Features of large tattoos
If the area is large, the surgeon assesses the supply of mobile skin in this area. If there is enough of it, the tattoo is excised at once; if not, the operation is divided into two or three stages at intervals of several months, each time removing part of the pattern. This step-by-step approach allows you to avoid skin grafting and get one neat linear scar instead of a patch made from donor skin.
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.