S3 Resurfacing Lift or Secret RF for acne scars: the scar type decides
Medically reviewed by Dr Sin Yong · Last reviewed · 8 min read
Published 10 October 2026 · Reviewed by Dr Sin Yong
Acne scars are one of the six concerns Dr Sin Yong treats day in, day out, and the protocol he uses most for them is his own: S3 Resurfacing Lift, a multi-depth CO₂ sequence on the DEKA Tetra Pro. Secret RF microneedling is the other energy he reaches for, and subcision is the step that comes before either when a scar is tethered. The three are not rivals. They answer different scar types, and most faces are mapped and treated with a combination.
Short answerS3 Resurfacing Lift is Dr Sin Yong's multi-depth CO₂ laser protocol for ice pick, boxcar and rolling scars, including scars that did not fully respond to earlier treatment. Secret RF is bipolar radiofrequency microneedling, used for shallow rolling scars, pores and overall skin quality, and favoured where the surface should be spared. Subcision releases tethered rolling scars first. The scar map, not the device, sets the plan.
Multi-depth fractional CO₂ on DEKA Tetra Pro; the protocol used most for ice pick, boxcar and deep rolling scars
Secret RF
Bipolar 2 MHz RF microneedling, needle depth 0.5–3.5 mm in 0.1 mm steps (FDA K170325); surface largely spared
Subcision
A needle releases the fibrous bands tethering rolling scars; done before resurfacing
Pick S3 when
Scars have defined edges or depth: ice pick, boxcar, deep rolling
Pick Secret RF when
Shallow rolling scars, pores, texture; darker skin where surface sparing matters
Both when
Mixed scar types on one face, which is the rule rather than the exception
Map the scars before choosing the energy
Acne scars are not one condition. Ice pick scars are narrow and deep; boxcar scars have sharp edges and a flat floor; rolling scars are shallow, wide and tethered to the tissue beneath by fibrous bands. A single face usually has all three, in different proportions in different zones. Dr Sin Yong maps them under angled light before any device is chosen, because each type responds to a different kind of energy, and the wrong energy on the wrong scar is how people end up with many sessions and little change. Start with acne scar treatment and scar assessment.
Insulated needles release energy at the tip and spare the surface; CO₂ resurfacing works from the surface down. Schematic, not to scale.
S3 Resurfacing Lift: the protocol used most
S3 Resurfacing Lift is Dr Sin Yong’s multi-depth sequence on the DEKA Tetra Pro CO₂ platform. Fractional CO₂ removes microscopic columns of tissue and heats the surrounding dermis, which is what defined scar edges and deep floors need. The sequence varies the depth and density across the face according to the scar map, and it is the protocol he uses for scars that did not fully respond to earlier CO₂ laser or RF microneedling. Full page: S3 Resurfacing Lift.
Defined edges and depth call for resurfacing; shallow texture calls for needling.
Secret RF: when the surface should be spared
Secret RF delivers bipolar radiofrequency through insulated microneedles at a set depth, so the heat is released in the dermis and the epidermis is largely spared. The FDA filing records 2 MHz bipolar energy and a needle depth range of 0.5–3.5 mm in 0.1 mm steps (K170325). A review of 35 studies found RF microneedling to carry a lower post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation risk than ablative lasers in skin of colour (Syder, Dermatol Surg 2023), which is why it is often the first energy on Fitzpatrick IV–V skin and the choice for shallow rolling scars, pores and texture. Dr Sin Yong is a Key Opinion Leader for the platform and uses the Secret DUO in clinic. Full page: Secret RF Singapore.
Rolling scars are held down by fibrous bands. Resurfacing or needling over a tethered scar treats the surface while the anchor stays, so the dip returns. Subcision cuts the band with a needle first, and the resurfacing follows once the release has settled. Full page: subcision; the comparison subcision vs laser goes deeper.
Risks and what to expect
S3 Resurfacing Lift: redness, swelling, crusting and sun sensitivity for a week or more; post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and, rarely, infection or prolonged redness. Secret RF: pinpoint bleeding, redness and mild swelling; rarely tracking marks or pigment change. Active acne is controlled before either, and isotretinoin history is checked. No number of sessions is promised in advance; the scar map and the response set it.
Fee factors
Which energies and steps are planned, the area, and the number of sessions the examination suggests. Set out in writing after assessment. How fees are quoted.
Your next step
1. MessageWhatsApp +65 8023 7170 with what is bothering you. A reply comes from the clinic, not a bot.
2. AssessmentDr Sin Yong examines you himself at Wheelock Place, with ultrasound where earlier filler is involved.
3. A plan in writingWhat he would do, what he would not, the fee factors, and the option of no treatment.
Every treatment is performed by Dr Sin Yong personally. Singapore Medical Council registered · invited to share his clinical expertise internationally as a Key Opinion Leader for CLASSYS, DEKA, Fotona, HIRONIC and ILOODA · HSA-registered devices · ultrasound-guided correction
Neither is better in general. S3 Resurfacing Lift is the protocol Dr Sin Yong uses most, for ice pick, boxcar and deep rolling scars. Secret RF suits shallow rolling scars, pores and texture, and skin where the surface should be spared. Most faces are treated with a combination set by the scar map.
Published reviews report a lower post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation risk with RF microneedling than with ablative lasers in skin of colour. CO₂ resurfacing is still used on Fitzpatrick IV–V skin, with tested settings and strict sun avoidance.
If a rolling scar is tethered by a fibrous band, yes: releasing it first is what lets resurfacing or needling hold.
That is one of the situations it was developed for. Scars that did not fully respond to earlier CO₂ or RF microneedling are mapped again and treated with the multi-depth sequence.
Yes. Scar mapping, subcision, S3 Resurfacing Lift and Secret RF are all performed by Dr Sin Yong personally at Wheelock Place.
References
US FDA 510(k) summary K170325 — Secret RF (ILOODA Co., Ltd.), 2017: bipolar 2 MHz, needle depth 0.5–3.5 mm in 0.1 mm steps. source
US FDA 510(k) summary K202043 — Secret DUO (ILOODA Co., Ltd.), 2021. source
Chandra S, et al. Physics of fractional microneedle radiofrequency. J Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2024;17:177. doi:10.25259/jcas_98_23 (PMID 39483649). source
Kumar N, et al. Fractional microneedle radiofrequency: a systematic review of 41 studies with device-level tables. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2026. doi:10.1007/s00266-026-05834-y (PMID 42047762). source
Syder NC, Chen A, Elbuluk N. Radiofrequency microneedling in skin of colour: a review of 35 studies. Dermatol Surg. 2023;49:489. doi:10.1097/DSS.0000000000003733 (PMID 36826381). source
