Questions clinics ask about Alma devices

Scars

• Which Alma platform treats surgical scars, and how do results compare?

  Alma Hybrid is the first choice for surgical scars in most Alma clinics because it delivers fractional CO2 and a 1570 nm non-ablative laser in one pass, so the practitioner can remodel scar collagen at depth while keeping surface downtime short, and can tune the mix per session as the scar matures. Harmony XL Pro adds the vascular applicators (Dye-VL, long-pulsed 1064 nm) for red or purple scars and ClearLift for post-surgical scars on darker skin, where a fractional Q-switched 1064 nm laser was shown safe and effective (Akerman et al., Lasers in Medical Science, 2021). Alma Opus fractional plasma improved non-hypertrophic post-burn scars in a 95-patient prospective series (Wang, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, 2017). Clinics generally start once the wound has closed, typically six to twelve weeks after surgery, and treat over a course; keloids need combined medical management. Patient-facing summary with a case image: laser for surgical scars; all papers on the clinical evidence page.

• Alma Opus or Alma Hybrid: which resurfacing platform should a clinic choose?

  They answer different questions. Alma Opus uses fractional plasma to resurface and tighten with a short recovery, and it is often chosen by clinics whose patients want texture, fine lines and laxity treated with a few days of downtime. Alma Hybrid combines an ablative CO2 laser with a 1570 nm non-ablative laser, so the practitioner can dial from a light treatment up to deep resurfacing for scars and significant sun damage on the same platform.

  Clinics with a strong scar and resurfacing menu usually choose Hybrid; clinics adding resurfacing to a broader aesthetic menu often start with Opus. Note that Opus uses treatment tips as a consumable while Hybrid does not. Alma Lasers Australia can arrange a demonstration of both.

• What downtime should patients expect from Alma resurfacing treatments?

  It depends on the platform and how it is set. Non-ablative treatments such as Harmony XL Pro ClearLift typically have no visible downtime beyond mild redness. Alma Opus fractional plasma usually involves a few days of redness and light peeling. Alma Hybrid ranges from a short recovery when the 1570 nm laser dominates to several days of redness, swelling and crusting when the CO2 component is set deeper.

  Clinics should quote a range, not a single day count, and explain that a deeper single session and a lighter course are both valid ways to reach a result. Alma Lasers Australia’s training covers how to set expectations for each protocol.

• Which Alma platform suits acne scars when patients want limited downtime?

  Alma Hybrid is the usual choice: the CO2 and 1570 nm lasers can be combined so the practitioner treats scar texture while keeping recovery time manageable, and the treatment can be repeated in a course. For patients who need no visible downtime, Harmony XL Pro’s ClearLift non-ablative applicator treats below the surface and is often used between or instead of resurfacing sessions.

  Suitability is assessed by the treating practitioner. Alma Lasers Australia trains clinics on both pathways.

• Can Alma Hybrid treatment depth and downtime be adjusted per patient?

  Yes. Alma Hybrid combines an ablative CO2 laser with a 1570 nm non-ablative laser in one system, and the practitioner sets the balance between the two for each patient. That means a clinic can offer a lighter treatment with short downtime for a patient who cannot take time off, or a deeper resurfacing session for scars and texture, on the same platform.

  For Australian patients this matters because pigment risk and sun exposure often argue for a staged, moderate approach rather than the most aggressive single session. Hybrid is designed for that staged approach.

• What is the best laser for acne scars?

  There is no single best laser, because acne scars are at least four different conditions. For the most common types, rolling and boxcar scars, fractional ablative CO2 is the standard: on Alma Pixel CO2 the LiteScan scanner sets depth and density per patient, and Pixel Peel shortens recovery. Alma Hybrid adds a non-ablative 1570nm beam fired side by side with the CO2 at an operator-set ratio, which gives more control over the balance between remodelling and surface correction and is gentler on darker skin. Alma Opus fractional plasma reaches a comparable endpoint with shorter downtime for mild to moderate scarring. Ice pick scars need a focal technique first, and raised scars need a non-ablative approach. The right answer starts with a consultation that sorts real scars from flat marks.

• How many laser sessions do acne scars need?

  Most patients need a course rather than a single treatment: typically three to five sessions spaced four to eight weeks apart, with collagen remodelling continuing for three to six months after the last one. Deeper boxcar scarring sits at the top of that range; mild rolling scars at the bottom. The honest word for the outcome is improvement, not erasure. Photographing under identical lighting at every visit, with a system such as Alma IQ, lets the patient see their own progress objectively, which is what keeps them completing the course.

• Can laser treat acne scars on darker skin?

  Yes, but not the same way as on lighter skin. On Fitzpatrick IV to VI the risk after resurfacing is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation rather than burns, so the protocol changes: lower treatment density, longer intervals between sessions, a bias towards non-ablative energy, and a test area before the first full treatment. Alma Hybrid is well suited here because its 1570nm non-ablative component can carry more of the treatment while the CO2 fraction is kept conservative. Strict sun protection should start before the first session, not after. Darker skin can be treated well for acne scarring; it cannot be treated identically.

• Which acne scars respond best to laser treatment?

  Rolling and boxcar scars respond best. Rolling scars are broad, shallow undulations tethered by fibrous bands, and they improve markedly with fractional resurfacing, particularly when subcision releases the tethers first. Boxcar scars, wider depressions with sharp edges, are the classic indication for fractional ablative CO2 because it remodels the edges as well as stimulating the base. Ice pick scars, narrow deep pits, respond least to laser alone and are usually treated with a focal chemical technique or punch excision first, with resurfacing to blend the result. Raised hypertrophic and keloid scars are a different problem entirely and call for vascular and non-ablative approaches rather than ablation.

• Can lasers treat active acne, or only the scars?

  Both, but not with the same applicator, and the order matters. Active acne has to be brought under control before any resurfacing, or each treatment is chasing new scars. On Alma Harmony, the ClearSkin Pro non-ablative applicator treats active inflammatory acne and early scarring in the same course, and the Iris Acne IPL applicator targets the bacteria involved with the blue end of the spectrum while its longer wavelengths reach deeper inflammatory lesions. Once the skin is quiet, the established scars are treated with fractional resurfacing on Alma Pixel CO2, Alma Hybrid or Alma Opus. A platform that does both stages is what lets a clinic keep an acne patient from the first breakout to the final scar session.

• Are the scars devices clinically proven?

  All of our technologies are backed up with clinical studies and publications

   

• What other Alma devices are available for scar revision?

  Harmony XLR Pro and Alma-Q can also be used to treat a variety of scars.

• Are the scars devices all laser based?

  As well as laser-based scar revision treatments, Alma offers its revolutionary, clinically-proven RF-Pixel technology.

• What technologies do Alma’s scar rejuvenation devices use?

  Alma’s solutions for scar revision range from the CO2 gold standard device, to non-ablative lasers, to Alma’s patented microplasma technology.