Understanding Scar Revision

Severe wounds are often caused by an injury or tragic event, such as dog bites, car accidents or medical problems. Once these wounds heal, they may leave prominent, disfiguring scars. It could be a result of poor healing or due to the significance of the injury. There are a number of ways to deal with them. In some cases, topical scar reduction cream like Scar Fade is one option. This can reduce the scar significantly to where it is not very noticeable. In other cases, however, the scars can first be changed with a surgical revision procedure to make them even less prominent. This is done through plastic surgery with a skilled specialist.

Scar Revision

Scar revision surgery is used to change the width of the scar or the direction of the closure of the skin. For example, a dog bite on the face may have a jagged appearance and not blend in with the surrounding skin tone or physical characteristics and contours, making it very noticeable to anyone who sees it. Rather than the uneven lines, raised surface and wide disfigurement, a surgical scar revision can create fewer scar lines or a single scar line that matches the contour of the face more closely and reduces scar width. It does not eliminate the scarring completely, but when successful it changes the skin’s appearance significantly to be less dramatic and less embarrassing.

Plastic Surgery Candidates

Not everyone is a candidate for scar revision surgery. Although there is no real limitation on age, those with the best results are physically healthy non-smokers that have no skin diseases or acne blemishes in the affected area. Aside from physical characteristics, the patient should also have a positive outlook and realistic understanding of what the surgery can do. Another consideration is that plastic surgery may not be a realistic option based on the location of the injury. This should be determined by the plastic surgeon. Like all invasive surgical procedures, there are risks involved. Some of these include slow healing, change in skin feeling and sensitivity or pain.

Follow-Up Treatment

Once the scar revision procedure is complete and the wound heals, it will still be noticeable. This is the time to start using a topical application of scar medicine to further reduce its appearance. Scar Fade can be used twice daily to lessen the prominence of the new scar.