Acne scarring · Every skin tone · Battersea SW11

Acne scar treatment in London.

Scars and marks are not the same thing. Red or dark marks left after spots are flat and fade with pigment care. A true scar is a change in the texture of the skin, and it needs collagen work. The consultation decides which you have, because the treatment is different.

Acne scarring is treated at Melatone in Battersea, a 10 to 14 minute walk from Clapham Junction, by Arman Zaki, GMC-registered Physician Associate, with a special interest in Skin of Colour. We match the treatment to the scar type: microneedling, microneedling with your own PRP, calibrated chemical peels and polynucleotides. Where a scar needs a procedure we do not offer, we say so and refer you.

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★ 5.0 Google · 58 reviews·Consultation £30, deducted·Chosen by scar type·Fitzpatrick I to VI

The question people ask first

Which London clinics treat acne scarring?

Melatone Skin Clinic in Battersea, London SW11, treats acne scarring with microneedling, microneedling with your own PRP, chemical peels and polynucleotides, chosen by scar type at a £30 consultation that is deducted from your first treatment. Treatment is delivered by Arman Zaki, GMC-registered Physician Associate, with a special interest in Skin of Colour, so scarring on brown and black skin is treated with a protocol built to lower the risk of new dark marks.

Scar type decides the treatment

Which type of acne scar do you have?

Dermatology groups acne scars by shape, and the shape is what decides which treatment can reach them. Most people have a mix. We map yours at consultation under angled light, because rolling scars vanish under a flat ring light and reappear in daylight.

Atrophic · rolling

Wide, sloping, smooth out when the skin is stretched

The most treatable type. Tethered bands under the skin pull the surface down. Collagen-building treatments such as microneedling, with or without PRP, soften them over a course.

Atrophic · boxcar

Round or oval dips with defined edges

Shallow boxcars respond to microneedling and to superficial peels for the surface texture. Deep boxcars often need procedures in a dermatology setting, and we say so.

Atrophic · ice-pick

Narrow, deeper than they are wide, V-shaped

The commonest type and the hardest to reach. Standard microneedling improves the surrounding texture but rarely the pit itself; techniques such as TCA CROSS or punch elevation are dermatology procedures, so we refer.

Hypertrophic and keloid

Raised, firm, sometimes growing beyond the original spot

A different problem needing a different approach, usually intralesional steroid or specialist laser in a dermatology setting. Microneedling over a keloid can make it worse, so we refer rather than treat.

Not a scar · dark marks

Flat brown or grey marks after spots

Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, most common on brown and black skin. It fades with pigment care, SPF and time, and is treated on our PIH protocol, not with scar treatment.

Not a scar · red marks

Flat pink or red marks after spots

Post-inflammatory erythema, more common on lighter skin, from healing blood vessels. It settles over months and does not need collagen work. Picking turns marks into scars, which is why treating active acne comes first.

What we offer

Four treatments, matched to the scar.

First line for rolling and boxcar scars

Microneedling, Advanced protocol · £190, or £540 for a course of 3

Our deepest mechanical microneedling protocol, on a Dr Pen M8s with a single-use cartridge, paired with a serum matched to your skin. Depth is set per facial zone. It prompts your own collagen to remodel the tethered bands under the scar, so change builds across a course of 3, spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart. Full microneedling page.

Microneedling with your own platelets

PRP microneedling, the vampire facial · £450, or £1,200 for a course of 3

Your own blood is drawn and concentrated in clinic by Arman, and the platelet-rich plasma is applied through the micro-channels. Used where we want more regenerative support for established scarring and texture, and because it is your own tissue there is nothing foreign to react to.

Surface texture and marks

Chemical peels · from £110 a session

Superficial peels for the surface texture and the dark marks that sit alongside scars: Acne Control salicylic £120, Skin Brightening glycolic £135, Jessner blend £160. Every peel is calibrated to your Fitzpatrick type and patch tested first; we do not run deep peels on darker skin. Chemical peels page.

Skin quality alongside

Polynucleotides · £200, or £540 for a course of 3

Polynucleotide injections prompt your own fibroblasts, the cells that build collagen, and are used where overall skin quality and texture are the concern alongside scarring, often with microneedling. Polynucleotides page.

The consultation is £30 and is deducted from your first treatment. We do not offer radiofrequency microneedling, ablative or fractional laser resurfacing, subcision, punch techniques, TCA CROSS, scar excision or steroid injections. If your scars need one of those, we tell you and refer you to a dermatology-led service rather than sell you a course that cannot reach them.

Brown and black skin

Acne scars on darker skin, treated without trading one problem for another.

Acne scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation travel together on Fitzpatrick IV to VI skin, and the treatments that resurface most aggressively are the ones most likely to leave new dark marks. That is why we favour mechanical microneedling, which spares most of the epidermis and does not target melanin, over heat-based devices and deep peels.

Our protocol for darker skin is published in full on the microneedling page: priming two to four weeks beforehand to reduce melanocyte reactivity, depth set to the thinnest tissue in each zone, fewer passes with uniform redness as the endpoint, no overlapping trauma, an anti-inflammatory finish, daily broad-spectrum SPF 50, and 4 to 6 weeks between sessions so inflammation fully resolves. Lower risk is not no risk, and we say so. Read the PIH-safe protocol and our approach to Skin of Colour.

Before treatment

Active acne first. Then scars.

Needling or peeling over inflamed spots spreads inflammation and creates the next generation of scars. If your acne is still active, the first step is controlling it, usually through your GP, and NICE guidance on acne recommends treating ongoing acne to prevent further scarring before addressing the scars themselves. If you are on isotretinoin or have recently finished a course, we agree the timing of any procedure with your prescriber.

We also ask about keloid tendency, bleeding disorders and blood-thinning medication (relevant to PRP), pregnancy, recent sun exposure, cold sores and any skin infection, because each one changes what we can safely do that day. Painful nodules or cysts, or scarring that is severe and unchanged a year after your acne cleared, are reasons to see a dermatologist, and we say so.

What to expect

Consultation, map, course, review.

01 · Consultation, £30

Scar mapping under angled light.

Arman Zaki, GMC-registered Physician Associate, maps the scar types, checks for active acne and keloid tendency, types your skin on the Fitzpatrick scale, and tells you honestly which scars a course can improve and which need referral. The £30 is deducted from your first treatment.

02 · Preparation

Priming for darker skin, patch test for peels.

Fitzpatrick IV to VI skin, and anyone with a history of dark marks, is primed for two to four weeks before microneedling. Peels are patch tested first. You stop retinoids and exfoliating acids a few days before each session as advised.

03 · The course

Three sessions, 4 to 6 weeks apart.

Numbing cream, then treatment. Expect redness for a day or two and a feeling of sunburn on the first evening. No makeup, heat, sweat or actives for 72 hours; daily SPF 50 throughout the course.

04 · Review

Photographs at consistent lighting.

Collagen remodelling continues for months after the last session, so the full change is reviewed 8 to 12 weeks after the course. We compare photographs under the same angled light, and we tell you whether another course is worth it or not.

Clinical context

The evidence, and the honest limits.

Microneedling has good evidence for atrophic acne scars and a favourable safety profile in darker skin. No treatment removes scars completely, results build over a course and vary between individuals, and outcomes are not guaranteed. The sources below are shared for context, not as efficacy claims about your treatment.

Systematic review · 2021

Microneedling for atrophic scars

A systematic review of randomised controlled trials found microneedling effective for atrophic acne scars with no serious adverse effects reported. Sitohang IBS, et al. (2021). International Wound Journal. DOI 10.1111/iwj.13559.

Review · 2016

Microneedling in skin of colour

A review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology concluded microneedling is favourable in skin of colour with minimal adverse events. Cohen BE, Elbuluk N. (2016). DOI 10.1016/j.jaad.2015.09.024.

UK guideline

NICE NG198, acne vulgaris

NICE recommends discussing acne-related scarring and treating ongoing acne to prevent further scarring, and, where scarring is severe and persists a year after the acne has cleared, referral to a consultant dermatologist-led team with expertise in scarring management, where CO2 laser or glycolic acid peel may be considered. NICE guideline NG198.

Patient information

DermNet and the British Association of Dermatologists

DermNet's overview of acne scarring describes the ice-pick, boxcar and rolling scar types and the range of treatments, and the BAD patient leaflet covers acne itself. DermNet: acne scarring · BAD: acne.

Who treats you

Led by a Physician Associate with a special interest in Skin of Colour.

Every acne scar consultation and treatment at Melatone is carried out by Arman Zaki, founder and Lead Clinician, a GMC-registered Physician Associate, NHS-trained and still working in NHS general practice alongside the clinic. Microneedling, PRP, peels and polynucleotides are his. Where your scars need a dermatologist, he tells you and refers you.

Questions, answered honestly

Before you book.

Which London clinics treat acne scarring?

What is the best treatment for acne scars?

It depends on the type of scar. Rolling and shallow boxcar scars respond best to collagen-building treatments such as microneedling, with or without PRP. Deep ice-pick scars and very deep boxcar scars usually need procedures we do not offer, such as TCA CROSS, punch techniques or ablative laser, in a dermatology setting, and we refer you rather than sell you a course that cannot reach them. Raised hypertrophic and keloid scars need a different approach again. Flat red or dark marks are not scars; they fade with time and pigment care. The consultation is where the scar type is decided.

Can acne scars be removed completely?

No treatment removes acne scars completely, and we do not claim to. What a course can do is improve the appearance of the scars: shallower, softer-edged and less visible in side lighting. Results build over a course of 3 sessions or more and vary between individuals. We photograph before and after at consistent lighting so the change is measured, not imagined.

Does microneedling work for acne scars?

Microneedling has good evidence for atrophic acne scars. A 2021 systematic review of randomised controlled trials found it effective for atrophic scars with no serious adverse effects, and a 2016 review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found it favourable in skin of colour with minimal adverse events. It works by prompting your own collagen, so change is progressive across a course rather than after one session.

Is acne scar treatment safe for dark or black skin?

It can be, with the right treatment and protocol. In Fitzpatrick IV to VI the main risk of any scar treatment is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which is why we favour mechanical microneedling over heat-based devices and deep peels, prime the skin beforehand, go shallower with fewer passes, and insist on daily SPF 50 through the healing window. Lower risk is not no risk, and we say so at consultation.

How much does acne scar treatment cost in London?

At Melatone the Advanced microneedling protocol for acne scars and texture is £190 a session or £540 for a course of 3. Microneedling with your own PRP, the vampire facial, is £450 a session or £1,200 for a course of 3. Chemical peels are from £110 a session. Polynucleotides are £200 a session or £540 for a course of 3. The £30 consultation is deducted from your first treatment.

Can I have scar treatment while I still have active acne?

Active, inflamed acne is treated first. Needling or peeling over active spots spreads inflammation and makes scarring worse, and NICE guidance on acne recommends managing ongoing acne to prevent further scarring before treating the scars. If your acne is not yet controlled we will point you to your GP, and if you are on or have recently finished isotretinoin we agree the timing of any procedure with your prescriber.

What about raised or keloid scars?

Raised hypertrophic scars and keloids need a different approach, such as intralesional steroid injections or specialist laser in a dermatology setting, and microneedling over a keloid can make it worse. If you have a keloid tendency we say so at consultation and refer you rather than treat.

Finding us in Battersea

Unit 13A, Battersea Business Centre, SW11 5QL.

On the south side of Lavender Hill, at the junction with Latchmere Road, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. 10 to 14 minutes on foot from Clapham Junction, or a short bus down Lavender Hill. We treat patients from across London, Clapham, Wandsworth, Battersea Park and Nine Elms among them. Bus routes 77, 87, 156 and 345 stop within two minutes of the door. Pay-and-display parking on Lavender Hill and Latchmere Road.

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Important information

This page is general information about acne scarring and the cosmetic treatments Melatone offers for it; it is not a diagnosis and does not replace a consultation. Treatments improve the appearance of scars over a course; they do not remove scars, results vary between individuals and no outcome is guaranteed. Active acne, keloid tendency, isotretinoin use, pregnancy and certain medical conditions may make treatment unsuitable or change its timing, and severe scarring may need referral to a dermatology-led service. Consultation and treatment are carried out by a GMC-registered Physician Associate. Melatone Skin Clinic Ltd, Unit 13A, Battersea Business Centre, 99-109 Lavender Hill, London SW11 5QL. For complaints or concerns, contact the clinic directly.

Between sessions, daily SPF and a calm barrier are what stop a treated scar turning into a dark mark, on every skin tone. This is the homecare we reach for most, with free UK delivery over £65.

What we use in clinic, now on your shelf

After laser on deeper skin tones, daily SPF is the non-negotiable step, with barrier support and even-tone care alongside. This is the homecare we reach for most, with free UK delivery over £65.

Zinc Shade A mineral sunscreen that sits cleanly on deeper skin tones without a heavy white cast. The daily step after laser. View → Repair + A lightweight barrier cream with niacinamide, ceramides and hyaluronic acid to calm and hydrate skin after treatment. View → Enlighten Gold A day-and-night moisturiser with 4-n-butylresorcinol to support a more even-looking tone. Suitable for all skin types. View →

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