Your Guide To Acne Scar Treatment: Expert Advice from Amanda Azzopardi

Acne scarring can be deeply personal and difficult to treat. In this in-depth Q&A, the owner of Amanda Azzopardi Aesthetics shares her expert approach to helping clients take that first step, manage their skin long term, and achieve real, lasting results with tailored care and support

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Do clients often find it difficult to book a consultation for acne scarring due to feeling self-conscious?

It’s very common for people to find that first step challenging. Many feel self-conscious or hesitant, especially if they’ve struggled with acne scars from a young age. Acne often begins around 13 or 14 due to hormonal changes, and factors like diet and environment can cause it to persist.

Early intervention can significantly improve long-term outcomes, reducing scarring in adulthood. Encouraging someone to come into the clinic is the crucial first step. From there, we tailor a treatment plan that includes both at-home skincare routines and monthly in-clinic treatments. Healing acne scars, especially on oilier skin types, usually involves a three-step process: calming inflammation, addressing post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and repairing scar tissue.

Once someone with acne scarring takes that first step and books a consultation, what happens next?

The journey with acne scarring treatment is often a deeply emotional one. While we can treat and improve the physical appearance of the skin, the emotional wounds don’t always heal so easily.

Many clients have tried various treatments before coming to the clinic, sometimes losing faith due to ineffective or inappropriate therapies. During the consultation, we use skin analysis technology to map the type and depth of scars, and explain the tailored treatment plan to repair the skin. It’s important to attend your first consultation with a bare face, free of makeup, so we can accurately assess your skin using our skin scanner.

For some, the journey also includes managing the after-effects of previous treatments like Roaccutane, which can bring its own physical and psychological challenges, including dryness and skin rebound, often alongside long courses of antibiotics. Overall, treating acne scarring is about much more than just improving the skin’s surface – it’s addressing the emotional impact that often runs deeper than the scars themselves.

What initial treatments do you recommend for someone with acne scarring?

The initial treatment depends on the type and severity of acne. If there are many pustules and papules, it’s crucial to control the bacteria first. We usually start with prescription skincare for a few weeks before any laser treatments. This is important because active acne can be painful and sensitive – applying laser over inflamed areas can cause discomfort and may worsen the condition.For gentler treatment, we often use the Obagi Blue Peel Radiance, a salicylic acid-based peel that helps draw out impurities, tighten pores, and reduce bacteria.

Alongside this, using non-comedogenic products is essential to avoid blocking pores and interfering with the treatment. It’s important to follow the prescribed skincare routine carefully and avoid adding unapproved products that could counteract the progress. If bacterial acne is under control and the focus shifts to scar tissue, treatment aims to break down adhesions and repair skin quality.

Many people hesitate to come in because they worry treatments will be painful. We prioritise comfort by using numbing creams and, for more extensive procedures, like radiofrequency microneedling, local anaesthetic blocks to ensure the process is as comfortable as possible.

What should someone expect from radiofrequency microneedling treatments?

Radiofrequency microneedling is an effective treatment for acne scarring, fine lines, and skin texture. At our clinic, your comfort is always our top priority and before we begin, we apply a numbing cream to ensure the treatment feels as comfortable as possible.

Many of our client’s report feeling little to no discomfort during the treatment, describing the sensation as a mild warmth or pressure. You may experience some redness or swelling for a few days afterwards however many clients tell us the results always outweigh any discomfort experienced during the procedure.

 

 

Are the results from acne scarring treatments permanent, or do they require ongoing skincare to maintain?

Maintaining results from acne scarring treatments requires daily care at home. Just like going to the gym regularly is essential for staying fit, your skin needs consistent attention to stay healthy and youthful. Skin is always ageing and changing, so ongoing maintenance is key.

After completing the initial course of treatments, you’ll typically need to return to the clinic for follow-up sessions every six to 12 months. At home, your skincare routine becomes a lifelong commitment, although over time you can reduce the number of products you use. Initially, the focus is on repairing the damage, and once that’s achieved, the emphasis shifts to maintaining those improvements.

Can you share a success story or transformation that stands out to you?

One case that really stands out is a woman in her mid-30s who struggled with severe inflammatory acne for years. Her husband had asked her to marry him, but she refused because she felt so self-conscious about her skin. She had a very red, inflamed face and had even been accused of having too much dermal filler – when in fact she’d never had any.

She had tried multiple antibiotics and treatments through the NHS with little success. We began with a tailored skincare regime and carefully identified potential triggers – whether genetic factors, lifestyle, diet, or environmental issues like not changing pillowcases or clearing sweat after workouts.

Her treatment journey wasn’t straightforward; she had bacterial infections and ocular inflammation, so we had to prescribe steroids and antibiotics before starting the skin care and procedures. It required patience, commitment and a lot of teamwork. After around 18 months of consistent treatment and care, her skin cleared significantly.

She got married shortly after and has now maintained clear skin for over two years. This case highlights how important it is to approach acne treatment holistically – addressing not just the skin but lifestyle and emotional support – and the value of perseverance and professional guidance.

How many sessions are usually needed to see a real improvement in the visibility of acne scarring?

I always make it clear to new clients that acne scarring can’t be fixed in just one session. Successful treatment requires full commitment – time-wise, financially, and emotionally. If you’re all in, then you’re more likely to get great results. If someone says, “I have severe cystic acne and want it fixed in one visit without coming back”, that’s just not realistic. Treatment is usually a longer process – often around 12 sessions over 12 months.

While you may see improvements sooner, lasting change takes time. That’s why I recommend our Skin Subscription. Instead of asking for a lump sum of £2,000 upfront, it’s easier to manage £189 a month. This way, it feels more achievable, and you get one treatment each month for a full year.

You’ll need to start a prescribed skincare routine, which may cause initial reactions like purging or flare-ups for about six weeks. Your skin might get worse before it gets better. But I’ll be there throughout to support you, with monthly clinic visits to review progress, adjust your skincare, and keep you accountable. This ongoing care is key to maintaining improvements and achieving the best results.