Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Blog | Dr. Linderman

This is perhaps one of the greatest myths in cosmetic surgery.

No surgeon or type of surgery can erase a scar. However scars can be improved and sometimes they can be almost imperceptible. Most scars will improve with time and the length of time is affected by a persons age and the location of the scar. Children’s scars may take longer to mature than older patients. Facial scars tend to improve, fade quicker, and are of better quality than scars of the extremities and trunk. Some areas such as the shoulder and chest may produce more noticeable scars. Afro-Americans may produce scars of poorer quality than Caucasians. Everyone is different and the scars their bodies produce are not always predictable.

A cosmetic surgeon may be able to improve the quality of scars and make them less noticeable. Placing scars in naturally occurring skin creases and locating them to minimize tension is very helpful. Widened scars can sometimes be revised and improved. The direction of a scar may be change by tissue transposition. Thickened scars may be injected with steroids to aid in softening, decrease of redness and maturation. In the final analysis, the scar will still be present but may be difficult to see.