Scars. It is a deformation in the skin caused by an open wound or other factors such as a finished operation or surgical process, injuries from chemicals, from popping pimples or just like what was previously mentioned, an injury like a wound caused by a sharp object. Scars can happen in every part of the skin of the body and they are unremovable and they will remain on the skin.
But a person does not have to live with it for the rest of their life because scars can actually be covered by concealer or they can actually be removed through a surgical process. In order to get the scars completely removed, professionally, a patient must contact a plastic surgeon in order to get their scars removed or recovered.
Revision of scars is actually very common and it is a plastic or aesthetic surgical process that improves the appearance and condition of the damaged skin tissue or scar in any part of the patient’s body.
The goal of the revisioning of scars is to make them appear smooth and invisible or not obvious make it obvious as much as possible. Another goal for this is for the sole purpose of making the patient feel better and comfortable about their appearance or looks once the surgical process is over.
What are the Different Types of Scars?
Some scars are more noticeable in appearance because of their size or their texture, and their location as well. Some scars are much more visible if they are in the face, arms, or legs. Scars may also differ in color, unlike the healthy skin that surrounds them.
In this segment, you will be identifying different types of scars.
- Hypertrophic scars. These types of scars are most;y elevated or raised from the skin surface and they appear thick and red. They mostly form on the site of the wound. Hypertrophic scars can be dark or referred to as hyperpigmented or they could be light in color or hypopigmented.
- Keloids. These types of scars are very thick of damaged skin tissue. They grow larger than the wound where it originated or the incision that gave birth to the keloid. When a patient has keloid scarring, they will experience some pain and itchiness on that scar. Keloids are formed on the patient’s face, ears, chest, neck, and shoulders and they are more common with people of color or dark complexion.
- Contractures. Contractures are the type of scars that are much more severe due to how it inhibits or disrupts the movement of a person because of the large portion of skin and tissues that were injured. These damaged skin tissues are pulled together in a healing process which is why the elasticity of the skin is extremely tight to the point where the patient who has this scar could not move that well. Burns can be a type of contracture scar.
How do Plastic Surgeons Assess Scars?
Before a plastic surgeon performs the aesthetic or plastic surgical operation known as the scar revision, they will have to assess the patient’s scar before jumping to the process of treating it. The assessment of the scar can help in determining what type of treatment the plastic surgeon does in order to treat the patient’s scar correctly. This process will make the plastic surgeon familiar with their patient’s needs.
Surgeons mentioned that not all treatments for scars can be done through plastic surgery. Plastic surgeons have to take note about the appearance of the scar such as the color, the shape, the size, and the texture. If the scar is not that severe, the procedure would not be as intimidating or scary than most patients think. But if it is quite extreme, they will have to undergo a lengthy process of scar revisioning.
Topical Treatments
Some surgeons will advise the patients to take topical treatment, an example of a non-surgical treatment which is less invasive treatment to remove the scars of a patient. Topical treatments like silicone sheets and silicone gels are used in this type of treatment to treat the surface of the scars or the discolored part of a person’s skin. This will help the process of revisioning of the scars.
Surface Treatments
In some situations, surface treatments will be used for the patient who has more textured scars. Surface treatment is an aesthetic plastic surgical process that smoothens the surface of the skin by removing the top layer of the skin. By the removal of the top skin layer, this allows new skin to form on the patient’s skin and it will be much healthier than before. Surface treatments also reduce any discoloration and texture on the skin. This treatment for the scars include dermabrasion, light therapy, or laser therapy, skin bleaching chemicals or agents, as well as chemical peel solutions.
Injectable Treatments
For the last type of non-surgical processes in treating scars, injectable treatments or fillers takes the list. These types of injectable treatments are made from natural ingredients or synthesized products that are safe for the skin and induce healing on the scars. This is usually used to elevate the tissue of sunken scars such as scabs on the face. Steroid injections reduce the formation of collagen and manipulate the appearance of damaged skin tissue’ surface, size, and texture of elevated or sunken scars.
Skin Grafts
Coming in the list is an example of a skin revision surgery. Mind you that skin revision surgery can actually combine with non-surgical treatments for scars but it can also be done by itself alone. The type of skin revision can depend on what type of scars a patient has and what would be the best type of treatment for it. Skin revisions can be used for cosmetic or aesthetic purposes or it could enable the skin to function much better than before after it was damaged and scarred.
Skin grafts is the process of removing a patch of healthy tissue from a different part of the body in order to patch it up on the patient’s damaged skin.
Z-Plasty
Next type skin revision surgery is for more serious scars. A plastic surgeon will have to cut around the scar site in order to angle the scars and change the scars direction. This will make the scar less visible.
Tissue Expansion
This type of procedure helps induce the growth of additional skin. A balloon is placed under the patient’s skin in order to stretch the skin that induces skin expansion.
Sources:
https://www.scripps.org/news_items/4482-what-is-involved-in-scar-revision