San Antonio Scar Removal doctors

	Minas T. Chrysopoulo, MD San Antonio Plastic Surgeon 9635 Huebner Rd, San Antonio		4 answers
	Philip S. H. Hughes, MD San Antonio Dermatologist 7940 Floyd Curl Dr. Suite 1010, San Antonio		3 answers
	Mario Diana, MD San Antonio Plastic Surgeon 19234 Stonehue Suite 101, San Antonio
	Kimberly Finder, MD San Antonio Dermatologic Surgeon 14855 Blanco Rd Ste 100, San Antonio
	Steven Holzman, MD Austin Plastic Surgeon 6818 Austin Center Boulevard Suite 206, Austin

Recent Answers

Opportunities Depressed Scar Hello, what opportunities are there to improve the appearance of the depressed scar shown in the attachment? Is Excision a useful choice? What else could be done? Or am I better advised to leave it alone? Thank you for your afforts! Many greetings

A: Treatment for Depressed Scars

In my opinion the best option to improve your particular scar is surgical scar revision, ie excision as you mentioned. This essentially involves cutting out the scar and re-closing it.

Other options include topical scar treatments, trying to "plump up" the scar by injecting fillers, skin resurfacing (eg laser), or a combination of these. These will likely fall short of your expectations and could easily end up being more costly by the time you are done.

If you do decide on scar revision (excision) and want to use a scar treatment to improve the appearance of the final scar as much as possible, I recommend a silicone based product (and preferably one that contains vitamin C).

After scar revision, once the scar has healed, you should also massage the scar and use sun block. Scar massage helps soften the final scar and sun block prevents it from become permanently pigmented (dark or red) with sun exposure.

I hope that helps.

Dr C

Minas T. Chrysopoulo, MD

San Antonio Plastic Surgeon

How to Get Rid of Scar Pigmentation? I had a mole removal surgery 4 months ago. After the wound have closed, it remained very reddish/pinkish. I have gone out tanning for several times since then and now my scar became very dark in color. I think it is called "scar pigmentation". My question is if this is a permanent pigmentation? or it will fade when my overall tan will fade? Are there any ways I can treat my dark scar and make it equal again to my over all body color? Thanks a lot.

A: How to get rid of dark scars | How to get rid of scar pigmentation

Some scars will darken even without sun exposure. However, sun exposure (especially tanning) will significantly increase the risk of scar hyperpigmentation (ie dark scars). Not only that, but the dark pigment can be permanent.

All scars under 2 years old should be protected from the sun with clothing or sunblock to decrease the risk of permanent redness or hyperpigmentation.

Once the pigment has developed you have the following options:

1) Wait. Over time some of the pigment may lighten on its own.

2) Use topical scar treatments / pigment lighteners that contain ingredients like hydroquinone, kojic acid, stable vitamin C, or licorice. Do your research on these. Some have recieved "negative press" based on their safety profiles.

3) More aggressive treatments like laser, IPL and even chemical peels have been used successfully for lessening skin pigmentation though these are typically used more for larger areas of hyperpigmentation than what your describing.

Hope that helps.

Dr C

Minas T. Chrysopoulo, MD

San Antonio Plastic Surgeon

Suggestions for Improving Healing of Fresh Scar? My lower teeth went thru my lip and left a bumpy scar (4 weeks ago). I have the most recent picture of its healing. I had the stitches in for 5 days then the doctor took them out. I have been using a product everyday called scar fade (like Mederma).

The two pieces of skin did not mend smooth one side is very raised but still seems swollen is this normal? I am wondering a few things regarding this: your thoughts on the healing process? Best treatment(surgery)? how long to wait before going in the sun with a fresh scar.

A: Scar Healing

It's early days.... too early to start thinking about more surgery.

I recommend:

1. Scar massage -- massaging a scar firmly helps breask down scar tissue and will lead to a flatter, softer scar.

2. Sun block - prolonged exposure of fresh scars to the sun can make these scars turn permanently red or dark, making them even more visible. Put sun block on the area before leaving the house.

3. Keep the area clean and wash it gently (once or twice per day) with a skin-friendly soap like Dial.

4. Some scar treament products are better than others. In my experience, Mederma is no better than plain petroleum gel, but if it's working for you that's great. It certainly shouldn't cause you any harm. Vitamin E is recommended by a lot of people, but again many studies recommend NOT using it as a scar treatment because it can cause contact dermatitis in 1 in 3 people and actually doesn't improve scar healing (see http://www.inviciblescars.com/vitamin-e-scars.html).

5. Wait at least 6 months (preferably 1 year) before considering anything more agressive than a topical scar treatment (like scar revision). It takes time for scars to really mature. You won't know what the final scar will look like until then.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

Dr. Chrysopoulo

Minas T. Chrysopoulo, MD

San Antonio Plastic Surgeon