Post Surgical Scar Treatment

The skin is the biggest organ on the body, and a small tear that causes a scar can make a big difference to it and cause one to feel uncomfortable and self-conscious when he/she cannot find a way to hide it. There are some factors which can cause a scar to be prominent and these include;

Surgery performed by a less skilled surgeon.
Genetics which can cause one to scar heavily or heal slowly.
Aging factor whereby the fat becomes thinner due to skin inelasticity, which reduces the ability of the skin to conceal.
The depth or size of the incision.
A person’s disposition to form keloid or hypertrophic, whereby scar tissue overgrows.

Scarring is an indication that part of the healing process is occurring. Its appearance depends on depth and size of the wound, location of the injury, genes, age, sex, and ethnicity. In order to repair a prominent scar, one might need post-surgical scar treatment, which will drastically reduce its appearance.

Scar Treatment Technique Options

There are several techniques which can be used to treat a post-surgery scar. The attending surgeon can discuss the various treatments that recede scarring or prevention methods. These include:

Incision placement; the placement of some incisions is not precise. One can discuss with the surgeon on ways that can be used to either minimize or hide the scar. For instance, a breast lift surgery incision can be made on the crease of the breast to disguise the scar.
Over-the-counter prescriptions; treatments including antihistamine for scars that are sensitive and itching. Steroids can be used either on their own or with other treatments in treating scars that pop up, such as keloids or hypertrophic scars.
Silicone gel; sheeting or bandaging can be recommended by the surgeon to help treat scars or preventive care, especially after plastic surgery. Silicone protects your incision from strain and contamination without damaging the skin because it doesn’t adhere to the wound.
Surgical treatment or removal; there are various ways to treat the deep scars depending on the nature of the case. The options include excision, skin grafting, and dermabrasion or laser surgery (q-switch, fractional or pulsed dye laser).
Injections; though not permanent, the injections used to treat scars such as collagen can be used to treat pitted scarring.
Massage; some wounds tend to have bumps or limps that remain after the healing process, and so massaging the surrounding tissue or incision site can be recommended by a therapist to even out the scar.

Our Commitment To You

It is perfectly normal to feel uncomfortable with the idea of surgery or injections. Don’t worry, we will guide you smoothly and comfortably along the entire process to allow you to make the best decision. At Al Shunnar Plastic Surgery, our experts have more than 20 years of experience in plastic and cosmetic procedures and have helped more than 10,000 patients safely achieve their dream of beauty and confidence. We will identify the most suitable expert for you, will listen to you, understand and identify your individual and detailed requirements in a tailor-made consultation, advise you on what you expect from the right treatment and ultimately develop the most suitable treatment plan with you.

The Post-Surgical Scar Treatment Process

a) The Consultation

The first step of a post-surgical scar treatment is having a detailed consultation and examination in the clinic with our board-certified plastic surgeon, to determine a tailor-made plan for each candidate.

b) The Treatment

The second step is to schedule the post-surgical scar treatment surgery with the highly qualified and experienced plastic surgeon who is an expert in post-surgical scar treatment and anti-aging procedures. The procedure requires about one hour under local anesthesia.

Prior to any surgery or treatment at the clinic, each patient is screened to ensure that it is safe to proceed with the procedure. This includes either a pre-anesthetic consultation, blood testing, and/or to ensure the patient is a fit candidate for the procedure.

During the post-surgical scar treatment, the surgeon uses methods that recede or prevent the chances of scarring after your surgical procedure.

Post-surgical scars may include;

Keloid scars: This type of scar extends beyond the original injury and comes by as a result of an overly healing process. Keloid is most common in people with dark complexion and may hinder movement. Treatment such as silicone or steroids is used to make the scar even, or alternatively a surgery can be done to remove the scar. Smaller keloids are treated using liquid nitrogen as freezing therapy (cryotherapy). Pressure treatment or gel pads with silicone can be used to treat keloid formation when injured.
Hypertrophic scars: This type of scar is almost similar to keloids scar but does not extend the boundary of the injury. The scar causes severe pain or pruritus. The treatments used are silicone to flatten the scar or steroid injections to recede the inflammation. The silicone gel can be applied two weeks after the surgical procedure. The scar can be revised through excision in that if the previous incision caused the scar to be in the line of tension, the tension can be transposed across a newly created incision by use of W-plasty or Z-plasty.

The expert plastic surgeon accompanies the patient throughout the entire process of recovery and healing, through scheduled follow-ups.

c) The Recovery

After the post-surgical scar treatment, the patient can go home immediately, and depending on the technique used to treat the scar, one can resume his/her day-to-day activities. In cases where surgery has been used to remove the scar, the patient is advised to avoid strenuous activity and the normal day-to-day activities can be resumed after 1 week. Skin tape should also be applied across the incision for at least three months to reduce tension.

Over a period of about 4 weeks, the patient would typically have several post-operation visits to the clinic to monitor the healing process.

Precautions

Although a post-surgical scar treatment procedure is straightforward, it is important that the right level of intervention or treatment is determined and that the procedure, whether surgical or non-surgical be performed by a qualified and expert plastic surgeon. A potential candidate has to fit into certain criteria to be eligible for the procedure and should have:

Realistic expectations regarding the expected results.
Be in good health both physically and psychologically.
A post-surgical scar that has not healed properly

What To Expect From A Post-Surgical Scar Treatment

The main benefit of a post-surgical scar treatment is to reduce the severity and prominence of a scar after surgery. Since everyone is different, the expected results of a post-surgical scar treatment might vary from person to person, but benefits typically include:

Reduced scar appearance
Better looking skin where the scar was
Restored self confidence

Next Steps

Book your appointment for a Consultation.

Would you like to understand what the best options for a younger, fresher, better-looking-you are? Meet one of our experts at Al Shunnar Plastic Surgery for a personal consultation, to develop a tailor-made plan for you. Contact us or book an appointment and our patient care coordinators will identify the most suitable expert for you.