When the body is wounded, whether it be from a small scratch or a surgical incision, scar formation is often a natural part of wound healing. Factors that affect scarring include the size and severity of the injury, age, underlying health conditions, and adherence to incision care and scar management procedures.
There are a number of steps you can take to minimize scarring, including massaging the area, using gel scar strips, keeping the scar protected from the sun, and avoiding pressure around the wound. However, because scar formation can be unpredictable in nature, following these steps does not always guarantee that scars will heal smooth and flat. If you feel that your scars have not healed optimally, there are a variety of options for improving the appearance of your scar.
Topical Treatments
Topical treatments are a good first step to try when treating a stubborn scar. Silicone is commonly used in the treatment of scars and can be used to heal scars from surgical incisions, injuries, burns, and more. Both silicone sheets and topical silicone gel can be applied to scars and can be picked up over the counter in most pharmacies.
Other topical treatment options include anesthetic ointments, corticosteroids, and antihistamine creams. Although some creams or ointments may require a prescription from your surgeon depending on the strength, many of these can be purchased over the counter. Speak with your doctor about which topical option is best for the healing and maturation of your scar.
Injection Treatments
Topical treatments are not always enough to treat certain scars. Injection treatments, including corticosteroid injections and filler injections, are a good option when topical for keloid scars or other scars which are raised and thick.
Injections with filler may be helpful to provide additional volume for depressed scars and improve the appearance of scars. Filler injections, including collagen or synthetic agents, will be injected into the scar tissue for cosmetic purposes to fill out scars. However, results from filler injections are not permanent and would require retreatment. Corticosteroid injection treatment involves numerous injections made locally within the scar tissue to aid with inflammation. Injections can be provided as a series in intervals to improve scarring.
Surface Treatments
Surface treatments, including chemical peels, laser therapy, dermabrasion, and microneedling, may be used to encourage growth of new skin. These treatments can improve the appearance of scars by removing damaged skin and promoting turnover to correct irregularities and discoloration.
Chemical peels are a good option to remove surface superficial skin and improve the appearance of sun damage, acne scars, and wrinkles. Multiple types of chemical peels are available depending on your own needs and vary in depth.
Another surface treatment to remove superficial skin layers is laser therapy. This therapy pulsates light beams at scar tissue to correct discoloration and improve the appearance of scars. This treatment is effective for small scars and is very precise. Similarly, dermabrasion involves skin planing to remove superficial skin and can be helpful for minimizing fine lines and scars.
Surgery
When topical treatments, injections, and surface treatments are not providing enough improvement in the appearance or size of your scar, surgical options are available to refuse your scar. For instance, surgical techniques can be used to remove scar tissue entirely and use healthy skin to form a new, smaller scar. Skin grafts and tissue expanders can also be used to improve the appearance of scars. Speak to your plastic surgeon about which scar treatment options are appropriate for your individual scars and discuss surgical scar revision.
