Scars are a normal part of your body’s healing process, and all forms of surgery result in some type of scarring. Following the correct post-surgery instructions and seeking treatment can minimize the appearance of scars, helping your skin appear smoother and improving your confidence.
What Causes Scarring?
A scar is the body’s way of healing itself after it’s been cut or damaged by growing new tissue to pull the wound together and fill in any gaps caused by the injury. The process of scarring is as follows:
- Hemostasis: The body sends platelets to the wound to prevent blood loss. These platelets bind together and seal the wound to form a scab.
- Inflammation: The body will send white blood cells to the wound area to prevent any bacterial infections. As the body works to fight off infections, this may cause redness, heat, and swelling.
- Proliferation: The skin and vessels work together to form new cells. During proliferation, the scab will begin to shrink as new skin forms.
- Maturation: The wound completely heals, leaving a scar behind.
Most scars are flat and may be paler or darker than the surrounding skin. However, if the body produces too much collagen to heal the wound, the scar can become raised, which is a hypertrophic or keloid scar. If a scar looks pitted or sunken, it means the underlying fat or muscle has been lost.
How to Reduce Scarring From Surgery
While a scar may never completely go away, you can minimize its appearance through methods like:
Sun Protection
Prolonged sun exposure can darken scars and disrupt the healing process. To avoid this, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least 30 SPF, even if it’s cloudy that day. You may also want to consider wearing protective clothing such as hats or loose, breathable layers.
Silicone Gel
Silicone gel can be put on surgery scars to reduce their appearance. Start by cleaning and drying the scar before applying a thin layer of silicone gel over it. The gel hydrates the skin, regulates collagen production, and creates a protective skin barrier.
Laser Treatments
Laser treatments may also be used to break up areas of hyperpigmentation in scar tissue to help reduce their appearance. Before laser treatment, you will consult with your doctor to determine which laser therapy is best for you, as different scars respond differently to specific laser treatments. Laser treatment typically involves multiple sessions over several weeks or months and can stimulate skin regeneration and remodeling.
Scar Revisions
Scar revisions can minimize the appearance of scars by improving their texture, color, and visibility. Like laser treatments, you’ll need to consult a plastic surgeon or dermatologist to determine which type of scar revision is ideal for your scar type.
Some common forms of plastic surgery for scars include dermabrasion and steroid injections. It’s also important to understand that you must follow all post-care instructions for scar revisions to ensure this treatment is effective.
Schedule a Consultation With Miami Plastic Surgery®
Scars can range from a slight nuisance to impacting your appearance, but with the team at Miami Plastic Surgery® on your side, you can minimize the appearance of surgical scarring.
Book an appointment today to let our team help you determine the best treatment for surgery scars!