texture is often visible about three weeks after a session.
- The fuller effect builds over roughly three months as collagen forms.
- Depressed scarring softens; it does not disappear.
- Individual results vary with scar type, depth and how long it has been there.
Frequency
Acne scar treatment in Tysons Corner, VA runs on a schedule, not a single visit. Three sessions of microneedling spaced four weeks apart is our standard course. Published trials commonly run three to eight sessions, so more than one course is normal for established scarring. IPL laser, where suitable, is usually a separate series.
Please follow these pre- and post-treatment instructions. If active ingredients have not been paused or skin is sunburned, we may be unable to treat you safely on the day. Nothing on this page is a promise of a specific outcome.
WHAT CHANGE LOOKS LIKE
Built by your own collagen, over months.
Scar treatment is not a single dramatic reveal. Skin firms and evens gradually as new collagen fills the channels created at each session. That is why we measure progress at four-week intervals and photograph in consistent light. Depth softens, shadows shorten, and makeup sits better. Individual results vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can acne scars be removed completely?
No, and you should be wary of anyone who says otherwise. The American Academy of Dermatology notes acne scars rarely go away completely on their own, and treatment softens depth and shadow rather than erasing the scar. Most people are looking for skin that reads as even in normal light, and that is a realistic goal.
How many sessions will I need?
Our standard course is three microneedling sessions four weeks apart. Published trials of microneedling for depressed scarring commonly run three to eight sessions. One review puts the minimum for significant improvement at four to six. Plan for more than one course if your scarring is established, and a licensed medical professional will reassess with you at each visit.
Do I need to clear my acne first?
Active inflammation creates new scarring, so settling the breakouts comes first. That work usually runs through the SkinCeuticals Acne Facial, which starts at $300, and a consistent routine at home. See our acne treatment page, and note that dermatology guidance stresses treating acne early precisely because it prevents scarring.
What about the dark marks, not the pits?
Those are usually post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation rather than scarring, and they typically fade on their own with time and daily sunscreen. IPL laser can speed that along on suitable skin tones. We will tell you if the honest answer is to wait rather than to treat.
Is acne scar treatment in Tysons Corner, VA suitable for deeper skin tones?
Microneedling works across skin tones. IPL laser needs more care. Published work associates light-based treatment with a raised chance of pigment change in deeper phototypes, so suitability is assessed individually at the consultation rather than assumed.
What does it cost?
Microneedling starts at $350 a session and a package of three starts at $900. IPL laser starts at $350 for the face and $400 for face and neck. Consultations are free. Everything is listed on the full price menu.
What is the downtime?
Expect redness for a day or two after microneedling, sometimes with flaking, puffiness or minor bruising. Makeup waits one to two days, exercise waits for the day, and direct sun waits about a week. Avoid booking within a few days of an event.
Do you treat raised or keloid scars?
No. Raised hypertrophic scars and keloids are a different healing problem. A systematic review of microneedling for depressed scarring states the effects on hypertrophic scars and keloids have not been investigated. If that is what you have, a dermatologist is the right next step and we will say so at the consultation.
Not sure whether it is a scar or a mark?
That is exactly what the free consultation is for. A licensed medical professional will look at your skin in good light, tell you which marks will fade without help, and build a plan only for what will not. Exclusively at our Tysons Galleria location. 703-992-8504