FAQ Scar Healing and Treatment
Will I have a scar after surgery?
Any injury or surgery on your skin may result in a scar. Although most scars improve over time, some scars may become more noticeable and cause discomfort. How your skin heals depends on many factors, including the location of the scar on your body, your age and how the injury occurred.
When will my scar look better?
You may see many changes that occur during the healing process. Within the first 10 days, there will not be much change except that your stitches may come out. After this time, you may see some redness along your incision line. This is a normal part of healing. Your incision may look red for several months. It may also appear redder and raised before it looks better. In most cases, scars continue to improve over the next 1 to 2 years. Most plastic surgeons will wait until that time before considering a scar revision. A scar revision is surgery to improve or reduce the appearance of a scar.
What can I do to make my scar look better?
There are many products on the market that claim
to improve scars. However, there is relatively little proof to these claims. These recommendations are based on scientific research and have been shown to improve the appearance of most scars:
Scar treatment instructions
Massage: Massage your scar for 5 minutes, 3 times a day until it is soft and flat. It may take a few months to get the final result.
Sunscreen: Try not to expose your scar to sunlight. Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or greater daily for the next 4 months.
Silicone: Use gel ointment or sheets daily
Please wait 2 weeks after the removal of your stitches to begin these scar treatment instructions. During this 2-week period, you may continue to apply over-the-counter Aquaphor® ointment twice daily, as needed.