What should you know about face subcision?

After the skin is cleaned and numbed, a clinician passes a needle or cannula under the scar to separate the connective strands anchoring it down. This creates space for the surface to rise and for healing tissue to form. The technique is most relevant to rolling or tethered depressions; it is less suited to every scar type and does not treat active acne. Bruising, swelling, tenderness, temporary numbness and unevenness can follow. The depth and location of the scar, skin tone, history of raised scars and any medicines affecting bleeding all influence planning.

Choose a qualified dermatology or surgical practitioner and disclose medicines, bleeding problems, allergies, previous scar treatments and a tendency to form thick scars. Follow wound-care instructions, avoid pressure and picking, and protect healing skin from sun. Review may be needed before deciding whether another session or a complementary approach such as acne scar laser treatment is appropriate. Do not compare healing from one cheek with the other during the early swelling phase.

Contact the treating clinic for increasing pain, spreading redness, warmth, drainage, fever, a rapidly enlarging lump or bleeding that does not settle with direct pressure. Seek urgent care for facial swelling affecting the eyes or breathing, severe allergic symptoms, or new weakness or loss of sensation.

Ask whether your scars are tethered, what anaesthetic and instrument will be used, how bruising will be managed, when normal activities can resume, and whether another treatment should be staged later.