Can You Really Improve the Look of Scarring? What the Secret Pro Can Do

We get asked about scarring more often than you might think. A caesarean scar that never quite settled. A raised, red line left behind after surgery. Old acne marks that lend the cheeks an uneven, pitted texture. The question is nearly always the same: is there anything that actually helps, or do you simply have to live with it?

The honest answer is yes, there is a lot we can do. Scars are rarely erased completely, and anyone who promises that is overselling. But the look of a scar, its size, its depth, its colour and how well it blends into the surrounding skin, can be improved meaningfully. At Wellface our first treatment of choice for most scarring is radiofrequency microneedling using the Secret Pro, often finished with a light pass of its CO2 laser.

Here we explain how that works, what a session actually involves, the sort of scars that respond best, and what you can realistically expect along the way.

Why scars look the way they do

To understand how we improve a scar, it helps to know why it formed in the first place. When the skin is injured deeply enough, whether by surgery, an accident, a burn or inflammatory acne, the body repairs the wound quickly rather than perfectly. It lays down collagen in a hurried, disorganised way. That is why scar tissue often looks and feels different from the skin around it. It can sit raised or sunken, it can be tighter, and in the early months it can stay stubbornly red or purple because of the extra blood vessels that formed during healing.

Over a year or two, many scars mature and fade on their own. The redness calms towards a paler, silvery white and the texture softens. What we do with treatment is essentially nudge that process along and improve on it, encouraging the skin to remodel that disorganised collagen into something closer to normal, healthy tissue.

Different scars behave differently. Atrophic scars, the small depressions left by acne or chickenpox, sit below the skin surface. Hypertrophic scars are raised but stay within the boundary of the original wound. Boxcar and rolling acne scars create that undulating, orange-peel look across the cheeks. Each responds to treatment in its own way, which is why an in-person assessment matters so much before we suggest a plan.

How radiofrequency microneedling with the Secret Pro works

The Secret Pro is a two-in-one device. The part we tend to reach for first with scarring is its radiofrequency microneedling handpiece.

Microneedling on its own uses very fine needles to create tiny, controlled channels in the skin. That micro-injury sounds counterintuitive when we are trying to improve a scar, but it is deliberate. Those channels trigger the skin's natural repair response, what we often describe as the healing cascade, prompting fresh collagen and elastin to form. Radiofrequency takes this a significant step further. As the needles reach their set depth, they deliver radiofrequency energy directly into the deeper layers of the skin, heating the tissue in a precise, targeted way. That controlled heat is what remodels old, dense scar collagen and stimulates the body to replace it with newer, better organised collagen.

The Secret Pro's needles are semi-insulated, which means the energy is delivered where we want it, in the deeper dermis, while the surface of the skin is largely protected. The depth is adjustable, so we can treat a delicate area around the mouth quite differently from a thicker scar on the body. This flexibility is a big part of why the device suits scar work so well. A raised caesarean scar, a shoulder left marked after surgery, acne scarring across the cheeks and jaw: all can be approached with settings tailored to that specific tissue.

Over a series of sessions, the practical result is that a scar which was red, raised and obvious can shrink, become thinner and flatter, and lose much of its angry colour. As one of our doctors puts it, we are aiming for the scar to blend in with the rest of the skin so it reads as far more uniform, rather than drawing the eye.

Where the CO2 laser comes in

The Secret Pro's second tool is a CO2 laser, and this is where the finishing improvement often comes from. CO2 is a well established resurfacing wavelength. It works by delivering energy that removes and renews the very top layers of skin in a fractional pattern, meaning it treats columns of tissue while leaving healthy skin in between to speed recovery.

For scarring, we tend to use the laser towards the end of a treatment plan, once the deeper remodelling from the radiofrequency microneedling has done its work. Think of it as the final polish. The CO2 pass refines surface texture, softens the edges of a scar and improves overall skin quality and tone, so the treated area sits more seamlessly with everything around it.

Combining the two technologies means we can work at different levels of the skin. The radiofrequency reaches deep to rebuild structure, while the laser refines the surface. Not every patient needs both, and the balance between them depends entirely on the scar in front of us.

What a session and the recovery involve

Before anything else, you will have a proper consultation. We look at the scar, ask how and when it formed, check your skin type and general health, and talk through what is realistic. This matters because darker skin tones, a tendency to keloid scarring or very fresh wounds all change the approach, and sometimes the answer is to wait or to choose a different route.

On the day, we apply a numbing cream so the treatment is comfortable. Most people describe the sensation as a series of warm pressure points rather than anything sharp. A single area usually takes somewhere between thirty minutes and an hour once numbing is included, depending on the size of the scar and whether we are using the laser as well.

Afterwards, expect the treated skin to look pink or red, a little like mild sunburn, with some swelling for a day or two. Tiny grid-like marks from the needles may be visible briefly. How long you look flushed varies. Many people find they are socially presentable within a couple of days, though a more intensive session, particularly one involving the CO2 laser, can mean three to five days before the redness fully settles. Aftercare is straightforward but important: keep the skin clean and well moisturised, avoid make-up for the first day or so, skip the gym, saunas and hot workouts for a few days, and be diligent with a high-factor sunscreen. Sun protection is not optional here, because freshly treated and healing skin pigments easily.

How many sessions and when will I see results?

Scar remodelling is a gradual process, not an overnight fix. You may notice an early freshness in the skin within a few weeks, but the real change comes from collagen remodelling that continues for months after treatment. Most scars need a course of sessions spaced several weeks apart rather than a single visit, and the most meaningful improvement often shows up in the weeks and months following the final session. We would always rather set that expectation honestly at the start than have you disappointed that one appointment did not transform everything.

Scars, texture and redness: the wider picture

While scarring is the focus here, the same technology helps with concerns that sit close to it. Enlarged pores and rough, uneven texture respond well to radiofrequency microneedling, because the collagen it builds firms and refines the skin's surface over time. General acne scarring, that pitted, shadowed look across the cheeks, is one of the most rewarding things we treat with the Secret Pro.

Redness is a slightly different conversation. The redness within a scar itself, from those extra blood vessels, tends to soften as the scar matures and remodels, which is exactly what we are encouraging. Rosacea, on the other hand, is a chronic condition of facial flushing and visible vessels, and it is managed rather than cured. For rosacea specifically, laser and light based treatments and a careful skincare routine usually play the leading role. If redness is your main concern, it is well worth a conversation so we can tell the difference between scar-related colour and rosacea and point you to the right treatment.

Common questions about scar treatment

Can any scar be completely removed?

No treatment removes a scar entirely, and we would be wary of anyone who claims otherwise. What we can do is genuinely improve how a scar looks, making it flatter, thinner, paler and better blended with the skin around it, so it becomes far less noticeable. For many people that difference is significant.

Does it work on body scars as well as the face?

Yes. The Secret Pro is used on the face, neck, chest and body, and we treat scars in all of these areas. Caesarean scars are a common request, along with scars left after other surgery or injury. The settings are adjusted for the thickness and location of the skin being treated.

How old does a scar need to be before I treat it?

It depends. Some scars respond beautifully once they have matured, while in other cases early intervention helps guide the healing. Because timing genuinely varies with the type of scar and how it formed, this is one of the main things we assess in consultation rather than answering with a blanket rule.

Is the treatment painful?

We numb the skin thoroughly beforehand, so most people find it very manageable. The common description is warmth and pressure rather than sharp pain. Any discomfort afterwards is usually mild and settles quickly.

Will the redness get worse before it gets better?

The skin will look pink or red immediately after treatment, and that is a normal, expected part of the healing response. It settles over the following days. The longer-term direction of travel for a red scar is towards that paler, silvery tone as it remodels.

Come and let us take a look

Every scar is different, which is why the most useful next step is simply to have it seen. At Wellface our doctors can assess the size, depth and colour of your scar in person and tell you honestly what is achievable, whether that is radiofrequency microneedling alone, a course finished with the CO2 laser, or a different approach altogether. If a scar has been bothering you, book a consultation at our Cobham, Esher or Wimbledon clinic and we will talk you through a plan that suits your skin.