Incisions And Scars After Plastic Surgery
After plastic surgery, you will have scars in place of incisions that are now healed. Scars are almost unavoidable results of your plastic surgery, but ideally, they should be discrete enough so that you do not become self-conscious by them. Ultimately, the patient and his/her board-certified plastic surgeon should determine together where to make the incision, and the length of it. In our practice, depending on the type of surgery, the incision placement may be customized based on the patients’ preferences and needs. However, your goal should be an incision that will heal properly and offer long-term aesthetic satisfaction. This is why scar revision is a highly individualized procedure.
*Photo of lower body lift patient with minimal scarring:
Dr. Siamak Agha of Plastic Surgery Body Contouring is committed to ensuring that patients are satisfied post-surgery with their scars, so much so that he has pioneered several techniques in an effort to maximize results and reduce incision size to ensure minimal scarring. Incision placement will determine the size and appearance of the scar, and how it will heal post-surgery. It is important for your surgeon to be knowledgeable about performing the surgery with an incision in an anatomically symmetric location. For instance, Dr. Siamak Agha developed and trademarked the HD Tummy Tuck, which ensures the incision for the procedure is one to two inches below the average tummy tuck incision so that the patients’ scar is well hidden.
Scar revision varies depending on the type of procedure, age of scar and degree and depth of the scar. Dr. Siamak Agha may apply minimally invasive procedures such as an injection to reduce the size of the scar or use a topical treatment to lighten the appearance. Some patients may require surgical revision using enhanced techniques in wound closure. One of the major reasons for thicker or wider scars size is poor healing. There are ways to promote the healing of scars. Unlike many other plastic surgeons, Dr. Siamak Agha requires patients to take specially formulated nutritional supplements prior to some procedures, which are geared towards enhanced healing. Dr. Siamak Agha sees many patients who come in for scar revision surgery.
One factor that can determine how your scar will heal after surgery is the texture of the skin in the surrounding area. For instance, the back may cause a scar to heal thicker than normal due to the tightness and tension that the back caries. On the other hand, the texture of the skin in the front of some areas of the body (like breasts and tummy) will develop a thinner and lighter scar, due to the softness of the skin.
It is normal for a post-surgery scar to be red for 3-6 months. The redness fades with time as the year goes on. Most patients can expect their scar to blend with the surrounding skin after a year or so.
For more information or to book a consultation with Dr. Siamak Agha, please call (949)644-2442.
