Subcision
Release of tethered and depressed scars
Subcision releases the fibrous bands that pull a depressed scar down to the tissue beneath it. It addresses the mechanical cause that resurfacing alone cannot reach, and it is usually one part of a scar plan rather than the whole of it.
What it treats
Is this for you?
- Rolling acne scars
- Tethered surgical scars
- Depressed scars that have not improved with lasers
- Bound-down scars after injury
How it works
What is actually happening.
Under a depressed scar, bands of scar tissue anchor the skin to the layer beneath. A fine instrument is passed under the scar to divide those bands, which lets the skin lift and creates a small space in which new collagen forms. Local anesthesia makes it comfortable.
Dr. Nawas typically combines subcision with Sculptra, filler or PRP placed in the released space, or with Fraxel to refine the surface over the following months.
Your visit
What the appointment is like.
Map
Scars are photographed in raking light and the tethered ones are marked.
Numb
Local anesthetic is injected; the area goes fully numb.
Release
The instrument is passed beneath each scar and the bands are divided. You feel pressure, not pain.
Build
Sculptra, filler or PRP may be placed in the space the same day; Fraxel follows a few weeks later.
Before and after your appointment
Simple preparation, simple recovery.
Before
- Pause blood-thinning supplements for a week if your doctors agree; bruising is expected.
- Tell Dr. Nawas about keloids, cold sores or active acne in the area.
- Plan a week of visible bruising.
Afterward
- Bruising and swelling for 5 to 10 days; ice the first day.
- Avoid exercise for 48 hours and pressure on the area for a week.
- New collagen fills in over two to three months; photographs track it.
Pricing
Published in advance, like everything else here.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| SubcisionPer session, by the number of scars | Quoted |
| Sculptra with subcisionPer vial | $1,100 |
| Kenalog injection for raised scarsPer session | $250 |
Estimates for planning. Dr. Nawas confirms your exact plan and price at the consultation, and you pay only for what is used. Cosmetic care is not billed to insurance. How insurance, superbills and financing work here.
Good to know
Questions patients ask.
How many sessions?
Often two or three, six to eight weeks apart, within a wider scar plan.
Is it painful?
Not with local anesthesia. Afterward it feels like a bruise.
Will it work on ice-pick scars?
No. Deep narrow scars need different techniques, which Dr. Nawas will discuss.
Related procedures
Often planned together.
Next step
Ready when you are.
The tethered scars that resurfacing cannot reach, released from beneath.
New to ZN Dermatology? Choose a consultation appointment: only rolling, tethered scars respond to subcision, and the plan usually combines it with resurfacing or filler. Treatment can often be done at the same visit.