Acne scar treatment in Orange County
Neoderma in Anaheim treats indented acne scars with Secret RF microneedling, $1,500 a session, which remodels collagen at the floor of the scar. Exceed microneedling covers milder texture, and PicoWay Resolve the discoloration acne leaves. Expect a series about four weeks apart, with the biggest change two to six months after it.
- Physician-led medical spa
- 4.9 on Google (650+ reviews)
- Serving Anaheim since 2001
$50 consultation at Neoderma in Anaheim, CA, credited toward treatment if you proceed within two weeks · Open Mon–Sat
Neoderma's team assesses your skin and matches the treatment to what is actually there, and you get a transparent estimate before any treatment.
Booking opens Neoderma's short request form: under “By skin concern”, pick Acne & Breakouts or Acne Scars & Texture. Their team contacts you to confirm the time and the $50 consultation.
Which treatment works for indented acne scars?
There isn't one treatment for acne scars, because there isn't one kind of acne scar. An indented scar is a collagen shortfall: when the breakout healed, the skin didn't rebuild all the tissue the inflammation destroyed. No serum can fill that dip, so the treatment has to rebuild collagen where it's missing.
The shape of the scar decides what does that well, and Neoderma matches treatment to it:
- Rolling scars (broad, wavy dips): Secret RF microneedling, the strongest match.
- Boxcar scars (sharp-edged, flat-floored): Secret RF together with a resurfacing treatment.
- Icepick scars (narrow and deep): the hardest type, assessed in person.
- Mild texture or early scarring: Exceed microneedling.
- Leftover brown discoloration: PicoWay Resolve.
- Scar tissue overall: carboxytherapy, over a series.
Most people have a mix, which is why a single treatment rarely covers everything. Not sure which you have? Types of acne scars shows how to tell them apart, with a check you can do at a mirror.
How does Secret RF microneedling treat acne scars?
It combines two collagen triggers. A handpiece with 64 fine, gold-plated needles makes controlled micro-injuries in the skin, and radiofrequency energy is released into the tissue around them. Together they prompt the skin to rebuild collagen and elastin, and because the energy arrives at a controlled depth, the remodeling happens in the floor of the scar, not only at the surface. Over time the dip softens and grows shallower.
The needle depth is set for each area of the face. Neoderma says it chose Secret RF after testing many lasers and other technologies for acne scars, and it treats with Secret RF rather than Morpheus8; its Morpheus8 vs. Secret RF comparison sets out the differences.
Exceed: microneedling without radiofrequency
Exceed is automated microneedling. A motorized tip stamps sterile, single-use needles into the skin at a precisely controlled depth, opening thousands of tiny channels that switch on the skin's own collagen and elastin repair, a process known as collagen induction therapy. There is no radiofrequency, which makes it gentler to sit through and quicker to recover from: redness usually lasts about a day, often less.
It costs less, too ($425 a session), and Neoderma suggests it when the problem is milder texture or scarring that is only starting. Secret RF goes deeper and does more remodeling. At the consultation, you're matched to one device or a combination of the two.
Is PicoWay laser good for acne scars?
PicoWay Resolve is the laser Neoderma reaches for when color is the main complaint, and it softens acne scars too. It is a picosecond laser that works photoacoustically, with minimal heat: its Resolve handpiece splits the beam into 100 micro-beams that reach below the surface, breaking up pigment and stimulating new collagen and elastin while the outer layer of skin stays intact.
That makes it the natural partner for Secret RF. Neoderma calls PicoWay its first choice for pigment and overall texture, and many plans use the two in sequence. Sessions are $200–$600, depending on the size of the area. For flat brown marks on their own, see what treats dark spots from acne.
Carboxytherapy for acne scar tissue
Neoderma also uses carboxytherapy to improve acne scar tissue. A very fine needle places tiny amounts of medical-grade carbon dioxide just beneath the skin. The gas draws a rush of oxygen-rich blood to the area before your body breathes it out, and the treatment boosts circulation and collagen.
Numbing cream goes on first, and the injections usually feel like brief pressure or tingling. You can go straight back to your day, with at most mild redness or pinpoint marks for a few hours. Sessions are about a month apart, and if carboxytherapy suits your skin, treatment can often start the same day as your consultation. Neoderma doesn't publish a carboxytherapy price for acne scars, so ask for it with your estimate.
Can acne scar treatments be combined?
Yes, and many scar plans are. Neoderma offers combination therapy: Secret RF and PicoWay are often used one after the other, Secret RF and Exceed can be paired when your provider recommends it, and icepick scars usually need a combination of techniques. How Neoderma combines treatments sets out the pairings.
Why does scar treatment wait for active acne?
Because working on scars during an active breakout phase means aiming at a target that keeps moving. Any new inflamed spot can leave behind its own mark or scar, so collagen is being rebuilt in one place while fresh damage appears somewhere else. Inflamed skin is also more reactive, and that raises the odds of irritation, and of new dark marks, after resurfacing.
So Neoderma settles the breakouts first, using acne facials, peels and medical-grade skin care, and turns to scar remodeling after that. Neoderma calls this the step people most want to skip. If you're still breaking out, start with acne facials and peels.
How many sessions, and when will I see results?
Plan on a series. For acne scars and texture, Neoderma's typical plan is three or more Secret RF sessions about four weeks apart, each finished with LED light therapy to calm the skin; for indented scars, a plan usually starts with three. Many clients then keep their results with an occasional touch-up.
Results come on a biological timetable. The treatment provides the stimulus, and your body then spends months building new collagen and letting it mature. Within a few weeks the skin may already look a little smoother; the shift that makes scars look shallower usually shows two to six months after the series. That's why Neoderma photographs your skin at the start: you compare against where you actually began, not your memory of it.
Does it hurt, and what is the downtime?
A topical numbing cream goes on at least an hour before Secret RF, and most clients tolerate it well; the needle depth is adjusted for comfort area by area. Afterward, expect redness for the first four to five hours, and possibly light peeling or pinpoint scabbing that resolves within five to seven days. Exceed is lighter, with redness usually gone within about a day.
Before Secret RF
- Avoid the sun for three to five days, and wear SPF 30 or higher.
- Pause retinoids and exfoliating acids for roughly a week beforehand.
- Arrive with clean skin and no makeup.
After Secret RF
- No makeup, exercise or sauna for 24 hours.
- Stay out of the sun for two weeks, with SPF 30 or higher.
- Pause exfoliation for one to two weeks, and retinoids for at least three days.
Will my acne scars go away completely?
Honestly, no, and Neoderma says so plainly. The realistic goal is meaningful improvement: scars that are softer, shallower and more even, not perfectly smooth skin. How far each type moves differs. Rolling scars generally show the most change; boxcar scars improve, though the deepest hold out longest; icepick scars resist treatment more than any other type and usually need a combination of techniques, which Neoderma assesses in person; icepick scars explains why.
Raised scars come from too much collagen rather than too little. They are a separate problem, and they always need to be evaluated in person before any treatment.
Acne scar treatment questions
How much does acne scar treatment cost?
Secret RF microneedling is $1,500 a session, and Neoderma lists a package of three at normally $4,500. Exceed is $425 a session, and PicoWay Resolve $200–$600 a session depending on the size of the area.
Does Neoderma offer Morpheus8?
No. Neoderma treats acne scars with Secret RF, a radiofrequency microneedling device in the same category, and its own comparison of the two explains why it chose Secret RF.
Is RF microneedling an option for darker skin?
Yes: Neoderma describes Secret RF as safe for darker skin types when performed using proper protocols, because its energy is delivered below the surface rather than to the pigmented top layer. Settings are chosen for your skin type.
Can I have treatment before a wedding or event?
Plan ahead: Neoderma's guidance is to finish Secret RF or PicoWay Resolve three to four weeks before the day, and to leave the final week free of anything that peels, flakes or reddens.
Start with a scar assessment in Anaheim
Book a $50 consultation at Neoderma. Your scars are matched to the treatment that fits them, and you get a transparent estimate for the whole series before any treatment.
Physician-led medical spa · 4.9 on Google (650+ reviews) · Serving Anaheim since 2001
$50 consultation at Neoderma in Anaheim, CA, credited toward treatment if you proceed within two weeks · Open Mon–Sat
Neoderma's team assesses your skin and matches the treatment to what is actually there, and you get a transparent estimate before any treatment.
Booking opens Neoderma's short request form: under “By skin concern”, pick Acne & Breakouts or Acne Scars & Texture. Their team contacts you to confirm the time and the $50 consultation.