How Life Altering Scars Can Be Transformed with Surgery

Even one small cut can change the way your skin looks forever. Suffering a traumatic laceration or injury to your face, arms, or other exposed area of your body that leads to scarring can be devastating. The decision to have scar revision surgery is a personal one because the recovery takes time, and you might even need a few procedures to achieve the look you want.

Our care team at The Anesthetic Surgery Center, led by Dr. Elliott Rose, understands your unique physical, mental, and emotional needs. We want to partner with you along your healing journey.  Before we discuss scar revision surgery, let’s review the types of scars that this type of operation can minimize.

Types of scars

People of all ages and ethnicities can end up with scars. No two scars are the same, even on your own body. The kind of scarring that occurs after a traumatic injury or laceration depends on several factors:

• The size of the wound
• How deep the wound goes below the skin’s surface
• The location of the injury

Other factors that change how you heal include your age, sex, genetics, and ethnicity.

The most common types of scars that happen after traumatic injuries include:

Keloid

Thick fibrous scars that occur when the scar tissue grows too quickly. These scars might be larger than the original wound and are common on the shoulders, cheeks, earlobes, and chest.

Hypertrophic

If too much collagen forms during the healing process, the scar can look thick, widened, and raised but remain inside the borders of the original injury.

Atrophic

Scars that heal below the normal layer of the skin are known as atrophic scars. They can have an indented or pocked appearance. This type of scar is common after burns, dog bites, crush injuries, or severe acne.

Contracture

After burns, it’s common to have contracture scars. They have a shiny and flat appearance and can cover a large area of the skin. Contracture scars often go beyond the surface of the skin, and involve damage to tissue and muscle deeper down.

How can surgery help?

Scar revision surgery is a plastic surgery technique that minimizes the appearance of the scar. This includes changing the look and any discoloration that might be present on or around the scar.

Dr. Rose might use one technique or several to achieve the final appearance. These techniques include topical treatments, injectables, and surface treatments. If your scar involves muscle, bone, or other tissues, Dr. Rose can address these issues during surgery to help restore balance to your body.

Who is a good candidate for scar revision?

Before deciding if scar revision surgery is the best option, you meet with Dr. Rose and our care team to discuss your options. This includes a physical assessment of your scars and sharing your goals for surgery with Dr. Rose.

A few of the criteria that might make you a good scar revision surgery candidate include:

• You’re in good physical health
• You’re not a smoker
• The appearance of the scar bothers you
• The area of the scar is free of other skin conditions
• You’re realistic about the surgery goals and have a positive outlook

During and after the procedure

We schedule most of these procedures right in our state-of-the-art, office-based outpatient surgical facility. During surgery, Dr. Rose and our care team keep you comfortable by administering medication that makes you drowsy or even puts you to sleep.

After the procedure, you receive instructions about how to care for your surgical incisions. For a week or two after the surgery, you might notice swelling, discomfort, or discoloration around the scar. Complete healing takes several weeks. As your skin heals fully, we teach you makeup techniques that help to camouflage any remaining scarring to increase your comfort level with your appearance.

If you’re ready to explore the option of scar revision surgery, call our New York office today or book your consultation online through our website.