The removal or reduction of scars, lesions, and stretch marks from the skin depends on a process called "skin remodeling". The skin is designed to heal wounds quickly to prevent blood loss and infection.

Scars are manufactured from a rapidly formed "collagen glue" that the body deposits into an injured area for protection and strength. In ideal skin healing, the wounded skin is rapidly closed, then the healed area is slowly reconstructed to remove the residual collagen scars and blend the skin area into nearby skin.

Scar collagen is removed and replaced with a mixture of skin cells and invisible collagen fibers. This skin remodeling may continue in a skin area for ten years. In children the remodeling rate is high and scars are usually rapidly removed from injured skin areas.

But as we reach adulthood, this rate diminishes and small scars may remain for years. One way to accelerate remodeling is to induce a small amount of controlled skin damage with a needle, laser, or other means, and then let the body repair processes rebuild the skin area.