How long does it take to see results from subsicion?

Question

I have a lot of deep rolling acne scars on my cheeks and would like to consider subcision. I know that it will take multiple treatments and often needs to be combined with a laser. How will you know if your scars are responding to the treatment after a sessions? Once the swelling is gone a few days after, after a treatment, will that be the final results or will there be improvement months later? When during treatment do you see scars raised/filled in?

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

I have been routinely performing subcisions since 1995 for elevating and smoothing boxcar and rolling scars. The vast majority of people can expect a 60%-80% overall improvement in appearance after somewhere between two to six treatment sessions spaced at a minimum of four to six week intervals (the time it normally takes for new, native collagen and elastic fiber synthesis to occur). Only a small number of "lottery winners" will get their 60%-80% improvement after only one treatment session. Contrary to social media hype, the use of fraxel lasers and RF devices simply lacks the hard science to support these expensive gizmos. So, if there remains some residual surface, superficial textural or color irregularities, professionally performed microneedlng can be performed following the subcisions as a kind of "polishing" step. Hope this helps and best of luck.

David M. Kowalczyk, MD, MBA, FACS · Answer

Hi there! Great questions. You're correct in that multiple treatments are needed to reach an ideal outcome. Everyone's response is different. After the treatment, you'll experience inflammation which can take weeks to settle. When performing subcision, I often space the sessions out by at least 6 weeks to allow the skin to heal and see where things have settled. Morpheus8 RF microneedling is a helpful adjunct. The total treatment period can take 3-6 months. If after 2-3 sessions no significant improvement is seen, then another route may be needed such as excision. Hope this helps.

Jeff Rapaport, MD · Answer

In my opinion,it takes 6 weeks to see the results of a subcision procedure. Initially the area appears swollen,then the swelling goes down,then the collagen  proliferates and the scar is lifted. I believe in combining PRP with the procedure and using a suction device in the postoperative period. Find a scar expert.
Jeff Rapaport MD FAAD 
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How long does it take to see results from subsicion?

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How long does it take to see results from subsicion?

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Everything you need to know about Subcision

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.