Scar or mark, two completely different conditions
Many of the women who come to me call all acne marks scars, but distinguishing between them is the first step in the assessment. It determines the type of treatment, the length of the process and the expectations that can be set.
Dark or reddish marks where a spot used to be are not scars at all. They are pigmentation or redness left after the inflammation, and the skin there is structurally intact. They tend to fade over time even without treatment, and treatment mainly speeds up the process and prevents it getting worse. That is the good news.
True scars are a structural change: the inflammation damaged the supporting tissue and the skin did not rebuild to the same volume. They can be felt to the touch and are mostly visible in side lighting. These require a longer process and more cautious expectations.
In practice there is usually a combination of the two on the same face, and the treatment addresses both at the same time.