Scar Revision Surgery in Barrie | Scar Revision Toronto

Scars, whether they’re caused by accident or by surgery, are unpredictable. The way a scar develops depends as much on how your body heals as it does on the original injury or on the surgeon’s skills.

Many variables can affect the severity of scarring, including the size and depth of the wound, the blood supply to the area, the thickness and colour of your skin, and the direction of the scar. How much the appearance of a scar bothers you is, of course, a personal matter.

While no scar can be removed completely, Dr. Dickie can often improve the appearance of a scar, making it less obvious through the injection or application of certain steroid medications or through surgical procedures known as scar revisions.

Type of Scar

Keloid scars are thick, puckered, itchy clusters of scar tissue that grow beyond the edges of the wound or incision. They are often red or darker in colour than the surrounding skin. Keloids occur when the body continues to produce the tough, fibrous protein known as collagen after a wound has healed.

Keloids are often treated by injecting a steroid medication directly into the scar tissue to reduce redness, itching, and burning. In some cases, this will also shrink the scar. If steroid treatment is inadequate, the scar tissue can be cut out and the wound closed with one or more layers of stitches.

Hypertrophic scars are often confused with keloids, since both tend to be thick, red, and raised. Hypertrophic scars, however, remain within the boundaries of the original incision or wound. They often improve on their own, though it may take a year or more, or require the help of steroid applications or injections.

Scar Revision Surgery Procedure

If a conservative approach doesn’t appear to be effective, hypertrophic scars can often be improved surgically. Dr. Dickie will remove excess scar tissue, and may reposition the incision so that it heals in a less visible pattern. This surgery may be done under local or general anaesthesia, depending on the scar’s location and what you and Dr. Dickie decide. You may receive steroid injections during surgery and at intervals for up to two years afterward to prevent the thick scar from reforming.

Consultation

Contact the Royal Centre of Plastic Surgery for more information on scar revision and other possible cosmetic enhancements that you might be considering and to schedule an in-depth consultation with Dr. Dickie. Let us help you achieve your desired look. We are committed to helping you look and feel great.