Scar Revision
Whilst no medical or surgical method can remove a scar completely, Specialist Plastic Surgeons can often improve the comfort, function and appearance of a scar by making it less noticeable or easier to conceal.
Scar tissue is a result of skin healing after an injury or surgery. The extent of scarring may be determined by what caused the scarring, such as:
- Surgery
- Injury
- Size of the wound
- Depth of the wound
- Direction and location of the wound
- Age
- Skin characteristics
Certain parts of the body are more likely to scar worse than others, for example: the shoulders, abdominal scar, breastbone and scars on the back.
At Coastal Plastic Surgery our surgeons expertly design surgical incisions to minimise any scaring. Our surgeons use advanced techniques in an attempt to maximise the final scar. When you undergo any plastic surgery, the surgical scars are concealed as best as possible.
SCARS FROM INJURIES
Scars from injuries do not have the luxury of a planned design. After an injury, plastic surgeons attempt to get the best possible scar by removing the injured tissue. They will remove the injured tissue because damaged skin will look worse than a surgically cut wound. Once the injured tissue has been removed, the wound will be delicately repaired.
For traumatic scars that have already healed, our plastic surgeons can usually start early therapy to try and improve the outcome. This may include medications to reduce symptoms of itching and tenderness. There are also corticosteroid injections into the scar to address more significant issues. Silicone gel sheeting or ointment has also been shown to benefit swollen hypertrophic scars. If none of these treatments meet with success, one of our surgeons may suggest revision surgery at a later stage to improve this further.
SCAR REVISION SURGERY
Scar revision surgery is usually done once a scar has healed, which takes around 12 months. Some acute injuries require immediate surgery while others it’s best to wait several months before surgery.
There are a number of ways to improve the appearance of scars:
- Removing the scar and repairing the wound
- Re-orienting the scar direction to make the scar less obvious
- Skin grafts to bring in new skin or flaps to relieve tension across the scar
Whether you need local or general anaesthetic will depend on the size of the scar. Also, there are some instances where non-surgical options such as laser or skin needling can be used. These non-surgical options might improve the appearance or take some of the redness out of the scars.