Scar camouflage vs microneedling: which one is for what

People text me some version of this question every week: should I do microneedling or camouflage for my scar? The honest answer starts with a different question. When you look at your scar in daylight, what does your eye catch first, the color or the shape?

What is scar camouflage for?

Color. Most scars that bother people bother them because of color. Surgery takes the pigment out of the line it leaves behind, so you end up with something pale, silver or waxy sitting in skin that is a completely different shade. Camouflage puts color back. I mix pigment to your skin, in the room, in daylight, and work it into the scar itself in thin passes until the mix disappears against you. You can read the whole process on the scar camouflage page.

What camouflage does not do is change texture. Pigment changes what color a scar is and never what shape it is. A raised scar stays raised and an indented scar stays indented, just much closer in color to the skin around it.

What is microneedling for?

In my studio, microneedling is for the texture and surface of the skin. I offer it alongside the camouflage work, and sometimes before it. It does not place color, so it cannot do the job camouflage does on a pale scar. I also do not promise what it will do to any particular scar, because the honest answer depends on the scar. That is a conversation for the consult, with your photos in front of me.

One is for what color the scar is. The other is for what the skin feels like.

How do I know which one my scar needs?

Look at the scar in daylight and ask what your eye goes to first.

• If it is the color, a pale or silver line in skin that is a different shade, that points to camouflage.
• If it is the texture, a ridge you can feel or a dip you can see, that is a conversation about microneedling. For a raised or keloid scar, it is a conversation with your doctor first.
• If it is both, that is a very common answer. Sometimes microneedling comes first, and camouflage follows once the skin has settled.

The photos matter more than the names. Two pictures in daylight tell me more about your scar than any comparison chart can.

Can I do both on the same scar?

Sometimes, and the order matters. Pigment wants skin that has finished changing, so I will not camouflage a scar that is still pink, red or purple, usually younger than about a year, or still being looked after by a doctor. Depending on your scar, microneedling may come before camouflage, and I tell you on the call what I would do in your case and why.

Sometimes the honest answer is that you only need one, and I would rather tell you that than sell you both. Sometimes the honest answer is neither yet, and a wait.

What about laser, creams and other options?

I do not offer laser, and I am not the right person to compare it for you. That is a question for your doctor, and so is anything to do with a scar that is still healing. Creams, oils and silicone are a separate conversation, and I wrote about why they cannot bring color back to a healed white scar in this post.

What I can give you is a way to sort the options in your own head. For any option someone offers you, ask what question it is answering. Is it about color, or is it about texture? Once you know which one you are after, the rest of the conversation gets much easier.

What are the honest limits of each?

Camouflage blends, and it does not delete. In a certain light, at a certain angle, with your nose six inches from your own arm, you may still find the scar. What changes is that you stop looking, and that other people never find it at all.

Microneedling comes with its own honest limit: I cannot promise what it will do. Skin differs from person to person, and results and healing vary. Not every scar is a candidate for either one. That is exactly what the free consult is for, and if yours is not a candidate, I will tell you so on the phone, before you have spent a dollar.

How many sessions, and what does it cost?

For camouflage, most scars take one session plus a touch-up, and some take two before that. Fresh color always looks stronger than healed color, so we let it settle, look at it together in daylight, and finish at the touch-up. For microneedling, I tell you what I expect once I have seen your scar. Pricing is quoted at your free consult, after I have seen your photos. You can read how quotes work on the pricing page.

How do I find out which one is right for mine?

Take two photos in daylight, no filter, nothing covering the scar, one close and one further back. Text them to 805-971-0097, and tell me which bothers you more, the color or the texture. We do fifteen minutes on the phone, free, and I tell you honestly what is possible and what I would do first.

If you want to read more before you text, the candidacy guide walks through what qualifies and how long to wait, and the FAQ page has the quick answers. You can also reach me through the contact page.