Scar Revision
Scars, whether they're caused by accidents or by surgery are unpredictable. The way a scar develops depends as much on how the patient's 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 color of the skin, and the direction of the scar. While no scar can be removed completely, plastic surgery can often improve the appearance of a scar, making it less obvious. This can be obtained through the injection or application of certain steroid medications or through surgical procedures known as scar revisions. For example, the scar crossing the natural line, or crease, between the nose and mouth, resulting from cleft palate surgery is removed and repositioned using a technique called Z-plasty. Another example is a forehead scar, located in the natural lines, that is excised with tapered ends. The skin is then loosened and brought together with stitches. The repaired scars will lie partly within the natural skin crease, where they are less visible.
