Scar therapy
Scar therapy encompasses all the multi-modal non-invasive techniques used to improve your scar, before, during and after any surgical or laser intervention. It can assist to improve the way scars look, move and feel.
Surgical scar revision
Surgical scar revision means operating on your scar to improve the way it looks, feels and moves. This would include cutting out the scar and re-aligning the way the scar sits, changing tension or shape to make it softer, or addressing volume or pigment issues.
Laser scar treatment
Scars can be treated in lots of ways – laser treatment fires beams of light energy into your scar to try to help the scar tissue settle down. If you have a raised, red, lumpy or tight scar then laser might help improve the scar.
Laser scar treatment
What is scar laser treatment?
- Scars can be treated in lots of ways – laser treatment fires beams of light energy into your scar to try to help the scar tissue settle down.
- If you have a raised, red, lumpy or tight scar then laser might help improve the scar.
- Laser can be used to make scars softer and flatter and can make them less red and feel more normal to touch.
What does it involve?
- So that the laser treatment isn’t uncomfortable, the skin over the scar needs to be numb (local anaesthetic cream) or you need to be asleep (general anaesthetic).
- Most scars can be numbed with the local anaesthetic cream which we put on an hour before treatment to make sure that the laser treatment it is comfortable.
- The treatment is usually very quick and then a dressing is applied and you go home.
What happens after the treatment?
- There will be a light dressing on the scar for 2 days – when you take it off at home the scar is usually healed and dry and you just need to apply some cream twice a day for 2 weeks that we will give to you.
- The scar may look a little redder than usual and there might be a ‘dotty’ pattern on it – this will settle.
- Most people see the scar start to feel and look better after a few weeks, but this isn’t the case for everyone. More than one treatment might be needed depending on how your scar changes and these can be performed at 6-week intervals.
Are there any risks with the laser treatment?
- Laser treatment is generally very safe, however with any skin treatment there is a small risk of skin reaction to laser or dressings or infection, skin pigmentation or sensitivity changes. Your doctor will give you clear instructions on how to care for your scar post-laser.
Surgical scar revision
What is scar revision surgery?
- Scars can be treated in lots of ways – scar revision surgery is when the scar is operated on (cut) to reduce the size, change the direction or release tightness in the scar.
- If you have a stretched, tight or indented scar then surgery could help to improve the scar.
- Surgical scar revision can make the scar look smaller and less obvious, and feel softer and less tight.
- Sometimes injection of some steroid (anti-inflammation medication) directly to the scar, on its own or combined with surgery, can help reduce the scar size and symptoms as well.
What does it involve?
- So that the scar revision surgery isn’t uncomfortable, the skin over and under the scar needs to be numb (local anaesthetic cream or injection) or you need to be asleep (general anaesthetic).
- Scar revision surgery involves cutting the scar and then carefully arranging and stitching it in a way to make it feel and look better.
- Most scar revision surgery is very quick and performed under local anaesthetic injection or a day-case general anaesthetic – afterwards a light dressing is applied and you go home.
What happens after the treatment?
- There will be a light dressing on the scar for 7 days, then you usually return to the Scar Clinic 5-7 days later for a wound check and consultation with your surgeon.
- Sometimes the improved scar will settle quicker with laser after the surgery – this is something the Scar Clinic will discuss with you at your follow up appointments.
Are there any risks with scar revision surgery?
Scar surgery is generally very safe, but as with any surgical procedure there are some risks which are:
- Anaesthetic risks – these will depend on the type of anaesthetic needed – there is a risk of local skin allergic reaction to numbing cream; or an allergic reaction to the local anaesthetic injection, steroid injection or general anaesthetic and medicines used during the procedure.
- Bleeding – any cut into the skin involves a small amount of bleeding, If the scar is small this risk is low, if the scar is larger then the risk is larger as well and very rarely excessive bleeding requires further treatment with surgery to stop the bleeding or blood transfusion.
- Infection – any cut into the skin or scar gives a risk of infection. This risk is minimised by the use of sterile techniques and good surgical tissue handling, however if it occurs it may delay wound healing and risk more scarring, require further treatment including antibiotics or additional surgery.
- Pain and discomfort – whilst all possible measures are made to minimise discomfort, the anaesthetic, procedure and post-operative period may be uncomfortable despite pain relief.
- Numbness/Tingling – any cut into the skin means cuts into the tiny nerves which supply the sensation to that skin. This usually settles and improves over time but most scars feel different to normal skin and the scar created by scar revision surgery can feel numb and tingly for a while, and in some cases this can be permanent.
Scar therapy
What is scar therapy?
- Scars can be treated in lots of ways – scar therapy uses non-surgical techniques to try to help the scar tissue settle down and feel better.
- Every scar is different and there may one or more scar therapies which treat your scar, alone or in combination with laser or scar revision surgery, to improve it.
- If you have a raised, red, lumpy or tight scar then scar therapy might help improve the scar.
- Scar therapy can help to make scars softer and flatter and can make them less red and feel more normal to touch.
What does it involve?
Scar therapy uses a variety of non-surgical techniques to improve the scar including:
- Targeted scar massage
- Silicone therapy
- De-sensitisation regimes
- Compression garments
- Oedema/Lymphoedema (swelling) management
- Physical supports
- Skin camouflage
- Psychological support
What happens after the treatment?
- Your progress with the specific scar therapy which has been recommended will be monitored by your scar surgeon.
Are there any risks with scar therapy?
As scar therapy is non-surgical there are very few risks, however the following are possible:
- Discomfort/pain – any treatment of scars which are sore can increase the discomfort – this is usually temporary but can in very rare cases increase the discomfort and be permanent.
- Allergic reaction – it is uncommon, but allergic reaction to silicone or other scar therapy is possible and may require further treatment.