The physical appearance of a scar can make a person feel unattractive, insecure, or undervalued by society, while also being a permanent psychological reminder of the trauma that caused it. Treating scars is therefore more than a matter of aesthetics; it can give a patient a whole new lease on life. Alma’s range of state-of-the-art, non-surgical solutions significantly improve the appearance of scars.
Alma’s scar revision treatments are suitable for a variety of scars, including those caused by acne, trauma or surgery.
Yes, once the scar has fully healed. A caesarean scar is a surgical scar, and fractional laser treatment is used to soften its texture, flatten a raised or thickened section and even out its colour so it sits closer to the surrounding skin.
Clinics using Alma Hybrid treat the scar with ablative CO2 and non-ablative 1570 nm in the same pass, which allows the depth to be set for a scar on the lower abdomen and keeps recovery short; Alma Pixel CO2 is used for the fractional CO2 pass alone.
The best window is the first year after the birth, while the scar is still remodelling, but older scars can also be improved. Treatment is usually a course of sessions several weeks apart, with numbing cream. Your clinician assesses the scar first: one that is still healing, infected or keloid-prone needs a different plan. Results vary from person to person.
Read more about laser treatment for surgical scars, or find a clinic through our clinic finder.
Yes, this groundbreaking technology is suitable for use on all areas of the body and face.
Alma’s top scar revision products are Pixel CO2, Alma Hybrid and Opus. Harmony XL Pro and ALMA-Q can also be used.
This treatment causes minimal pain. For more extensive scarring, topical numbing cream may be applied before treatment.
Scar revision involves a series of several treatments in order to achieve optimal results.
Laser treatment can soften, flatten and fade a surgical scar, but the right laser depends on the age of the scar, whether it is red and raised or pale and indented, and your skin tone. In Australian clinics using Alma technology, surgical scars are usually treated with fractional laser to remodel the scar tissue, Q-switched or narrowband light to settle redness, and, for burn or textured scars, fractional plasma. Treatment starts once the wound has fully healed, and early treatment generally gives the best result.
| Scar type | What works | What happens | Typical downtime | Alma option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh surgical scar (healed, still pink) | Early fractional treatment, often combined with a vascular setting for the redness | Remodels the forming collagen so the scar stays flat and narrow; redness settles | 1 to 5 days depending on depth | Alma Hybrid (CO2 plus 1570 nm) or ClearLift on Harmony XL Pro |
| Mature surgical scar (pale, indented or ropey) | Fractional CO2 with a non-ablative pass, or fractional CO2 alone | Micro-columns of treatment trigger new collagen and blend the scar edge into the surrounding skin | 3 to 7 days | Alma Hybrid or Alma Pixel CO2 |
| Red or purple scar | Narrowband light or long-pulsed 1064 nm targeting the blood vessels in the scar | Vessels close, redness fades over the following weeks | Little to none | Dye-VL or the vascular applicators on Harmony XL Pro |
| Raised (hypertrophic) or keloid scar | Fractional laser combined with the practitioner’s medical management | Flattens and softens; keloids need a combined plan and can recur | 3 to 7 days | Alma Hybrid or Pixel CO2, with a dermatologist or plastic surgeon managing the keloid |
| Burn scars and post-burn pigment | Fractional plasma radiofrequency | Improves texture, tightness and pigmentation in published series of burn patients | A few days | Alma Opus (Pixel RF microplasma) |
| Acne scars | Fractional resurfacing, or Q-switched 1064 nm for darker skin | Rebuilds collagen under the pits and evens the surface | 1 to 7 days depending on the option | Alma Hybrid, Pixel CO2 or ClearLift |
Every scar and every patient tolerates downtime differently, so the practitioner sets three things for each session: how deep the laser works, how much coagulation (controlled heating) it applies, and how dense the treatment grid is. Hybrid treats at two depths in a single pass, the CO2 for the surface and the 1570 nm laser for the deeper collagen, and can finish with the IMPACT ultrasound applicator to push topical products into the treated channels. That is why the same platform can treat a fresh scar gently and a mature scar more strongly.
When to start. Once the surgical wound has closed and any stitches are out, usually from six to twelve weeks after surgery, and sometimes earlier under the surgeon’s guidance. Scars keep remodelling for a year, and laser in that window changes how they mature. Older scars still improve, but usually need more sessions.
Findings summarised from the papers; each card links to the original. Full list on our clinical evidence page.
Safe and effective for post-surgical facial scars, including on skin types where fractional CO2 carries more pigment risk.
Prospective study of 95 patients with non-hypertrophic post-burn scars: improvement in texture and pigmentation with a good safety profile.
Clinical and histological improvement in both atrophic and hypertrophic scars using the combined approach.
Fractional CO2 resurfacing improved acne scarring, the basis for the fractional approach used on boxcar, rolling and ice pick scars.
Combined treatment lowered keloid recurrence compared with conventional care: why keloids are treated as a medical plan, not a laser alone.
Study results were obtained under research conditions; improvement is gradual and partial, results vary from person to person, and a consultation with a qualified practitioner comes first.
Acne scars, surgical scars, traumatic scars and burn scars can all be improved. Raised, pitted and discoloured scars respond to different applicators, so the plan is individual.
Alma Hybrid for texture and depth, Alma Opus where a shorter recovery is preferred, and Harmony XL Pro applicators for redness, pigment and non-ablative remodelling.
Scars are softened and blended, not erased. Most people see gradual improvement over a course, with collagen changes continuing for months after the last session.
Typically three to five sessions spaced four to eight weeks apart.
From none (non-ablative) to about a week of redness and crusting (deep Hybrid settings).
Often once the wound has fully healed, with your surgeon’s agreement. Early treatment can help how a scar matures.
Yes, once it has fully healed. A caesarean scar is treated like any surgical scar: fractional laser softens the texture, flattens a raised section and evens the colour so it sits closer to the surrounding skin. Clinics using Alma Hybrid set the depth for a scar on the lower abdomen and keep recovery short. The first year after the birth is the best window, while the scar is still remodelling, though older scars also improve. Your clinician assesses the scar first and sets the plan.
Over 450 clinics across Australia and New Zealand use Alma technology. Tell us your suburb and treatment and we will point you to a clinic in your area.
This information is general in nature. Suitability, results and pricing are assessed and set by the treating clinic. Results vary between individuals.
