Acne may clear, but the changes it leaves behind can last much longer. Depressed scars, uneven texture, enlarged pores, persistent redness, and discoloration can all develop after breakouts—and they don’t necessarily respond to the same treatment.
At The Kaga Institute, Dr. Mira Kaga and her team offer a range of laser, resurfacing, microneedling, and regenerative treatments for acne scars. Your treatment plan is based on the type, depth, and extent of your scarring, as well as your skin type and goals.
How can The Kaga Institute help me treat acne scars?
At Dr. Kaga’s NJ practice, our skincare experts provide a variety of non-surgical treatments:
- Chemical Peels
- Excel® V+
- Laser Genesis
- Secret™ PRO
- Secret™ DUO
- Juliet™
- Exceed™
What types of acne scars can be treated?
Not everything left behind after acne is technically a scar. That’s important because the right treatment depends on what we’re trying to improve. Acne can leave behind:
- Atrophic scars: Depressed scars such as rolling, boxcar, and ice-pick scars
- Uneven texture: Roughness or irregularities where acne has healed
- Enlarged pores: More visible pores associated with acne-prone skin
- Post-acne redness: Persistent red or pink marks after a breakout
- Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation: Brown or darker areas that remain after acne heals
Many patients have more than one of these concerns, which is why combination treatment can sometimes produce better results than relying on a single technology.
Our acne scar treatment options
Secret™ PRO
Secret™ PRO combines RF microneedling and fractional CO2 laser resurfacing within one platform. Depending on the treatment selected, it can stimulate collagen at deeper levels while also resurfacing the skin to improve acne scars, uneven texture, and other signs of skin damage.
For patients with more noticeable textural acne scarring, Secret PRO provides several treatment options that can be customized according to the depth and severity of the concern.
Secret™ DUO
Secret™ DUO combines RF microneedling with a 1540 nm erbium glass laser to address skin at multiple depths.
This combination can be particularly useful for improving acne scars, enlarged pores, and uneven skin texture while stimulating collagen remodeling.
Exceed™ Microneedling
Exceed™ is a medical microneedling treatment that creates controlled micro-injuries in the skin, stimulating the body’s natural healing response and new collagen production.
It may be recommended for appropriate patients with acne scarring, large pores, uneven texture, and fine lines.
Juliet™ Laser
Available at our Marlboro location only, Juliet uses laser energy to resurface the skin and stimulate collagen remodeling.
For appropriate patients, Juliet may be incorporated into a treatment plan to improve certain types of facial scarring, texture, and discoloration.
Laser Genesis
Laser Genesis uses controlled laser energy to stimulate collagen remodeling and improve overall skin quality.
For acne patients, it can be particularly helpful when scarring is accompanied by redness, enlarged pores, or uneven skin tone and texture.
excel® V+
excel® V+ targets vascular and pigmentation concerns rather than physically resurfacing depressed acne scars.
It may be incorporated into an acne scar treatment plan when persistent post-acne redness or discoloration is contributing to an uneven complexion.
Chemical Peels
Chemical peels exfoliate damaged surface layers of the skin and encourage cellular renewal.
Depending on the type and strength of peel selected, they may help improve superficial acne marks, pigmentation, mild textural irregularities, and overall skin tone. Deeper depressed scars generally require a different or combination approach.
Which acne scar treatment is best for me?
There isn’t one “best” treatment for every acne scar. A patient with deep, depressed scars requires a different approach from someone whose primary concern is lingering redness or dark marks. Your skin type, scar depth, active acne, downtime tolerance, and previous treatments also influence which technology makes the most sense.
During your consultation, Dr. Kaga’s team will evaluate these factors and determine whether microneedling, RF microneedling, laser resurfacing, vascular laser treatment, chemical peels, or a combination approach is appropriate.
Can acne scars be prevented?
The best way to reduce the risk of future scarring is to control active acne early. Avoid picking or squeezing breakouts, use non-comedogenic skincare products, and protect your skin from excessive UV exposure, which can make post-acne discoloration more noticeable. If breakouts are persistent, treating the underlying acne should generally come before—or alongside—treating the scars it leaves behind.
Schedule a consultation for acne scars in Marlboro or East Brunswick
Your skincare journey begins with a consultation with the experts at Dr. Kaga’s NJ practice. Please fill out our online form or call 848-8-DRKAGA (848-837-5242) to receive a personalized treatment plan designed to address your acne scars, without the need for surgery or other invasive methods. We can’t wait to see you!
