Scar Reduction and Revision
Any time there is a break in the skin, whether because of surgery or trauma, a scar will develop. Often, these scars will fade with time and proper care, with the understanding that certain scars may take up to twenty-four months to show a final result. However, there are those patients and extenuating circumstances, such as the location and tension of the scar, which are susceptible to more noticeable scar formation. These conditions require additional therapy for scar reduction.
Hypertrophic scars are scars which are raised and prominent. These types of scars often resolve with the proper care and with time.
Keloid scars are those which are not only raised and prominent, but also develop beyond the borders of the original surgical incision or break in the skin. Darker-skinned individuals are more susceptible to forming these types of scars, especially on the shoulder and chest. The most effective treatment includes a combination of surgery in conjunction with either multiple steroid injections or localized radiation therapy to the site.
In addition, scars which may be tight and contracted may benefit from a procedure such as a “z-plasty” which can lengthen the scar.
Other scar reduction therapies include treatment using Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) or laser technology which provide brief pulsations of light, stimulating collagen to remodel and the discoloration of the scar to diminish more expeditiously. |
