Whether the surgery is desired for functional or cosmetic reasons, your choice of a facial plastic surgeon is of paramount importance. Your surgeon will examine the scar in order to decide upon the proper treatment and inform you of outcomes that can be expected from facial scar revision surgery.

Different scars require different treatments. For example, severe burns that destroy large sections of skin cause the skin to heal in a puckered way. As the skin heals, muscles and tendons may be affected in this “contracting” movement. Keloid scars are a result of the skin’s overproduction of collagen after a wound has healed. These scars generally appear as growths in the scar site. Hypertrophic scars, unlike keloids, do not grow out of the boundaries of the scar area, but because of their thick, raised texture, can be unsightly and may also restrict the natural movement of muscles and tendons.

Some facial scars are unattractive simply because of where they appear on the face, while others affect facial expressions. All surgical possibilities will be discussed in the initial consultation along with risks involved for each type of scarring. The agreement between you and your surgeon on how to proceed is a prerequisite for successful surgery. After you both decide to proceed with scar revision, your surgeon will inform you about the anesthesia, the surgical facility, any supportive surgery options, and costs.

Because scars are highly individualistic and the patient’s attitude toward scars is so personal, maximum improvement in facial scars may require more than one procedure, and more than one technique may be employed.