Scars and texture treatment in Metro Vancouver

Scars are rarely removed completely, and honest clinics say so. Treatment softens a scar, evens its colour and remodels the collagen under it, so it becomes far less noticeable, but a scar is a permanent change in the skin and the goal is meaningful improvement rather than erasure. In a published study of picosecond laser treatment, six sessions reduced scar volume by roughly a quarter. Deep icepick scars improve least, and your physician will tell you at the start which of your scars will respond well and which will only soften.

Rolling scars respond best to treatments that rebuild collagen in the dermis and release the bands that tether them down, which means microneedling, radiofrequency microneedling and fractional laser resurfacing. Because rolling scars come from lost dermal volume, they are also the one atrophic scar type where a collagen biostimulator may help selected cases by rebuilding volume from beneath. There is no single best answer, because the right choice depends on how deep the scars are, your skin tone and whether they sit alongside other scar types.

Yes. Microneedling has strong trial evidence for atrophic scars: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials found microneedling alone significantly improves them, and a separate systematic review supports its safety across skin types. It works by creating controlled micro-injuries that trigger new collagen under the scar, with no heat and no light involved. Rolling and shallow boxcar scars respond best, and deep icepick scars respond least. Because it targets no pigment, it is also the collagen treatment with the lowest pigmentation risk in darker skin.

Yes, when the device and settings are chosen for your skin tone. The safest scar treatments in Fitzpatrick IV to VI are the ones that do not target pigment: microneedling uses no heat and no light, and radiofrequency microneedling delivers energy through needles that melanin does not absorb, both supported by published reviews in skin of colour. Aggressive ablative resurfacing is the tool that most often causes post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in darker skin, so an experienced clinic plans around it. BioPlus has treated scarring across every skin tone since 1996.

Keloid scars need a physician assessment before any cosmetic treatment, because keloids grow beyond the original wound and can react to aggressive treatment by growing larger. Keloids are more common in deeper skin tones and at high-tension sites such as the chest, shoulders and earlobes. At BioPlus the first step with any raised or keloid scar is to establish whether it is stable and to plan conservatively, and a keloid that is growing, painful or itchy is routed into medical care rather than treated as a cosmetic concern. We take a personal and family keloid history before any needle or energy treatment on anyone.

A scar is a permanent structural change where the skin was injured deep enough to heal with fibrous tissue, so it sits sunken or raised. Rough texture is a surface-quality problem, from dead cell buildup, sun damage and slowed cell turnover, and it has no underlying injury. The distinction decides the treatment: a scar needs collagen rebuilt or remodelled underneath it, while rough texture and enlarged pores respond to resurfacing and skin-quality treatments. Separating the two is one of the first things a physician does at your consultation.

Stretch marks are a form of dermal scarring, so they are treated with the same collagen-building treatments used on atrophic scars: microneedling, radiofrequency microneedling and fractional laser resurfacing. Fresh stretch marks that are still pink or red respond better than old white ones, so earlier treatment helps. The realistic goal is softening and better blending with the surrounding skin, not disappearance, because the dermal tear that created them is permanent.

Enlarged pores can be refined, though not erased, because pore size is partly set by anatomy. Pores look larger with excess oil, sun damage and the loss of skin elasticity that comes with age, and resurfacing treatments that rebuild collagen and clear the surface make them look tighter and less visible. Fractional thulium resurfacing and picosecond laser treatment both improve pore appearance and overall texture over a series. The honest framing is refinement and smoother-looking skin rather than pore removal.

Most scar plans run 3 to 5 sessions, spaced about 4 to 6 weeks apart, with radiofrequency microneedling sometimes needing only 1 to 3. Improvement continues for 2 to 3 months after the final session while new collagen matures. The exact number depends on your scar type, how deep the scars are and your skin tone, so a physician sets it after assessing your skin. Deep scars and older scars generally need more sessions and improve more slowly than shallow, newer ones.

Scar and texture treatments are cosmetic and are not covered by MSP, and the cost depends on which treatments your plan uses and how many sessions your scars need, so clinics quote after assessment rather than from a menu. At BioPlus the consultation is complimentary: a physician classifies your scars, tells you honestly what will improve, sets the number of sessions and gives you a written plan with exact pricing before you commit to anything. Medical care for certain scars, such as a problem keloid or a burn contracture, may run through the public system.