How to improve the appearance of a scar
The surgeon excises the old scar completely, mobilizes the edges of the wound and juxtaposes them without tension - it is tension that makes the scar wide. If necessary, the direction of the scar is changed by plastic surgery with opposing triangular flaps so that it coincides with the natural lines of skin tension and becomes less noticeable. An intradermal suture is applied. For scars of this length, surgery takes about 30–45 minutes under local anesthesia.
Why can't a scar be completely removed?
Any cut in the skin heals through the formation of a scar - this is the only way of recovery available to the body. Therefore, the task of the operation is not to “remove the scar,” but to replace a wide, retracted or deforming scar with a thin and inconspicuous one, located along the lines of skin tension.
The result depends not only on the technique, but also on the individual tendency to scarring, localization and subsequent care. Scars always form worse on the sternum, shoulders and back than on the face.
Types of scars
- normotrophic - at the skin level, the most favorable
- atrophic - retracted, below skin level
- hypertrophic - protruding, but within the boundaries of the wound
- keloid - grows beyond the wound, prone to relapse
When to operate
A fresh scar takes 6–12 months to mature: it gradually turns pale, flattens and softens. It is not advisable to operate earlier - the result may be worse than the natural result of maturation. The exception is scars that limit movement or deform facial features.