Complications of Subcision for Acne Scarring: Experience From Clinical Practice and Review of the Literature

ABSTRACT Background Subcision is a surgical technique frequently used in the management of atrophic acne scars. The advent of new instruments, which includes sharp, blunt and energy assisted, have increased the efficacy of the procedure. The aim of this article was to review the safety of subcision in view of the new development in technology. Objective To review the safety of subcision procedure for acne scarring and to provide clinicians with both evidence‐based and practical information regarding the complications that can be associated with this procedure. Methods A search through MEDLINE and Google Scholar was conducted for articles from January 2000 to January 2023 that involves subcision as a monotherapy for the treatment of acne scarring. Results Ten articles involving subcision monotherapy were identified. The main complications of subcision were pain/tenderness, bruising, infection, formation of subcutaneous lumps, and dyspigmentation. Recommendations on how to minimize the complications from subcision have also been provided based on the clinical experience of the authors. Conclusion Subcision is a safe treatment for acne scarring and clinicians need to be aware of the associated complication which occurs more with sharp instrumentation.