"Post-acne" is a catch-all for whatever is left behind once a breakout clears. But that one word covers three different problems with three different mechanisms, and they are treated differently: whatever clears a spot will not touch a scar, and the other way around.
Three different marks, not one
Redness is dilated blood vessels left over from recent inflammation—it sits on the surface and fades on its own over time. Pigmentation is excess melanin the skin produced in response to the inflammation—also a surface-level change. Scarring and uneven texture are a structural change deep in the dermis: the collagen fibers rebuilt unevenly, and skin does not correct that on its own. The first two ease up over time by themselves; the third does not.
Redness and pigmentation: BBI MULA phototherapy
BBI MULA uses light filters tuned to a specific target: one is absorbed by hemoglobin in blood vessels and clears redness, another by melanin in a pigmented spot. The treatment needs no downtime—mild redness fades within a couple of hours. It runs as a course of 2 to 6 sessions, 2 to 4 weeks apart, and areas are priced separately: 1 area for pigmentation from ₽10,200, 3 areas—face, neck, and décolletage—from ₽25,200. Your doctor picks the exact filter and area at the consultation.
Scarring and uneven texture: SALANO RF microneedling
A scar sits in the dermis, and the only way to reach it is at that depth—that is what SALANO Optimus's microneedling mode is for: energy travels down the needles to a depth of 0.4 to 4mm, triggers new collagen production, and gradually evens out the texture. The course is shorter than phototherapy—1 to 3 sessions, at least a month apart—and the effect keeps building for months as collagen forms. Pricing depends on the area: full face from ₽32,500, chin from ₽15,900.
Peels: refresh the surface, do not restore volume
Peels—PRX-T33 and BioRePeel with no visible peeling (from ₽5,100), Peach PEEL (from ₽5,100), or azelaic, which separately targets inflammation and post-acne marks (from ₽3,500)—refresh the top layer of skin and help with dullness and surface pigmentation. But a peel works on the surface, not on volume or deep scarring—those are a different treatment's job. In a combined plan, a peel is usually a supporting step, not a substitute for RF treatment once texture changes are already visible.
What genuinely does not work
Scrubs, at-home acid creams, and aggressive mechanical exfoliation never reach the dermis, where scarring actually sits—at best, they smooth out surface dullness a little. And squeezing does not clear a mark—it is usually what creates one: mechanical pressure pushes the inflammation deeper, and a new scar forms where a healed spot should have been.
When to start
Treating the marks while acne is still active is premature—a new mark forms right where the last one was just treated. The inflammation gets brought under control first, and only then does treatment move on to scarring, pigmentation, and texture. This is a sequence, not a single treatment, and your doctor sets it at the consultation based on the type of marks and how ready the skin is.
Common questions
How is a red mark different from a scar?
Redness is dilated blood vessels left over from recent inflammation—it sits on the surface and fades on its own over time, though phototherapy speeds that up. A scar is a change in the skin's own structure, down in the dermis, and it will not resolve by itself—the same logic as any other scar. That is why they need different treatments: light works on color, RF microneedling works on texture.
Will a peel fix scarring?
A peel works on the surface—pigmentation, dullness, the texture of the top layer of skin. It cannot reach volume loss or deep scarring, because it never gets down to that depth of the dermis. That is what RF microneedling is for—the energy travels down the needles to a depth of up to 4mm.
Can post-acne marks be treated at home, with scrubs and creams?
For surface dullness and mild congestion, at-home care helps. For scarring and real texture changes, no—those live deep in the skin, further than any scrub or cream physically reaches. And squeezing is worse than useless: it is usually what leaves the scar in the first place, by pushing inflammation deeper.
When can I start treating the marks?
Only once the acne itself is under control. Treating the marks while inflammation is still active is pointless—a new mark forms where the old one was just treated. The cause comes first, then the scarring and pigmentation.
How many sessions does it take?
It depends what you are treating. BBI MULA phototherapy runs 2 to 6 sessions, 2 to 4 weeks apart. RF microneedling runs 1 to 3 sessions, at least a month apart. Your doctor sets the exact plan at the consultation, based on the type and depth of the marks.