After an accident or surgery, scar tissue can affect your outward appearance and even your social life. You might feel embarrassed about facial scars, but you do not need to live with their effects forever. Through facial scar revision surgery in Washington DC, you can improve a scar’s appearance, making it as smooth and invisible as possible.
If you are unhappy or embarrassed by a scar’s appearance, you have several options to revitalize this part of your skin. Double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Somenek can provide comprehensive scar revision services to help you achieve smooth, clear skin once again. There is hope for those looking to remove scars and achieve a natural and softer look to their skin.
What Kinds of Scars Can Be Treated?
Scars may be noticeable due to their size, location, or shape, and they can be raised on the surface of the skin or appear as depressions. Scars can also differ in texture or color from other areas on the body. Three of the most common types of facial scars that Doctors Somenek and Pittman see at our Washington DC practice are hypertrophic, contractures, and keloids.
Hypertrophic Scars
Hypertrophic scars are raised, often thick and red, and appear on the damaged tissue site. They can be dark or light in appearance.
Contractures
Contracture scars get their name from the fact that they restrict movement due to skin and underlying tissues pulled together during healing. They often occur when a large area of skin is lost, or in wounds that occur on or near a joint.
Keloids
Keloids are thick clusters of scar tissue and usually develop on the face, neck, or chest. Burn areas are examples of keloid scars.
It is recommended that you wait a year or more after the incident in question to begin your scar revision, in order to allow the site to properly heal on its own.
Available Scar Treatments
The type and amount of scarring affect the kind of treatment you would receive. Procedures for facial scar reduction at Somenek + Pittman MD in Washington DC range from non-surgical medications and injectables, to tissue expansion and skin grafts. Consult with our surgeons to decide which of these techniques will best be able to help you meet your cosmetic goals.
Non-Surgical Treatments
- Topical Treatments: Topical medications, such as silicone gels, can treat surface scars and discoloration, and help facilitate scar tissue healing.
- Surface Treatments: Methods such as dermabrasion, laser, or light therapy techniques can be used to smooth scarred surfaces and minimize skin discoloration. This occurs by removing the top layers of skin and letting new skin to grow in its place.
- Injectable Treatments: Injectable dermal fillers made from natural ingredients or steroids can reduce a scar’s visibility by inhibiting collagen formation. Since collagen makes the scars feel firm and rigid, injectable methods can help soften up and smooth out these areas.
Surgical Treatments
- Skin Revision Surgery: Surgery is more involved than the non-surgical treatments and may or may not involve general anesthesia. You may choose this option if there is significant scarring, or scarring over a large area.
- Tissue Expansion: Tissue expansion can help the body grow additional skin to cover a scar. During this procedure, a balloon is placed under the skin near the scar site, slowly inflated and then the stretched skin tissue is used to cover the scar.
- Skin Grafts/Skin Flaps: Skin grafting involves excising healthy tissue from one part of the body and placing it over damaged or scarred skin. Skin flaps are similar, but the difference is that the section in a skin flap has its own blood supply.
- Z-Plasty: This procedure corrects more difficult scars. Our surgeons make an incision along either side of the scar, creating a flap to change the scar’s appearance, making it less noticeable.
There is no way to completely remove a scar – the primary goal is to disguise, relocate, or minimize its prominence. When successful, it should be practically invisible to others and allow you to socialize without feeling self-conscious.
What to Do Post-Operation
After the surgery, you might experience some swelling, bruising, or redness. Our surgeons will remove the suture within a few days, but the skin will continue to naturally heal after that. You should restrict physical activity and gradually increase it over a period of weeks. You should then follow up in a few months to ensure the best results.
Schedule a Consultation with Somenek + Pittman MD for Facial Scar Revision Surgery in Washington DC
The effectiveness of scar reduction surgery depends on several factors, including the nature of the injury, your body’s healing mechanism, the size and depth of the wound, and your skin’s thickness and color. If you wish to hide embarrassing scars, Doctors Somenek and Pittman can set you up for facial scar revision surgery in Washington DC. Place a call today and discuss your concerns and goals with our professional staff.
