Korean Acne Scar Treatment: Scar Types, Program and Prices

I'm Dr. Hongseok Kim, a board-certified dermatologist with 21 years in practice and the medical director of VOS Dermatology Clinic in Gangnam. At VOS I carry out every consultation and every procedure myself, one patient at a time. Acne scars are one of the concerns people from abroad describe to me with the most frustration, usually after years of creams and single laser sessions, so I want to explain plainly what can change and what cannot.

The short answer: Korean acne scar treatment, done well, is rarely one device. It is a combination that works on scars from several angles at once: releasing tethered scars, rebuilding collagen underneath, and smoothing the surface. At VOS that approach is set out as the Signature Acne Scar Program. This guide is for adults abroad with rolling, boxcar or ice-pick scars who want to know which treatment suits which scar, what the program includes, and what it is listed at.

Why acne scars need more than one tool

An acne scar is not a mark sitting on the surface. It is a small area where inflammation destroyed collagen in the dermis, and the skin healed with a dip, a hard edge or a fibrous band pulling the surface down. That is why a scar can look soft in flat light and deep in side light.

Each part of that problem answers to a different kind of treatment. Heat delivered into the dermis prompts new collagen. Injectable regenerative materials add support from below. Delivery systems place active ingredients where the scar sits. A single tool usually addresses one layer, which is why many people feel they "tried everything" when they tried one thing several times.

In general, acne scar treatment Korea clinics offer leans toward combinations for this reason. The aim is steady, layered improvement rather than a single dramatic session. How far any scar improves varies from person to person.

The three scar shapes, and what tends to help each

Dermatologists describe atrophic acne scars by shape, because shape predicts response. Most faces have a mix.

This is general guidance, not a plan. Raised or thickened scars behave differently again and need their own discussion. The point of the table is simple: when a clinic proposes one treatment for every scar on your face, ask why.

What the Signature Acne Scar Program includes

The Signature Acne Scar Program is VOS's combination program for acne scars, texture and dermal remodeling. According to our official English price list, it includes:

• Radiesse 1 syringe
• Skin Quality Botox 75 U
• Juveàcell 1 syringe
• Potenza RF
• MiraJet

Each component does a different job. Radiesse is calcium hydroxylapatite, used for structural support and longer-term collagen remodeling. Skin Quality Botox is botulinum toxin placed in the skin rather than deep in muscle, used for skin quality. Juveàcell is a micronized acellular dermal matrix used for dermal regeneration. Potenza RF is fractional radiofrequency microneedling, which delivers heat into the dermis through fine needles. MiraJet is a needle-free jet delivery system that pushes regenerative agents into the dermis.

I use MiraJet for depressed acne scars, often together with Potenza, because one works on delivery and the other on heat-driven collagen. If you want the device itself explained in detail, I have written a separate guide to Potenza in Korea.

Listed prices for acne scar treatment at VOS

These are the relevant items from our official English price list, copied exactly. Prices are in KRW before 10% VAT, which is added where applicable, and they may change without notice. The current list is on our pricing page.

The program figure covers the combination listed above. Single items are there because not every face needs the full program. Mild, shallow texture may respond to one or two tools, while deeper mixed scarring usually justifies the combination. Fraxel Dual 1550 is a fractional erbium glass laser for deeper dermal remodeling, and JUVELOOK Skin is a PDLLA collagen stimulator that also targets acne scars and texture. My guide to Korean skin boosters compares it with other injectables.

What a visit looks like on a short trip

Most people reading this are in Seoul for a week or two. That shapes the plan more than any device does.

The first step is the consultation, in person, with me. I examine the scars in several lights, use 3D skin analysis to look beyond the surface, and sort them by type. Then we agree what this trip can achieve and what would need a later visit.

On the treatment day, numbing cream goes on first. Nitrous-oxide sedation is available if you are anxious. The injectable parts and the device parts are placed in an order I decide on the day, based on how your skin looks.

Afterwards, expect some visible signs. MiraJet usually leaves mild redness or swelling for a few hours, up to a day. In general, radiofrequency microneedling leaves redness and small grid marks for a few days, and injections can leave small bruises. Plan meetings and photos with that in mind. Recovery varies from person to person.

Worth knowing: Collagen rebuilds slowly. The change you see in the mirror a week after treatment is partly swelling; the real improvement in scar depth builds over the following months, and deeper scarring usually needs more than one visit. If a single session is all your schedule allows, I will tell you what to realistically expect from it.

Who it suits, and who should wait

A combination scar program tends to suit adults whose acne has been quiet for a while and whose scars are atrophic, meaning they sit below the surface.

It is worth waiting, or choosing a different plan, if:

• You still have active, inflamed acne
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding
• You have an active skin infection or cold sore in the area
• You tend to form keloids or thick raised scars
• You recently took oral isotretinoin, which should be discussed before any resurfacing
• You need to look camera-ready within a couple of days

If active acne is still the main problem, that comes first. The companion guide to Korean acne treatment covers that stage. Darker skin tones are not excluded, but the risk of temporary darkening after heat is higher, so I adjust the plan and aftercare.

How I approach acne scars

I start by separating the scar types, because the plan follows the shapes. A face with mostly rolling scars needs support from below; a face with boxcar edges needs careful resurfacing; ice-pick pits need focused work and honest expectations.

Then I decide whether you need the full Signature Acne Scar Program or a smaller combination. I do not recommend the program by default. If two tools will do most of the work for your skin, that is what I will suggest, and each part is quoted from its own line on the list.

I also look at the rest of the skin. Enlarged pores and uneven texture often travel with acne scars, and some parts of the plan help both. If pores are your bigger concern, my guide to Korean pore treatment covers that side. Wrinkle-relaxing injections placed in the skin are part of this work too; you can read more on our botulinum toxin page.

Finally, I plan the timing around your trip. The heavier steps go early, so any redness has settled before you fly. What you see at the end of a visit is the start of the change, not the finish.

Before you message us

Send us your concern with clear, well-lit photos of the scarred areas, taken straight on and from the side, on WhatsApp. Please add your travel dates, whether you still get breakouts, and any past scar treatments. We will reply with which options fit, the current listed figures, and an honest view of what one trip can achieve.

Results, timing and recovery vary from person to person. Nothing here replaces an in-person consultation with a dermatologist.

Results, timing and recovery vary from person to person. This article is general information from VOS Dermatology Clinic and does not replace an in-person consultation. Any prices mentioned are from the clinic’s official price list (KRW, before VAT) and may change.