The Lowdown on Scar Revision

If you’re an adult and you’ve lived life at all, chances are you have a scar. It’s the body’s way of healing after an injury, infection, inflammation, or surgery.

A scar consists of fibrous tissue that can be anywhere on the body. It might be flat, sunken, colored, or lumpy.

Someone with a flat and colorless scar in an obscure place may not think much about it. But for others with more obvious scars that cause them embarrassment, there is scar revision.

What Is Scar Revision?

Just as the name implies, scar revision is a procedure performed to alter the appearance of an unsightly scar, return function to a restrictive scar, or improve an itch or painful scar.

Depending on the type of scar, there are numerous approaches to scar revision:

Topical

Topical treatments are the least invasive approach. They’re usually the first go-to because of their simplicity.

Physicians may recommend OTC topical anesthetic ointments, antihistamine creams, or corticosteroids to encourage healing reduce any itchiness and discomfort. Sometimes the doctor may prescribe a stronger corticosteroid cream for newer scars that are still pink and in the process of healing. This can combat excessive scar formation.

Another option that’s been used for decades is silicone. Used in sheet form, silicone is effective for treating scars from burns, surgery, or other more severe injuries that require hospital treatment. There are now silicone gels that can be applied to create a thin sheet within 4-5 minutes.

Injections

When a scar is raised, thick, and red, stronger interventions are usually required. Multiple small corticosteroid injections are made into the scar to reduce pain, itching, and redness from inflammation. Injections are typically given over several months at 4-6 week intervals.

Meanwhile, depressed scars are usually treated with filler injections. These may contain collagen and synthetic agents that are injected into or under the scar tissue. Filler injections are not permanent, however, So they need to be repeated every few years.

Surface Treatments

There are a wide variety of skin resurfacing treatments. They involve removing the top layer of damaged skin so new skin layers can form.

With dermabrasion, the skin layer is manually removed using a rapidly rotating device. This technique is ideal for minimizing skin lines, age spots, acne scars, and sun damage.

Acne scars and sun damage can also be treated with chemical peels. They’re also effective in treating wrinkles and melasma.

To flatten and soften scars, laser therapy involves pulsating concentrated beams of light at irregular skin in a targeted area. It also helps improve discoloration and tightens the skin to give it a younger-looking appearance.

Other surface treatments include skin bleaching (topical creams that lighten skin) and vascular laser treatment reduces the redness of scars with blood vessels.

Surgery

When it comes to changing the position and shape of scars, surgery can do the trick. It can also release a tight scar to improve movement. In the cases of scar excision and revision, scar tissue is removed, and a flap of adjacent skin reforms the area.

If there is no flap available, or if the scar being removed is very large, a skin graft is taken from a cosmetically less important area of the body to reform the area.

The Z-plasty method moves a scar into a natural crease or fold to minimize its visibility. In addition, tissue expanders can create healthy stretched skin by placing expandable silicone implants under the skin. The skin is then used to replace the excised scar tissue.

You Don’t Have to Live With Scars

There is a wealth of scar revision options.

So if you’re interested in lessening the appearance of (or getting rid of altogether) your scar, contact us today to set up a free consultation.

You’ll have the chance to talk with a board-certified plastic surgeon who will guide you through the best treatment options for your situation.