Do depressed scars fill in?
Rachel Ellis
Published Jan 18, 2026
With certain depressed scars, dermal grafts (skin taken from behind the ear) or fat taken from the body can be used to “fill” under the scar (or wrinkle). With dermal or skin grafts, Dr. Vartanian may also use a full thickness punch graft that contains all layers of the skin to completely fill in a depressed scar.
Do indented scars fill over time?
In most cases, acne scars do improve over time without treatment. That's particularly true of discoloration. Indentations may be more stubborn and less prone to disappearing on their own.
Do scars fill in?
Scars form as part of the healing process after your skin has been cut or damaged. The skin repairs itself by growing new tissue to pull together the wound and fill in any gaps caused by the injury.
Can depressed scars heal?
Acne scars do not go away entirely on their own. Depressed acne scars often become more noticeable with age as skin loses collagen. However, there are a variety of treatments that can make acne scars less noticeable. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or redness may lighten on its own within several months.
How long does a scar take to fill in?
Normal fine-line scars
This process can take up to 2 years. The scar will not disappear completely and you'll be left with a visible mark or line. Fine-line scars are common following a wound or after surgery. They are not usually painful, but they may be itchy for a few months.
16 related questions foundWhat are the 3 types of scars?
What are the different types of scars and treatment?
- Keloid scars. These are thick, rounded, irregular clusters of scar tissue that grow at the site of a wound on the skin, but beyond the edges of the borders of the wound. ...
- Hypertrophic scars. Hypertrophic scars are similar to keloid scars. ...
- Contractures. ...
- Adhesions.
What are the stages of scar healing?
However, there are three distinct stages to healing and your scar will have a different appearance during each stage. The three phases to healing are the inflammatory stage, the proliferative stage and the remodelling stage. The inflammatory stage begins immediately and lasts a few days.
How do you stop depression scars?
Cosmetic fillers — gel-like substances injected beneath the skin — also may be used to treat depressed scars. Fat grafting, a surgical option, harvests fat from another part of the body to inject into the scar area. Keloid scars occur when the tissue spreads beyond the wound that caused the scar.
How do you fix depression scars on your face?
Many techniques are available for the correction of depressed facial scars, including subcision, dermabrasion, chemical peeling, laser technology, fat grafting, and use of fillers; however, these techniques have resulted in varying degrees of success and associated adverse effects1,2.
Why is my scar sinking in?
Some scars can have a sunken or pitted appearance. This kind of scarring occurs when underlying structures supporting the skin (for example, fat or muscle) are lost. Some surgical scars have this appearance, as do some scars from acne.
Do scars get worse before they get better?
Scars seem to get worse before they get better. For about six weeks after surgery the scar becomes red, firm and hard. This is the body's way of making a very strong and solid scar. Over the next four months the scar will soften and lose the redness.
How do you fix indented scars?
Soft-tissue fillers are a common treatment specifically for rolling atrophic acne scars. They are used to level or raise the indented scars to match the normal layer of skin. Fillers are injected under the scar and provide almost immediate results.
Can old scars reopen?
Wound dehiscence occurs when a surgical incision reopens either internally or externally. It's also known simply as dehiscence. Although this complication can occur after any surgery, it tends to happen most often following abdominal or cardiothoracic procedures. It's commonly associated with a surgical site infection.
What does an atrophic scar look like?
An atrophic scar develops when the skin cannot regenerate tissue correctly. Unlike keloids and hypertrophic scars, atrophic scars are indented in appearance due to healing that occurs below the expected layer of skin.
Do pitted scars go away?
Do Pitted Scars Go Away? No, most deep-pitted scars do not go away on their own or heal with time. However, many advanced procedures are now available to minimise them safely and effectively.
How long do atrophic scars take to heal?
Collagen formation may take 2 to 3 weeks and can continue up to 4 to 6 weeks. On average, about 25 percent improvement of scars takes place with one session. The procedure may be repeated two or three times at intervals of 2 to 4 weeks.
Do atrophic acne scars go away?
Some atrophic acne scars, like post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, will fade after several weeks or months as the skin heals. But even atrophic scars can linger for years based on your skin type and the severity of your acne.
Why are some scars indented?
Indented scarring, clinically known as atrophic scarring, occurs when an injury to the skin or an inflammatory skin disease such as acne results in the destruction of its underlying collagen or fat layers.
Why am I getting dents in my face?
Here's our process. Pockmarks are typically caused by old acne marks, chickenpox, or infections that can affect the skin, such as staph. The results are often deep, dark-colored scars that don't seem to go away on their own. There are scar-removal options that can help remove pockmarks or minimize their appearance.
Can dermatologist remove scars?
Dermatologists are at the forefront of researching and treating scars with lasers. In the hands of a board-certified dermatologist, laser treatment can safely treat many types of scars.
How do you release a tethered scar?
A number of methods can be used to treat rolling scars and tethered scars including subcision, fractional laser resurfacing, radiofrequency and dermal fillers. The basis behind scar revision is to free up bound scars and fill up depressions with collagen.
What is a rolling scar?
Rolling scars happen because of bands of scar tissue that form under the skin. They give the surface of the skin a rolling and uneven appearance. They also develop because of dermal tethering to the subcutis tissue. They're typically 4 to 5 millimeters wide and give a rolling or undulating appearance to the skin.
How long does it take to emotionally heal?
Unfortunately, there's no definitive answer. It might take a few weeks to get over a break up or a full year or two. People recover from grief at different paces, for one. You also might need more time to recover from certain relationships, particularly those that lasted longer or felt more meaningful to you.
What does a healed scar look like?
But here is what a mature surgical scar should look like from a cosmetic point of view: a parallel disposition to the folds and lines of tension of a relaxed skin. an unnoticeable fine line. an elevation similar to the surrounding skin.
How do you tell if a scar is still healing?
Stage 4: Maturation (strengthening) Even after your wound looks closed and repaired, it's still healing. It might look pink and stretched or puckered. You may feel itching or tightness over the area.