Scar revisions are procedures performed on a scar to alter its appearance. The purpose may be to improve the scar’s cosmetic appearance, restore function to the area of the body affected by the scar, or to improve an itchy scar. While scars can’t be completely removed, there are ways to drastically minimize their appearance, from topical therapies to scar revision surgery.
There are many reasons why you would want scar revision, such as if you have severe scarring due to:
- Acne
- Burns (accidents, radiation therapy, chemical, etc.)
- C-section births
- Cleft lip repair surgery
- Piercings
- Cosmetic or reconstructive surgery
- Skin infections
- Traumatic injuries
How Can Scars be Treated?
Your doctor can assess your situation and recommend the right type of scar revision for your needs. Keep in mind that most scars need between 12 and 18 months to mature, and new scars don’t typically respond well to having a scar revision.
Scar revision techniques recommended for you may include:
- Topical treatments (polyurethane dressings, pressure therapy, silicone gel sheets and gels such as Scarfade)
- Skin resurfacing (chemical peels, dermabrasion, dermaplaning, laser or light therapy, skin bleaching, microneedling)
- Injectables (5-FU or bleomycin injections, corticosteroid injections, cryotherapy, dermal fillers)
- Surgery (Z-plasty and W-plasty procedures, skin grafts)
Risks
In terms of risk, topical treatments carry the fewest risks, and range from mild discomfort to skin irritation (rash) in rare cases. Injections and resurfacing treatments may result in swelling, redness, blistering and increased sensitivity to sunlight. They could also change the scar’s color so it appears darker than the surrounding skin.
Scar revision surgery carries the most risk, including bleeding and infection. Also, the scar could return, or surgery could even cause the formation of a new scar.
Benefits of Scar Revision
There are many benefits to scar revision, as it can reduce the appearance of scars while minimizing discomfort. Treatment can improve your scar’s:
- Size
- Color
- Stiffness
- Thickness
- Texture
In terms of what to expect after scar revision, topical treatments may take several months to show results. With multiple injections or resurfacing treatments, many people need multiple visits to see results. Recovery after surgery can take several weeks or months.
It’s important to realize that it’s not possible to completely erase a scar permanently. Most scars are actually not easily changed. Whether your scar revision is successful or not depends on many factors, such as if it’s raised or depressed, if there are any contour irregularities, if there are poor lines of orientation, or if there are color mismatches.
Therefore, it’s important to discuss your goals for scar revision treatment with your doctor so you can maintain realistic expectations about results.
Try Scarfade First
Before you consider more invasive forms of scar revision, give Scarfade a try to see if you can fade your scar naturally. To learn how, call us at 800-771-2215 or check out our products online.