Can an Old Scar be Removed? | Things You Should Know about Treating Old Scars

By
Dave
Posted in: Scar Removal, Scars

Sad to say, but scars are for life. However, this does not mean they cannot be improved. A lot of scar removal creams and chemicals are proliferating in the market and most of these are nothing but pure scams. Scars are forever, and the only chance to get rid of them is to make them less noticeable by hiding them in lines that people normally have. Always remember that scars are all different and the treatment should always be individualized. Meaning, before your scars are treated it is highly recommended that you consult a doctor who specializes in this kind of area.

How Scars are Treated?

top-old-scar-removal-treatment

During the initial consultation, the doctor would base the best choice of treatment depending on the factors below:

  • Type of  the scar ( keloid, acne, hyper or hypogmentation , hypertrophic, erythematous)
  • Location
  • Color
  • Size
  • Depth
  • The way it was caused
  • The adjacent tissues

Scars are treated  through different Scar Revision treatments and other modalities like the use of laser beams and other resurfacing equipments that can only be done by certified plastic surgeons and dermatologists.It is really a plastic surgeon’s passion to construct or repair current scars in a concealing manner. In a sense, hide them so that although they are present, they are not obvious to the naked eye.old-scar-laser-treatments-The usual treatment plan to remove old scars is called “Scar revision”. It employs a variety of surgical modalities to make the scars better. Most plastic surgeons will wait at least 10 months to a year before attempting surgical revision as the scar needs to be matured before surgery.

Moreover, Laser therapies such as the use of Fractionated lasers (Pixel and Fraxel) and Erbium lasers are widely used to treat different types of scars such as acne scars, chickenpox scars and other skin discolorations.

With all these modalities, there is no guarantee that the new scar will be better than the scar that you have right now. Taking the risk is a very challenging situation, but there is a good chance that your positive expectations will be met.

Common Scar Treatments

  • Dermabrasion works well for surface irregularities including elevated and lumpy scars.

old-scar-diamond-peel-best-scar-treamtent

  • IPL or Intense Pulsed Light may improve color discoloration in a scar
  • Hydroquinone bleaching creams may work well to treat pigmented scarring

derma-rollers-microneedling-scar-removal

  • Pulsed-dye lasers are usually used to treat Red Keloids and Q-stitched lasers for the brown ones.
  • For indented or puckered scars, deep release combined with a Filler (Fat grafting, Juvederm)  may work.

dermal-fillers-scar-removal-juvederm

  • In worst cases where a scar is quite huge or has a functional impairment (commonly seen in burn scars), excision of the scar with reconstruction of the resulting wound may work best.

scar-removal-surgery-scar-revision

Tags: , , ,