Acne scars: Can we prevent them before they form?
Acne scars: Can we prevent them before they form?
Acne scars: Can we prevent them before they form?
Preventing acne scars means recovery ointment care at the red-mark stage—not after they form.
Acne scars, can they be prevented before they form?
💡 Please check this before reading
Q. Don’t red marks just fade away naturally if you leave them alone?
A. In some cases they do disappear on their own, but if you manage them with a regenerative ointment at this stage, you can effectively prevent them from hardening into scars.
Q. Isn’t the right way to treat acne scars with a laser after they’ve already formed?
A. Preventing them at the red-mark stage gives much better results than treating them after they’ve already formed.
"If you manage healing red marks with a regenerative ointment, you can prevent scars"
— Dr. Wi Young-jin (Beautystone Clinic, Hongdae)
What are acne scars?
Acne scars (Acne Scar) are caused by acne
after skin tissue is damaged and heals unevenly,
leaving depressions, pigmentation, and bumpy texture behind.
Unlike simple pigmentation (red marks),
real scars mean that the collagen structure of the dermis itself
has been altered, making treatment much more difficult.
Why the red-mark stage is actually the most important
This is something many people misunderstand,
when people say they want to ‘prevent’ acne scars,
most first think, “I just shouldn’t squeeze pimples.”
Of course, that’s true too.
But there’s one important thing here.
After a pimple breaks,
the red-mark stage left on the skin surface
is actually the true golden time for scar prevention.
Why is that?
Right after a pimple breaks, the skin enters recovery mode.
At this point, collagen is newly produced in the dermis,
and whether this process proceeds in an orderly way
determines whether the skin heals smoothly or a depressed scar remains.
Red marks are still in the middle of recovery.
It’s an unstable stage where collagen rearrangement is not yet complete.
If you apply a regenerative ointment at this point,
it seals the skin barrier
and reduces moisture loss and inflammatory irritation during recovery.
As a result, collagen fills in more evenly,
and the number of cases that recover without depression clearly increases.
On the other hand, if you just leave it alone at this stage,
external stressors (UV, friction, dryness) pile on,
dermal damage worsens,
and eventually the collagen structure collapses and hardens.
That is a depressed scar.
To be honest,
you can’t prevent every scar with just one regenerative ointment.
In cases that are already deeply damaged, even with any kind of care,
some traces may still remain.
That said, when you compare people who started care at the red-mark stage
with those who just let it pass,
the frequency of progression to depression is noticeably different.
Based on the cases we see in our clinic,
those who began managing it from the red-mark stage
had a clearly lower rate of progression to depressed scars.
👨⚕️ Dr. Wi Young-jin’s key summary:
Red marks are not ‘traces that are already left behind’
but ‘a condition that is still recovering.’
If you lock in moisture and reduce inflammation with a regenerative ointment at this stage,
collagen can fill in evenly and you can prevent it from hardening into a depressed scar.
It is much easier to prevent scars at the red-mark stage,
and the results are better too, than treating them after they have already formed.
The effects of each management method are different
There are three main options
you can choose at the red-mark stage.
Do nothing, use only a regenerative ointment,
or combine the ointment with in-clinic procedures.
The tricky part is,
the right method differs from person to person.
Depending on skin thickness, inflammation depth, and acne type,
the approach should also change.
Management method | Suitable cases | Scar prevention effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Leaving it alone (do nothing) | When inflammation is very shallow | Low | Risk of scar progression when exposed to UV and dryness |
Using regenerative ointment alone | Superficial acne, shallow red marks | Moderate to high | Be careful about clogged pores during the active acne stage |
Regenerative ointment + sunscreen | Most red-mark stages | High | Sunscreen is essential every day until recovery is complete |
Regenerative ointment + in-clinic procedures | Deep inflammation, recurrent cases | Highest | Apply the ointment after checking the skin condition immediately after the procedure |
It varies by case,
but this is usually how I approach it.
If only red marks remain,
I first recommend the combination of regenerative ointment + sunscreen.
Just using those two well
can often be enough to prevent progression to depression.
However, if acne keeps recurring in the same spot, or
if the inflammation was fairly deep,
there are limits to what regenerative ointment alone can do.
For these patients,
combining procedures such as PDT or laser toning at the clinic
gives much better results.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. Which regenerative ointment should I use?
A. As you can see in the paper, if you are someone who develops hypertrophic scars,
we recommend applying steroids instead.
Steroid use - preventing hypertrophic progression in acne scars
I attached the paper.
Q2. How long should I use regenerative ointment?
A. Until the red marks fade completely, usually based on 4 to 8 weeks after drainage.
Q3. I got more pimples while using the regenerative ointment. Can I keep using it?
A. Some people find that the ointment blocks their pores and worsens acne.
In such cases, stop using it immediately
and see a dermatologist.
There may be lighter formulations
or other approaches that achieve the same effect.
Pre-visit WhatsApp consultation is also available. This was Dr. Wi Young-jin.
▶ Read also
▶Is there a dermatologist in Hongdae who really treats acne well?
▶“Is eye-area Botox just for prevention??” Cases where you should choose Sofwave
▶Treating acne scars before a wedding: why 6 months before the wedding is the golden time
▶“Will one Curet session fill in all pitted scars?” The reality, according to the doctor
Acne scars, can they be prevented before they form?
💡 Please check this before reading
Q. Don’t red marks just fade away naturally if you leave them alone?
A. In some cases they do disappear on their own, but if you manage them with a regenerative ointment at this stage, you can effectively prevent them from hardening into scars.
Q. Isn’t the right way to treat acne scars with a laser after they’ve already formed?
A. Preventing them at the red-mark stage gives much better results than treating them after they’ve already formed.
"If you manage healing red marks with a regenerative ointment, you can prevent scars"
— Dr. Wi Young-jin (Beautystone Clinic, Hongdae)
What are acne scars?
Acne scars (Acne Scar) are caused by acne
after skin tissue is damaged and heals unevenly,
leaving depressions, pigmentation, and bumpy texture behind.
Unlike simple pigmentation (red marks),
real scars mean that the collagen structure of the dermis itself
has been altered, making treatment much more difficult.
Why the red-mark stage is actually the most important
This is something many people misunderstand,
when people say they want to ‘prevent’ acne scars,
most first think, “I just shouldn’t squeeze pimples.”
Of course, that’s true too.
But there’s one important thing here.
After a pimple breaks,
the red-mark stage left on the skin surface
is actually the true golden time for scar prevention.
Why is that?
Right after a pimple breaks, the skin enters recovery mode.
At this point, collagen is newly produced in the dermis,
and whether this process proceeds in an orderly way
determines whether the skin heals smoothly or a depressed scar remains.
Red marks are still in the middle of recovery.
It’s an unstable stage where collagen rearrangement is not yet complete.
If you apply a regenerative ointment at this point,
it seals the skin barrier
and reduces moisture loss and inflammatory irritation during recovery.
As a result, collagen fills in more evenly,
and the number of cases that recover without depression clearly increases.
On the other hand, if you just leave it alone at this stage,
external stressors (UV, friction, dryness) pile on,
dermal damage worsens,
and eventually the collagen structure collapses and hardens.
That is a depressed scar.
To be honest,
you can’t prevent every scar with just one regenerative ointment.
In cases that are already deeply damaged, even with any kind of care,
some traces may still remain.
That said, when you compare people who started care at the red-mark stage
with those who just let it pass,
the frequency of progression to depression is noticeably different.
Based on the cases we see in our clinic,
those who began managing it from the red-mark stage
had a clearly lower rate of progression to depressed scars.
👨⚕️ Dr. Wi Young-jin’s key summary:
Red marks are not ‘traces that are already left behind’
but ‘a condition that is still recovering.’
If you lock in moisture and reduce inflammation with a regenerative ointment at this stage,
collagen can fill in evenly and you can prevent it from hardening into a depressed scar.
It is much easier to prevent scars at the red-mark stage,
and the results are better too, than treating them after they have already formed.
The effects of each management method are different
There are three main options
you can choose at the red-mark stage.
Do nothing, use only a regenerative ointment,
or combine the ointment with in-clinic procedures.
The tricky part is,
the right method differs from person to person.
Depending on skin thickness, inflammation depth, and acne type,
the approach should also change.
Management method | Suitable cases | Scar prevention effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Leaving it alone (do nothing) | When inflammation is very shallow | Low | Risk of scar progression when exposed to UV and dryness |
Using regenerative ointment alone | Superficial acne, shallow red marks | Moderate to high | Be careful about clogged pores during the active acne stage |
Regenerative ointment + sunscreen | Most red-mark stages | High | Sunscreen is essential every day until recovery is complete |
Regenerative ointment + in-clinic procedures | Deep inflammation, recurrent cases | Highest | Apply the ointment after checking the skin condition immediately after the procedure |
It varies by case,
but this is usually how I approach it.
If only red marks remain,
I first recommend the combination of regenerative ointment + sunscreen.
Just using those two well
can often be enough to prevent progression to depression.
However, if acne keeps recurring in the same spot, or
if the inflammation was fairly deep,
there are limits to what regenerative ointment alone can do.
For these patients,
combining procedures such as PDT or laser toning at the clinic
gives much better results.
Frequently asked questions
Q1. Which regenerative ointment should I use?
A. As you can see in the paper, if you are someone who develops hypertrophic scars,
we recommend applying steroids instead.
Steroid use - preventing hypertrophic progression in acne scars
I attached the paper.
Q2. How long should I use regenerative ointment?
A. Until the red marks fade completely, usually based on 4 to 8 weeks after drainage.
Q3. I got more pimples while using the regenerative ointment. Can I keep using it?
A. Some people find that the ointment blocks their pores and worsens acne.
In such cases, stop using it immediately
and see a dermatologist.
There may be lighter formulations
or other approaches that achieve the same effect.
Pre-visit WhatsApp consultation is also available. This was Dr. Wi Young-jin.
▶ Read also
▶Is there a dermatologist in Hongdae who really treats acne well?
▶“Is eye-area Botox just for prevention??” Cases where you should choose Sofwave
▶Treating acne scars before a wedding: why 6 months before the wedding is the golden time
▶“Will one Curet session fill in all pitted scars?” The reality, according to the doctor
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