--- title: "Acne Scars & Skin Texture" --- Acne often leaves lasting texture. Indented, or atrophic, scars form as depressions when the skin loses collagen while healing, and come in ice-pick, boxcar, and rolling shapes. Raised scars form when the skin makes too much collagen. Flat brown or red marks are discoloration rather than true scars. Each responds to a different treatment, and richer skin tones need care to avoid new dark marks. ## What it is Several different things get called acne scars, and they do not all respond to the same tool. - Indented (atrophic) scars. Depressions left when healing skin loses collagen. They come as narrow ice-pick pits, sharp-edged boxcar dips, and broad rolling waves. - Raised (hypertrophic) scars. Firmer bumps from too much collagen, more common on the chest and back than the face. - Marks, not scars. Flat brown or red spots where breakouts were, called post-inflammatory pigment or redness. These are discoloration and often fade or respond to gentler treatment. Telling a true pitted scar from a flat mark matters, because the mark may need only a surface treatment while the pit needs collagen rebuilt underneath it. ## What causes it Scars form during healing. When acne inflames the skin deeply enough, the repair can come up short, leaving a depression, or overshoot, leaving a raised scar. The flat brown or red marks are the skin's pigment and blood-vessel response to the inflammation, not scars, which is why they behave differently. Skin tone shapes the picture. Richer skin tones are more likely to hold onto brown marks after a breakout, called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and are more sensitive to aggressive resurfacing, which can itself darken the skin if done without care. That is why the plan is built around the skin as much as the scar. ## Which kind of texture is it This is what the consultation sorts out, because the tool has to match the scar and the skin. What you noticeUsually meansThe route that fitsBroad, soft waves and general roughnessRolling scars and textureCollagen-building microneedlingSharp-edged dips with defined wallsBoxcar scarsA resurfacing laser, sometimes with microneedlingDeep, narrow pitsIce-pick scarsFocused resurfacing, sometimes minor scar proceduresFlat brown or red marks, not pitsPost-acne discolorationA chemical peel, and timeMarks plus richer skin toneHigher pigment riskGentler, tone-safe protocols chosen with care The value is not the list. It is that a physician distinguishes a pit from a mark and reads your skin tone before choosing, so the plan rebuilds real scars and clears real discoloration without triggering new dark spots. ## Why Santa Barbara Face & Body Acne scars are where aggressive resurfacing can backfire, especially in richer skin tones, where the wrong device or setting trades a scar for a dark mark. Dr. Pontius chooses the tool for the scar type and the skin tone, and uses protocols meant to be safe across the full range of skin colors rather than a single one-size setting. That judgment, and a combination when scars are mixed, is what turns texture into smoother skin without a new problem. ## When it is worth a consultation **Worth coming in if you** - Have pitting or rough texture left from past acne - See brown or red marks where breakouts used to be - Have tried creams without enough change in the texture - Want a plan built for your skin tone, not a generic setting **Better to talk it through first if you** - Still have active, inflamed acne, which is usually calmed first - Are pregnant or breastfeeding - Have a history of raised or keloid scarring, which changes the approach ## What to expect from a visit Dr. Pontius looks at the scars in raking light to read their depth and type, notes which marks are pigment rather than true scars, and factors in your skin tone. If acne is still active, calming it comes first. You leave knowing which of your marks are scars and which are discoloration, the tool matched to each, and whether one treatment or a staged combination fits your skin. ## What we offer for this People come in about texture and marks from old acne and leave with a plan matched to the scar type and their skin tone. Deeper scars and surface discoloration take different routes. > Acne Scars: Diagnosis and Treatment, American Academy of Dermatology (United States). Acne scars are atrophic (ice-pick, boxcar, rolling) or raised; microneedling stimulates collagen and is safe for all skin tones; laser resurfacing and chemical peels treat scars and post-acne marks; combinations are common. — [Acne Scars: Diagnosis and Treatment, American Academy of Dermatology](https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne/derm-treat/scars/treatment) ## Smoothing Acne Scars & Skin Texture in Santa Barbara, CA Acne may fade, but the texture and scarring it leaves behind can linger for years — and you don't have to just live with it. In our Santa Barbara practice, Dr. Pontius treats scarring and rough texture holistically, choosing the approach that will bring out your skin's natural smoothness. If uneven texture has been wearing on your confidence, we'd love to help. Fill out the form below or call us at [(805) 764-9074](tel:+18057649074). ```ld+json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "MedicalCondition", "@id": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/acne-scars-skin-texture/#concern", "name": "Acne Scars & Skin Texture", "url": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/acne-scars-skin-texture/", "description": "Acne can clear and still leave its mark: pitted scars, rough texture, and brown or red spots where breakouts were. These are different problems with different fixes, and skin tone changes what is safe to use. At Santa Barbara Face & Body a physician…", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "contentUrl": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/sbfb-body-skin-hair-concerns-1024x1024.jpg", "width": 1024, "height": 1024 } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "MedicalWebPage", "@id": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/acne-scars-skin-texture/#webpage", "name": "Acne Scars & Skin Texture", "url": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/acne-scars-skin-texture/", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/acne-scars-skin-texture/#concern" }, "about": [ { "@type": "MedicalSpecialty", "name": "Plastic Surgery", "sameAs": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q182442" } ], "speakable": { "@type": "SpeakableSpecification", "cssSelector": [ ".geo-summary" ] }, "citation": [ { "@id": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/acne-scars-skin-texture/#citation-6094a086" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": { "@id": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/", "@type": "WebSite", "name": "Home" } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Concerns", "item": { "@id": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/", "@type": "CollectionPage", "name": "Concerns" } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Acne Scars & Skin Texture", "item": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/acne-scars-skin-texture/" } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Question", "name": "Acne Scars & Skin Texture", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Acne scars and texture are the pitting, roughness, and marks left after acne heals. At Santa Barbara Face & Body in Santa Barbara, California, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon identifies the scar type, indented, raised, or surface discoloration, and the skin tone, then matches microneedling, laser resurfacing, or a chemical peel to what is actually there." }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/acne-scars-skin-texture/#webpage" }, "url": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/acne-scars-skin-texture/" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "Are my brown marks scars?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Often not. Flat brown or red spots where acne was are usually post-inflammatory pigment or redness, which is discoloration rather than a true scar. It tends to respond to gentler treatment and time, while pitted scars need collagen rebuilt underneath. Telling them apart is the first step." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which treatment is best for acne scars?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "There is no single best one, because scar types differ. Rolling scars and general texture often respond to collagen-building microneedling, deeper boxcar scars to a resurfacing laser, and surface discoloration to a chemical peel. Mixed scarring often does best with a combination, matched to your skin." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "I have a deeper skin tone. Is resurfacing safe?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "It can be, with the right choices. Richer skin tones are more prone to darkening after aggressive treatment, so tone-safe devices, settings, and protocols matter, and microneedling and conservative peels are often safer starting points. The key is a provider who plans around your skin tone rather than a single setting." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Should I treat active acne first?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Usually, yes. Resurfacing works best on calm skin, and treating scars while acne is still inflamed can be less effective and more irritating. Getting the acne under control first, then addressing the scars, is the typical order." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Will one treatment clear my scars?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Improvement is realistic, complete erasure usually is not. Most scar plans build over several sessions and often combine methods, and results keep improving as collagen forms in the months after. The consultation sets honest expectations for your scar type." } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://santabarbarafaceandbody.com/concerns/acne-scars-skin-texture/#citation-6094a086", "name": "Acne Scars: Diagnosis and Treatment, American Academy of Dermatology", "url": "https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/acne/derm-treat/scars/treatment" } ] } ```