Surgery often leaves a scar. Sometimes, the scar may be tiny, such as the remnant of laproscopic surgery in which the incision was mere millimeters long. After more complex surgical procedures, large scars up to a few inches in length may serve as a reminder. Treating a surgery scar typically involves lessening the scar's appearance.
Reasons for Treating a Scar
People want to lessen the appearance of surgery scars mainly for aesthetic reasons. A woman who has given birth via cesarean surgery, for example, may be uncomfortable about wearing a bikini. Sometimes a scar can be more than a thin white line. Hypertrophic scarring, when a scar becomes unusually red and thick over time, can be especially unsightly. An incisional hernia, where there's a bulge through a weak abdominal scar, is a medical reason to seek treatment. In this situation, the hernia must be treated first, and then the scar can be revised.
Options
In dermabrasion, a doctor uses a medical tool that abrades the skin in the area of the scar, wearing it down. Scar revision involves cutting out the original scar and reattaching the skin in the area to create a smaller scar. Injections of collagen, hyaluronic acid or fat can fill in depressed scars left from surgery. Laser revision removes the original scar and allows the skin to grow back into the area to fill the gap. Over-the-counter scar removal products have limited effectiveness, but some may slightly lessen the scar's appearance.
Timing
A surgery scar typically starts out raised and red but may fade over time to a thin white line. A scar continues developing for about six weeks after the original incision was made, according to Dr. Michael L. Brownstein, a San Francisco plastic surgeon. After this point, collagen production decreases, and the scar flattens over a period of six to 12 months. Medline Plus recommends that scar revision be done 60 to 90 days after the scar has settled into its mature appearance.
Considerations
No method of scar removal can completely erase a surgery scar. The best that can be done is to reduce the appearance of the scar and make it less noticeable. To prevent excessive scarring in the first place, some people use topical creams, lotions or gels immediately after surgery. The type of closure may also affect the degree of scarring, because tension on the scar makes scarring worse, according to Dr. Brownstein. Using layered closures and dissolving sutures and putting skin adhesive or paper tape over the incision may alleviate tension and result in less scarring. Using these techniques can make the difference between a light scar and one that is unsightly, so those options should be discussed before surgery.
Alternatives
Some people choose not to treat a surgery scar and instead use makeup or clothing to disguise the scar. Tattoos are another alternative for hiding a surgery scar. Others may accept the scar after surgery as a part of their appearance and do nothing to hide it or even show it off as a source of pride or interest.
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