Scar Revision: Treatment, Cost and Side Effects

Scar Revision is defined as a surgery to improve the appearance of a scar. In other terms, it is defined as the attempts done to reduce the size of a scar in order to make it less noticeable in the process amalgamating it with the surrounding texture and tone of the skin. A Scar is a conspicuous mark that is left on the skin after the healing of a wound. Scars can originate from surgeries or injuries whose their development at times are not predictable. Scars can be treated using various treatment models depending on the level of which the scar has affected the skin. There are various types of scars;

1. Discoloration or surface irregularities : These are the kind of scars that cause no discomfort. It includes acne scars and the scars that arise from very minor injuries as well as prior surgery procedures. It is mostly treated using cosmetic surgery
2. Hypertrophic scars: These are thick cluster scars which usually arise just intermediate to the spot of a wound. These scars are very distressful, red and raised and as time goes by the widen. Hypertrophic scars may be light color as well as dark in color.
3. Keloids: Keloids scars are much bigger compared to the hypertrophic scars. Keloids are very irritating and lead to none comfortability. They are well known of protruding past the edges of the original wounds. These scar occurs at any place in the body but arise well in areas with less tissues of the fats like the ears, face as well as shoulders.
4. Contractures: These are scars that hinder movement as a result of the skin tissues pulling together during the haling of the wound. This is very common in the place where there is huge loss of the skin tissue more so after a burns. Contractures always develop where a wound run over a joint.

There are various techniques utilized by dermatologists for scar revision. Each and every one of the procedures is designed to produce the best results by making the scar as invisible as humanly possible. It however depends on the position of the scar on the body, that is where it is located and its appearance. There are three major scar revision treatments. These are:

1. Injectable treatments This type of treatment is used to fill regions of depressed skin that result due to scarring raising the scarred skin to the level of the surrounding one. The material injected makes the region suppler. This method lasts for varying lengths of time from a few months to as long as several years. The type of injectable used is what determines the time the treatment lasts. Nonetheless, this treatment must be repeated regularly to preserve the results.
2. Surface treatments
This is the most frequently used treatment for scar revision. They include:
• Laser treatment: this works by destroying the upper part of the skin called the dermis by creating small holes in it. This prompts the body’s healing system to start production of new skin cells at the scar site.
• Dermabrasion: as its name suggests, this is treatment mechanically removes the dermis, thus sloughing off the dead top cells revealing and giving the skin a brighter complexion and even texture.
• Chemical peels: this utilizes the corrosive nature of chemicals to do away with the damaged top skin.
• Radio frequency treatments: this method uses the energy produced by radio frequencies to initiate collagen production and thus also the healing process starts.
3. Surgical treatment

Some scars especially those large and deep ones do necessitate for surgery to remove them. These are often results of surgical procedures or even burns. After the scar tissue is removed surgically, the wound is closed using special closure techniques so as to heal properly.

Scar revision treatment is available to anyone who has a scar and may want to improve their look and appearance. One may also want to restore function to a certain organ or even correct disfigurement. The disfigurement may be due to prior injury, poor wound healing and even surgery. People with this scars are eligible for treatment:

• Keloids- a form of excessive scarring common to dark-skinned people.
• Stretch marks- this is also a form of scarring due to over stretching of skin rapidly. It is common to people with significant weight gain and pregnant women.
• Contractures- These are scars that hinder movements thus causes strain when stretching your skin. It is very common with people who have suffered burns before.

Generally, individuals who have scars in their skins on their bodies are the one who are eligible for scar revision. On the other hand, those individuals who do not have scars do not need to attend for a scar correction process. Scar revision being a surgical activity, it therefore needs individuals to be cautious about what they will be undergoing in order to create confidence in those people who wish to have a scar correction. Those persons who are very confident about the scar correction are also legible for the treatment.

Commonly after every surgical scar revision, the side effects of the treatment are well recognized with the swellings, irritability, none comfortability as well as chronic discoloration. In addition, bruising is also accompanied after a scar correction. This may be significant for some weeks or so. In addition, Worse scarring may develop as a side effect where during surgeries, new scarring is always made in order to correct the existing scars. Infections raising from surgeries may also develop exponentially from the much swollen red as well as tender tissues. In other scenarios, Hypopigmentation may arise from cosmetic surgery affecting mostly these individuals with dark skin. This effect is associated with the un even color of the skin color more so after surgical procedures.

Patient are usually advised with their skin care professional to keep high hygiene more so in cleaning of the open wounds. Patients are also advised to put more efforts on their diets more so diets that contain more vitamins which helps them with the steroid therapy. In addition, patients are as well advised to avoid exposure to the UV light which may lead to some healing complications probably contributing to large scarring of the scar which has been treated. Also, patients are advised to keep good relationships with their doctors in order to build up a strong working team among the two so as to improve the treatment process through regular check ups

The time take for a scar to heal will depend on the method chosen for a scar revision. For most scar correction, the common period of time that is taken for full recovery is usually 5 to 7 days. Just after a surgery is done on a patient, light compression taping is used in order to minimize the swelling at the surgical areas. This compression tapes normally removed after a period of 1 to 3 days. Stitches dissolve of are removed by the help of a doctor in a week or so. The entire healing process may end up taking some several months to heal.

In the most cases across many professional medical institution, the set price for a scar revision is allows closes to $1975. IN India, plastic surgery for scars is done at a price that ranges between 5 lakh to 20 lakh. These high cost are distributed to take care of the medications prescribed, procedures conducted, Anesthesia fees as well the surgeons fee. Also, the price of treating scars may depend on the procedures that are undertaken in order to perform a scar revision. Most health insurances take care of scar revision because it is regarded to be cosmetic surgery.

Surgical treatment may be effective or not. But for successive surgeries on the scars, the results of scar revision are always permanent in other time its considered to be lifetime. Results of a surgery are only seen effective when an individual notices a significant change on the looks and appearance of the current scar and the previous scar. Therefore, patient should build up their courage in scar revision since results are permanent thus improving one’s appearance than before.

Fractional resurfacing as well as the fractional radio are used in place of the lasers in order to cut out the infected areas. In this case, the scars will not completely disappear but would rather be less noticeable. Use of the skin care products can assure to minimize the appearance of acne scars. Some of the Creams used on scars contain acid like salicylic as well as glycolic which help to reduce the red pigments on scars that is companied by very painful acne scarring.

Use of chemical peels which contain concentrated solutions of acids help to dissolve the top layer of the skin when they are applied on the face. With the removal of the top skin, some blisters as well as red pigments may develop in the process.