You can significantly improve the appearance of body acne scars, but the correct next step depends on scar type. Control active acne and sun exposure first, then choose topical fading agents or a clinician-delivered procedure matched to what you actually have: discoloration or structural damage. If you notice deep pits, raised keloids, or dark marks that keep getting worse, a dermatologist visit matters more than another product swap.
TL;DR:
- Active acne must be controlled for several weeks using consistent treatments like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid before attempting scar procedures.
- For atrophic scars, microneedling or radiofrequency treatments are safer options for darker skin tones, while lasers carry a higher risk of pigmentation issues.
- Sun protection is essential, as UV exposure can worsen discoloration and prolong healing, especially when using retinoids or acids.
- Multiple treatment sessions over months are typically needed, with in-office procedures often costing several thousand dollars and rarely covered by insurance.
- Proper pre- and post-treatment skincare, including gentle cleansing, sunscreen, and avoiding physical irritants, significantly reduces complication risks like hyperpigmentation.
Table of Contents
- Types of body acne marks and why the difference matters
- Why you need active acne under control before treating scars
- Home care and topical products that fade marks and prep skin
- In-office procedures: what each one actually targets
- Weighing efficacy, safety, and downtime before you choose
- What timelines, sessions, and costs typically look like
- Priming and aftercare that lower your risk of complications
- What patients tend to underestimate about recovery
- Daily products that support your scar treatment plan
- FAQ
- Sources
Types of body acne marks and why the difference matters
Not every mark left behind by a breakout is a scar. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or PIH, is a flat, discolored patch where skin pigment overproduced in response to inflammation. It fades on its own over months, though sun exposure can prolong it. True scarring involves a physical change in skin structure: collagen was lost or overproduced during healing, and the texture itself is different.
Atrophic scars sit below the skin’s surface and come in three common shapes: ice pick scars (narrow, deep holes), boxcar scars (wider depressions with sharp edges), and rolling scars (shallow waves with no defined border). Hypertrophic and keloid scars go the opposite direction, raised above the surface because the body laid down excess collagen during repair. Keloids can extend past the original wound’s borders, while hypertrophic scars stay contained.
Body sites change the picture, too. The back, chest, and shoulders carry thicker skin and denser hair follicles than the face, which means acne there tends to run deeper and scar more readily, and treatments calibrated for facial skin do not always transfer directly.
- PIH looks flat and discolored, and typically resolves without intervention.
- Atrophic scars (ice pick, boxcar, rolling) are depressed and represent lost tissue.
- Hypertrophic and keloid scars are raised and represent excess collagen.
- Fitzpatrick skin type strongly influences both PIH severity and procedural risk, since darker skin tones are more prone to pigment changes after injury or treatment.
Knowing which category you are dealing with changes everything downstream, from which cream might help to whether a laser is even a reasonable option.
Why you need active acne under control before treating scars
Scarring happens because inflammation damages the skin’s structure as it heals. If breakouts keep flaring, you are generating new potential scars while trying to treat old ones, and most dermatologists recommend stabilizing acne first before pursuing resurfacing or invasive scar procedures. Treating scar tissue while active lesions are still forming risks making things worse rather than better.
“Controlled” generally means no new inflamed lesions for a meaningful stretch of time, not just fewer breakouts. Getting there often involves a benzoyl peroxide wash or a salicylic acid spray used consistently, sometimes alongside prescription topicals.
- Confirm no new inflamed lesions have appeared for several weeks.
- Use benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid consistently rather than sporadically.
- Ask a dermatologist about prescription combination formulas if over-the-counter options plateau.
Combination prescriptions pairing tretinoin with benzoyl peroxide are common for stubborn body acne, but they raise photosensitivity, meaning sun exposure can trigger irritation or burning faster than untreated skin would.
Pro Tip: Apply acne treatments at night and sunscreen every morning: it keeps photosensitizing ingredients from working against you during the day.
Home care and topical products that fade marks and prep skin
Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen is the single most consistent recommendation across dermatology guidance for body acne marks, because UV exposure darkens PIH and can prolong it for months. Many acne-clearing ingredients also make skin more reactive to sun, so skipping sunscreen while using them compounds the problem rather than just failing to help it.
Beyond sunscreen, a handful of topical ingredients have real backing for fading discoloration and supporting cell turnover:
- Retinoids (adapalene, tretinoin) speed cell turnover and can fade both active breakouts and residual marks over weeks to months.
- Azelaic acid targets uneven pigmentation and has a gentler irritation profile than stronger retinoids for sensitive body skin.
- Niacinamide supports the skin barrier while helping even out tone, making it a reasonable layer alongside stronger actives.
- Gentle chemical exfoliants (lactic or glycolic acid at low concentrations) assist turnover without the friction of a physical scrub.
- Benzoyl peroxide stays the workhorse for keeping active acne controlled, which indirectly prevents new marks from forming.
Daily sunscreen use is considered essential for anyone managing acne marks on the body, since photosensitivity is a documented side effect of many acne-clearing agents, including retinoids and benzoyl peroxide.
A realistic regimen introduces one active ingredient at a time, gives it several weeks before judging results, and avoids abrasive physical scrubs on skin that is still inflamed. FDA prescribing information for combination topicals like tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide formulations specifically warns about photosensitivity and local irritation, reinforcing that sunscreen is not optional alongside these treatments. If irritation, worsening discoloration, or new lesions appear despite a careful routine, that is the signal to involve a dermatologist rather than stacking more products.
In-office procedures: what each one actually targets
Clinical treatment for body acne scars is not one procedure but a menu, and the right choice depends on scar type, skin tone, and your goals. Here is what each option is built to do.
Microneedling and MNRF (microneedling radiofrequency) create controlled micro-injuries that trigger collagen production. Microneedling is considered safe across skin tones and typically needs three to five sessions spaced several weeks apart to show meaningful change, making it a common starting point for atrophic scarring on darker skin.
Fractional CO2 and Er:YAG lasers resurface skin more aggressively than microneedling. A meta-analysis comparing fractional CO2 laser against microneedling radiofrequency found the laser produced better scar improvement and higher patient satisfaction, but also higher pain scores, a notably higher risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and longer-lasting redness afterward. That trade-off matters most for anyone with medium to dark skin tones.
Subcision, fillers, and punch excision address volume loss directly. Subcision releases the fibrous bands tethering a rolling or boxcar scar to deeper tissue, fillers add volume beneath a depression, and punch excision physically removes a deep ice pick scar before the site heals flat.
Steroid injections, pulsed dye laser, and cryotherapy target raised scars rather than depressed ones, flattening hypertrophic and keloid tissue by reducing excess collagen or constricting blood supply to the scar.
PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is increasingly layered on top of other procedures rather than used alone. A network meta-analysis of 68 randomized controlled trials found that laser combined with PRP ranked best for reducing scar severity scores, while laser combined with chemical peels ranked best for patient satisfaction, and microneedling alone had the best tolerability of the options studied.
- Microneedling/MNRF: collagen induction, lower risk profile, usually 3–5 sessions.
- Fractional lasers: stronger resurfacing, better results for some scars, higher PIH risk.
- Subcision/fillers/excision: direct correction for volume loss and deep pits.
- Steroid injections/PDL/cryotherapy: for raised, hypertrophic, or keloid scars.
- PRP combinations: often added to boost results from a primary procedure.
Combination therapy has become standard practice because single modalities rarely address every aspect of a scar at once: one treatment rebuilds collagen while another manages pigment, and together they tend to outperform either approach alone. Clinics offering these treatments, such as evoyouthful’s acne scarring treatments, typically combine RF microneedling with lasers or PRF depending on the scar pattern they see.
Pro Tip: Ask any provider which specific scar types their recommended procedure is designed for: a technique that excels on boxcar scars may do little for a keloid.
Weighing efficacy, safety, and downtime before you choose
No single treatment wins on every axis, so the right pick depends on what you are willing to trade off. The fractional CO2 versus microneedling radiofrequency meta-analysis found the laser delivered a greater improvement score and higher satisfaction, but also four times the relative risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and longer recovery from redness. For someone with a darker skin tone, that risk ratio alone can outweigh the efficacy edge.
Microneedling and MNRF sit at the safer end of that spectrum. Clinical guidance consistently points toward microneedling as a lower-risk option for darker skin types, paired with strict sun protection to keep PIH risk down further.
A simple way to frame the decision:
- Want minimal downtime and lower risk: microneedling or MNRF, likely across several sessions.
- Want maximum improvement and can tolerate more downtime: fractional laser, ideally after a patch test or consultation about your skin tone.
- Have a darker skin tone and PIH is a major concern: prioritize microneedling-based options and rigorous daily sunscreen before considering laser resurfacing.
- Dealing with raised scars rather than pits: steroid injections or pulsed dye laser, not resurfacing at all.
There is no universal best option. The network meta-analysis of combination therapies reinforces that pairing treatments, rather than betting everything on one modality, tends to produce the most consistent results across scar types.
What timelines, sessions, and costs typically look like
Most in-office procedures are not one-and-done. Microneedling protocols commonly run three to five sessions spaced two to four weeks apart, with visible improvement building gradually rather than appearing after a single visit. Laser and combination approaches follow a similar multi-session pattern, though spacing can stretch longer to allow full recovery between treatments.
Costs vary widely by device, provider expertise, and region, which makes any single number misleading. What stays consistent is that insurance rarely covers these procedures, since scar revision for cosmetic improvement is typically classified as elective rather than medically necessary.
- Expect a multi-session course, commonly three to five treatments, rather than a single procedure.
- Results accrue gradually over the following months as collagen remodels.
- Maintenance sessions may be needed periodically, especially for keloid-prone skin.
- Confirm with your provider whether your specific case has any insurance coverage pathway before assuming it is out of pocket.
Patience matters here as much as the procedure itself. Scars are considered a permanent structural change in the skin, though their appearance can be meaningfully improved through combination therapy over time, with the realistic goal being significant improvement in texture, color, and depth rather than complete removal.
Priming and aftercare that lower your risk of complications
What you do in the days surrounding a procedure often determines whether you heal cleanly or end up with new pigmentation problems. Dermatology guidance on scar treatment emphasizes priming skin and structured aftercare as key factors in minimizing PIH and infection risk.
- Stop or adjust retinoid use in the days or weeks before a procedure, exactly as your provider specifies.
- Avoid waxing the treatment area beforehand to reduce irritation and infection risk.
- Make sure active acne is controlled going into the appointment, not mid-flare.
- Ask about antiviral prophylaxis if you have a history of cold sores near the treatment site.
- After treatment, avoid direct sun and apply sunscreen diligently once your provider clears it.
- Cleanse gently, skip exfoliating scrubs until fully healed, and contact your clinician if you notice spreading redness, pus, or fever.
Pro Tip: Keep your post-procedure skincare simple for the first week: a gentle cleanser, a basic moisturizer, and sunscreen outperform a crowded routine while skin is healing.
What patients tend to underestimate about recovery
The part people skip past is that prevention and consistency beat any single procedure. Chasing a laser appointment while still picking at active breakouts or skipping sunscreen undoes a meaningful share of the benefit before it has a chance to show. Combination therapy, patience measured in months rather than weeks, and genuinely boring daily habits are what separate people who see real improvement from people who feel stuck.
Our team writes regularly about body acne triggers and uneven tone routines because the unglamorous daily layer is where most of the groundwork actually happens.
— Ayssa
Daily products that support your scar treatment plan
Whatever clinical path you choose, your skin needs support between appointments. We offer a Bum + Body Cream designed to calm and hydrate skin that is already dealing with retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, or post-procedure sensitivity, since a compromised barrier makes every active ingredient harder to tolerate.
Once a dermatologist confirms your skin can handle gentle exfoliation again, a Coco Body Scrub offers a non-abrasive way to support turnover, though it’s not recommended during active inflammation or right after a procedure.
- Pair barrier support with your topical acne regimen to reduce irritation.
- Save physical exfoliation for cleared, non-inflamed skin only.
- Browse full Bodycare and Outdoor lines, with subscription and bundle options for routines.
This article is general information, not a substitute for advice from a qualified doctor. Consult a qualified healthcare professional about your own circumstances before acting on anything here.
FAQ
How do you get rid of acne scars on your body?
Improvement comes from matching treatment to scar type: topical retinoids and sunscreen for discoloration, and procedures like microneedling or fractional laser for structural scars. Most people need a combination approach and multiple sessions rather than a single fix.
Do body acne marks go away?
Flat discoloration, or PIH, typically fades on its own over several months, especially with consistent sunscreen use. True structural scars are considered permanent changes in the skin, though their appearance can be meaningfully improved with the right treatment.
How can I fade back acne scars?
Start with daily broad-spectrum sunscreen and a retinoid or azelaic acid routine once active acne is controlled, since thicker back skin often needs more patience than facial skin. For deeper atrophic scars, microneedling is a commonly recommended starting procedure because it works well across skin tones.
Is it possible to 100% get rid of acne scars?
No treatment guarantees complete removal, since scars represent a real structural change in skin tissue. The realistic goal across dermatology guidance is substantial improvement in texture, depth, and color rather than erasing the scar entirely.
Sources
- Back acne: How to see clearer skin — American Academy of Dermatology
- Fractional CO2 Laser Versus Micro Needling Radiofrequency for Post Acne Scarring: A Meta‐Analysis of RCTs — PMC
- Acne scars: Causes, Diagnosis, Types & Treatment — Cleveland Clinic