Acne scars, texture and enlarged pores
Acne scars can be made shallower and less noticeable, though rarely erased, and enlarged pores can look finer. Pitted scars can improve with treatment that builds new collagen beneath them, such as radiofrequency microneedling, over a course of sessions and several months; very deep ice-pick scars change least. Active acne is calmed first, and flat red or brown marks are not scars: they are treated as pigment or redness.
At a glance
- Who you’ll see
-
- Dr. Svetlana Tagaeva Medical Director
- Dr. Olga Ibrakova Cosmetology
- Where
- CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
The short answer
Scarring and enlarged pores need collagen rebuilt from beneath: radiofrequency microneedling for scars, a gentle resurfacing laser for early texture. Expect a course of sessions, not a single visit.
What it is, and why it happens
An acne scar forms when inflammation in a spot runs deep enough to damage the collagen around it. Usually the skin rebuilds too little and leaves a dip, an atrophic scar: the kind 80 to 90 per cent of people with acne scars have. Less often it builds too much and leaves a raised scar. Scars are more likely when acne is deep, long-lasting or slow to be treated, which is why active acne comes first.
The type of scar decides the care. Ice-pick scars are narrow, under 2 mm, and deep, like a puncture. Boxcar scars are round or oval dips with steep, sharp edges, shallow or deep. Rolling scars are wider, with soft, sloping edges that give the skin a wavy look, because bands beneath tether it down. Raised scars stay within the original spot (hypertrophic) or spread beyond it (keloid); they are more common on the chest and back and in darker skin, and they are treated differently.
Not every mark is a scar. Flat pink or red marks (post-inflammatory erythema) are more typical of fair skin, and flat brown marks (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) of darker skin: they change the colour of the skin, not its surface, and are treated as redness or pigment. Enlarged pores have three main causes, a lot of oil, loss of firmness around the pore and larger hair follicles, with long-running acne, hormones and skin care playing a part, so the plan depends on what is behind yours.
What may help
Sylfirm X · RF microneedling
Sylfirm X is radiofrequency microneedling: fine gold-plated needles release heat at a depth set for your scars, prompting new collagen beneath them. It is the tool we reach for with rolling and boxcar scars and enlarged pores, and its pulsed mode is also used on red marks that linger after acne; it suits all skin tones after assessment. Usually three to five sessions about four weeks apart, after numbing cream; a first glow can show within one to two weeks, and the real change builds over eight to twelve weeks as the skin remodels. Downtime is usually a day or two of pinkness and a sunburn-like feeling, sometimes with mild swelling and tiny dots that fade within days; less often there is bruising or a few spots, and uncommonly darker patches, more likely on deeper skin tones and with sun.
MOXI · Laser resurfacing
MOXI is a gentle 1927 nm laser that refreshes the surface. It suits early, shallow texture, roughness and uneven tone, and upkeep once scars have been treated; it does not reach pitted scars, which need collagen rebuilt from deeper down. A course is usually two to four sessions a few weeks apart; a fresher look can show after one, and texture changes build over the course. Downtime is usually minimal: redness for a few hours, then a fine, bronzed, sandpaper-like texture around day two or three that sheds by day five to seven; most people carry on with their day. On deeper skin tones, and over dark marks left by spots, the doctor goes carefully, because heat can occasionally provoke pigment.
What to be careful with
Some things probably won't help. A facial or LED can improve the skin around scars, but neither lifts a pitted scar, and a gentle laser alone won't reach deep ones. One session rarely shows much: scars improve over a course, and deep ice-pick scars, which resist resurfacing, change least. If yours need a procedure we don't offer, we will tell you.
Timing matters too. Scar work starts once acne is under control, since new spots keep making new marks, and picking at spots can increase scarring. Needling and heat wait until a tan, sunburn, an active cold sore or broken skin has settled, and radiofrequency microneedling waits six to twelve months after isotretinoin. If you tend to form raised or keloid scars, tell the doctor first: needling and heat may not suit you.
What matters in Dubai
Sun is the thing to plan around. In Dubai, sun is the main reason pigment returns after treatment, so SPF 50 every day, reapplied, shade where you can, and no tanning or sunburn in the weeks around each session. Sylfirm X can be done year-round if you can keep to that; the cooler months simply make it easier.
On darker skin tones, the main risk with any heat-based treatment is a dark patch after inflammation. Radiofrequency microneedling, which works below the surface, is generally suited to darker skin, and so is a gentle laser, with lighter settings and often more sessions as the trade-off. The doctor starts carefully, watches how your skin responds and adjusts.
Skip saunas, steam, hot yoga and hard workouts for a few days after a session, and avoid a beach holiday in the weeks around one. For a wedding or Eid, start several months ahead, so the course is finished and the skin has had weeks to settle before the date. During Ramadan, book sessions at a time of day that suits your fast.
When to see a doctor first
Acne that is still active comes first. If you still get new spots, especially deep or painful ones, that is a doctor's question, and scar treatment waits until the skin is calm, because new inflammation makes new scars. A raised scar that keeps growing, or a tendency to keloids, also needs a doctor's assessment before anything else.
Before any treatment, a doctor looks at which types of scar you have and how deep they are, your skin tone and how it tends to heal, any dark marks, cold sores or keloids in the past, and the medicines you take. Photographs in the same light each time make the change easier to judge. Pregnancy or breastfeeding, a pacemaker or another implanted device, a gold allergy and some medical conditions mean radiofrequency microneedling may not suit you.
Questions people ask
Can acne scars go away completely?
Rarely. Treatment can make scars shallower and less noticeable, but reviews describe complete clearing as the exception rather than the rule. With radiofrequency treatments, reviews report a partial improvement after three or four sessions, often somewhere between a quarter and three quarters. At the consultation we tell you what is realistic for your scars.
How many sessions will I need?
For radiofrequency microneedling, usually three to five, about four weeks apart; for MOXI, two to four, a few weeks apart. Collagen rebuilds slowly: after radiofrequency microneedling, the change keeps building for eight to twelve weeks. Deeper scarring may need more sessions, or a combination of the two.
Is radiofrequency microneedling suitable for darker skin?
Usually, after assessment. It delivers heat beneath the surface rather than targeting pigment, and reviews describe it as usable in darker skin types, with comparatively few side effects. Any heat can still leave dark patches, more likely with sun, so we start with careful settings and a sun plan.
Can enlarged pores be made smaller?
They can look smaller and finer, but they don't disappear. Radiofrequency microneedling can firm the skin around them: in a small study of the pulsed radiofrequency used in Sylfirm X, pores and smoothness improved over two to five sessions. Because pores have several causes, keeping oil and congestion under control matters too.
Are dark or red marks after acne scars?
Usually not. Flat brown or red marks are pigment or redness left by inflammation: they change the colour of the skin, not its surface. Brown marks are more common on darker skin and red ones on fair skin; they can last for months and are treated differently from scars, starting with daily sun protection. If the surface dips or rises, that is a scar.
Does it hurt?
Sylfirm X is done after about 30 minutes of numbing cream, and most people describe a warm, prickling pass, mild to moderate. MOXI feels like a warm, prickly heat; numbing cream is used only for the stronger settings.
How do I choose a skin clinic and doctor for acne scars in Dubai?
Look for a doctor licensed by the Dubai Health Authority who examines your skin before naming a device: which scars you have and how deep they are, what is behind your pores, your skin tone, and whether acne is still active. They should explain the risks, say that scars can be made shallower but are rarely erased, and tell you when another treatment would suit you better. At CREAMÉ, Dr. Svetlana Tagaeva, the Medical Director, leads the medical work, and Dr. Olga Ibrakova's work includes Sylfirm X and MOXI.
How much does acne scar treatment cost in Dubai?
We don't publish prices. The cost depends on what your scars or pores need, the area treated and the number of sessions: radiofrequency microneedling (Sylfirm X) is usually a course of three to five, and MOXI, our laser, two to four. We set the plan together at the consultation, after a look at your skin, and you know the full plan and its cost before you start. We suggest only the sessions your skin calls for.
Is laser or microneedling for acne scars worth it: what are the benefits, and what results are realistic?
It can be, once acne is under control, if you want scars shallower rather than gone and can keep up a course of sessions and strict sun protection. Radiofrequency microneedling (Sylfirm X) can prompt new collagen beneath rolling and boxcar scars, so the surface can look smoother and pores finer. MOXI, a gentle laser, can even out shallow texture and tone but does not reach pitted scars. Results build slowly: in a review, skin was still improving six months after radiofrequency microneedling. Deep ice-pick scars change least.
Do I need a dermatologist for acne scars?
Not always. See a dermatologist first while acne is still active and moderate to severe, or leaving new scars, since it may need prescription treatment. The UK's acne guideline also refers severe scarring that persists a year after acne has cleared to a dermatologist-led team with expertise in scars. For other pitted scars and enlarged pores, once acne is calm, our doctors can plan radiofrequency microneedling or a gentle laser. We don't offer dermatology consultations, so if you need a dermatologist, we will tell you plainly.
Can you treat acne scars on the back and body, or only on the face?
Our acne scar care is planned for the face; for scars on the back, chest or elsewhere, the doctor needs to see them first. Raised scars, hypertrophic or keloid, are more common on the chest and back, and they are treated differently from pitted ones: needling and heat may not suit skin that forms them. At the consultation the doctor checks the type and depth of your scars and tells you honestly whether we can help, or whether a treatment we don't offer would suit them better.
What are the side effects and recovery time after treatment for acne scars?
Usually a few days to a week. After Sylfirm X, expect a day or two of pinkness and a sunburn-like feeling, sometimes with mild swelling and tiny dots that fade within days. After MOXI, redness usually lasts a few hours, then a fine, bronzed, sandpaper-like texture appears around day two or three and sheds by day five to seven. Less often there is bruising, a few spots, a cold-sore flare or an infection; uncommonly, darker patches, more likely on deeper skin tones and with sun, and rarely blistering or scarring.
Is there an acne scar treatment with little or no downtime?
Usually little rather than none. Sylfirm X, which works beneath pitted scars, usually means a day or two of pinkness, and after MOXI most people carry on with their day while the skin flakes. Treatments that usually need no recovery time, such as a facial or LED light, can improve the skin around scars but don't lift them. Whichever you choose, plan strict sun protection for the weeks afterwards: in Dubai, sun is the main reason pigment returns after treatment.
Can I have acne scar treatment during pregnancy or while breastfeeding?
It waits. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are among the reasons not to have radiofrequency microneedling (Sylfirm X) or MOXI, so we plan scar treatment for after you have finished breastfeeding. Until then, daily sunscreen and gentle skin care can help keep marks from darkening. Some acne medicines, retinoids applied to the skin among them, are not used in pregnancy, so if acne flares, ask the doctor looking after your pregnancy before using any.
Which skin care helps open pores on oily, dry or sensitive skin?
Gentle care, matched to what is behind your pores. On oily skin, a gentle cleanser twice a day, and skin care and sunscreen that are not oily or pore-clogging, can help keep oil and congestion down, and a HydraFacial can lift oil and debris out of congested pores. On dry or sensitive skin, go gently: scrubs, stacked acids and strong cleansers can strip and irritate it. Skin care can help pores look clearer; where loss of firmness around the pore is behind them, the doctor may suggest radiofrequency microneedling.
What happens during acne scar treatment, and how long does it take?
A Sylfirm X session takes about 45 to 75 minutes, numbing included, and the MOXI laser itself about 8 to 20. Both start with a look at your skin, photographs in the same light each time, and a check of your health and medicines. For Sylfirm X, numbing cream goes on for about 30 minutes, the handpiece passes over the skin for 15 to 30, then a calming mask and sunscreen. MOXI needs numbing cream only for the stronger settings, and ends with a cool compress and a plain moisturiser.
Related concerns
Sources
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Updated 27 October 2026