Acne Scars & Open Pores: The Complete Treatment Map

Key Takeaways

• Acne scars and open pores are not the same problem — they require different treatments, and the single most common reason people receive inadequate results from scar and pore treatment is receiving the wrong treatment for their specific presentation.
• Acne scars are structural: depressed tissue where collagen was destroyed by inflammatory acne. They require treatments that remodel collagen — primarily MNRF with PDRN or MNRF with Exosomes.
• Open pores are functional: follicles that appear enlarged because they are congested, because sebum overproduction is stretching them, or because post-acne structural damage has widened them. Each cause requires a different treatment.
• The Troipeel is Glam’s Korean triple-action treatment for the congestion and sebum dimensions of open pores; MNRF addresses the structural widening; the Seoul Aqua Peel maintains the cleared result monthly.
• The right sequencing matters as much as the right treatment: active acne must be controlled before structural scar treatment begins; pore treatment precedes scar treatment in most programmes.
• At Glam Korean Skin Studio in Andheri West, Dr Akansha’s acne scar and pore programme begins with a clinical assessment that classifies your scar type and pore cause before any treatment decision is made.

Acne scars and open pores are two of the most common concerns that clients bring to Glam — often together, often having already tried treatments that produced incomplete results. The most consistent reason for those incomplete results is the same one: the treatment selected did not match the specific presentation.

An icepick scar and a congested enlarged pore look superficially similar in the mirror. They have entirely different underlying causes. They require entirely different treatments. Treating a structural scar with a peel produces no meaningful improvement. Treating a congested pore with MNRF is unnecessary and expensive overkill for what a Troipeel session would address. Getting the classification right before recommending the treatment is the work that a qualified dermatologist consultation does — and the work that skipping straight to a treatment without consultation does not.

This blog is the complete map: what each scar type is, what each pore problem is, which treatment addresses which, how to sequence correctly, and what realistic improvement to expect.

Part 1 — Acne Scars: Classification First

The term “acne scar” covers several structurally distinct presentations that respond to different treatments. Getting the classification right is the entire foundation of an effective programme.

Atrophic Scars — The Depressed Ones

Atrophic scars are the most common type in Indian acne patients — depressions in the skin surface caused by the loss of collagen during inflammatory acne. They are classified by shape:

• Icepick scars — narrow, deep, sharply defined pits that extend into the dermis like a puncture. The most difficult to treat because of their depth and narrow opening. Require specific interventions (TCA cross — trichloroacetic acid applied precisely into the scar base — in addition to MNRF) for meaningful improvement.
• Boxcar scars — wider depressions with defined vertical edges, like a box cut into the skin. Shallow to medium boxcar scars respond well to MNRF. Deep boxcar scars may also benefit from subcision (releasing the fibrous tethers beneath the scar floor before MNRF treatment).
• Rolling scars — undulating, wave-like depressions without sharply defined edges, caused by fibrous tethers under the skin pulling the surface downward. Respond well to MNRF and subcision, which releases the tethers and allows the depressed surface to rise.

Hypertrophic Scars and Keloids — The Raised Ones

Less common in acne than atrophic scars, but present in some clients — particularly those with a genetic tendency to excessive scar tissue formation. Hypertrophic scars are raised but remain within the original wound boundary; keloids extend beyond it. These require a completely different treatment approach (intralesional corticosteroid, silicone gel, specific laser types) from atrophic scars — MNRF is contraindicated for keloids.

Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH) — The Flat Dark Marks

Technically not scars — these are flat discolouration marks left after acne resolves, without any texture change. They respond to peels and brightening treatments rather than structural scar treatments. The most common treatment error I see: clients receiving expensive MNRF or laser treatment for what is PIH — a condition that the TRx Peel or Troipeel would address more appropriately and at a fraction of the cost.

Part 2 — Open Pores: The Three Different Causes

Enlarged pores are almost always one of three things — and each requires a different treatment.

Congestion-Driven Pore Enlargement

The most common cause in Mumbai skin: pores appear enlarged because they are filled with oxidised sebum and dead cell accumulation — the plug stretches the pore wall, making the opening appear wider than its structural size. This type of pore enlargement responds directly to the Seoul Aqua Peel (which removes the congestion mechanically) and the Troipeel (which addresses sebum regulation and follicular clearing simultaneously). Once the congestion is removed, these pores contract significantly — they were never structurally enlarged, they just appeared that way.

Sebum-Production-Driven Pore Enlargement

High sebum production keeps pores in a perpetually open state — the continuous flow of sebum prevents the follicle wall from contracting. In Mumbai’s humid climate, which drives sebaceous activity in most skin types, this is the second most common pore enlargement cause. Treatment: the Troipeel‘s sebum-regulation mechanism addresses this at the follicular level; regular Seoul Aqua Peel maintenance prevents the congestion that sebum overproduction causes. For clients with very high sebum production, a clinical assessment to identify any hormonal drivers (PCOS, androgens) is part of the treatment plan.

Structural Pore Widening — Post-Acne

In clients with a history of significant inflammatory acne, the collagen destruction around the follicle opening produces permanent structural widening of the pore — the follicle wall itself has been damaged and cannot contract to its pre-acne width. This type of pore enlargement does not respond to peels or surface clearing. It requires structural remodelling — the same mechanism that treats atrophic scars: MNRF with PDRN or MNRF with Exosomes.

The Treatment Map — Matched to Presentation

For Atrophic Acne Scars (Boxcar and Rolling)

Primary treatment: MNRF with PDRN (from ₹15,000 per session) — the most evidence-backed combination for collagen remodelling in atrophic acne scars in Indian skin. The RF energy restructures the fibrous tissue of the scar floor; PDRN reduces the inflammatory response during healing and supports cellular repair, producing faster and more complete remodelling than MNRF alone.

For deeper or more extensive scarring: MNRF with Exosomes (from ₹18,000 per session) — exosomes (extracellular vesicles containing growth factors, miRNA, and signalling proteins) add a more comprehensive regenerative stimulus than PDRN alone, producing faster visible improvement in scar depth and the surrounding skin quality. Appropriate for clients who want the most advanced available option or who have not achieved adequate results with MNRF+PDRN alone.

Complementary after the MNRF programme: Vampire Facial (PRP) (from ₹10,000) — used after the structural remodelling from MNRF is complete to further improve the quality, luminosity, and vitality of the remodelled skin.

For Icepick Scars

TCA cross (performed at the consultation) combined with MNRF with PDRN — the cross targets the scar base specifically; MNRF addresses the surrounding collagen quality. This is the most technically demanding scar type and requires the most sessions of any atrophic scar category.

For Congestion and Sebum-Driven Open Pores

Primary treatment: Troipeel (from ₹20,000) — the Korean triple-action peel that addresses acne, pores, and pigmentation marks in a single session, with the specific sebum-regulation and follicular-clearing action that congestion-driven pore enlargement needs.

Monthly maintenance: Seoul Aqua Peel (from ₹8,000) — keeping pores cleared between Troipeel sessions, preventing re-accumulation.

Targeted active breakout management: Korean AC Spot Treatment (from ₹5,000) — a 30-minute targeted peel that addresses active pimples fast and prevents the dark marks that would add a PIH layer on top of the pore concern.

For Post-Acne PIH (Flat Dark Marks, No Texture)

Primary treatment: TRx Peel (from ₹5,000) — depigmenting actives balanced with barrier repair for Indian skin. Not MNRF, not laser — these are flat pigmentation marks that respond to the appropriate peel, not structural remodelling.

For Mixed Presentation (Scars + PIH + Open Pores)

The most common presentation at Glam — and the one requiring the clearest sequencing. The order: control active acne first → address congestion and pore clearing (Troipeel, Seoul Aqua Peel) → address PIH (TRx Peel, or Melatoc for melasma component) → begin structural scar treatment (MNRF with PDRN or Exosomes). Attempting structural scar treatment on actively inflamed or actively congested skin produces compromised results. The sequence is not optional — it is the protocol.

What Acne Scar and Pore Patients Ask Before Booking

My scars have been there for 10 years. Is it too late for treatment to work?

No — MNRF with PDRN and MNRF with Exosomes are effective for established atrophic scars regardless of how long they have been present. Collagen remodelling is a biological process that the skin is capable of performing at any adult age; the MNRF stimulus initiates it whether the scar is one year or twenty years old. Older scars may require more sessions than more recent ones, but they respond to the same treatment.

I have both deep scars and open pores. Can I treat both at the same time?

The MNRF treatment addresses both simultaneously — the collagen remodelling it produces reduces scar depth and tightens the pore wall in structurally enlarged pores in the same session. For congestion-driven pore enlargement alongside structural scars, the Seoul Aqua Peel or Troipeel precedes the MNRF programme (to clear the pore environment) and continues monthly during the MNRF course. Dr Akansha sequences the combination at the consultation based on which concern is more acute.

What is the downtime for MNRF?

MNRF with PDRN and MNRF with Exosomes produce 2 to 5 days of redness, mild swelling, and occasional pinpoint crusting at the needle sites — similar in appearance to a sunburn that resolves progressively. Most clients return to work after 2 to 3 days with makeup covering the residual redness. The full healing of the surface is typically complete within 5 to 7 days; the collagen remodelling that produces the scar improvement develops over the following 4 to 12 weeks.

The Right Treatment for Your Scars Starts with Getting the Classification Right

Every treatment decision in an acne scar and pore programme at Glam Korean Skin Studio begins with Dr Akansha classifying your specific presentation — scar type, pore cause, PIH depth, and whether active acne needs to be addressed before structural treatment begins. This classification takes 30 minutes in the consultation. The alternative — choosing a treatment without this assessment — is the reason most incomplete scar treatment results happen.

Book an Acne Scar and Pore Consultation at Glam Korean Skin Studio, Andheri West →
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