Recommended Over-the-counter Scar Treatment After Facelift?

The vast
majority of facelift scars heal nicely without any type of intervention.
Initially these scars are red and raised. For this reason patients are
apprehensive and often request some type of treatment to facilitate healing.When this scenario arises a variety
of treatments have been utilized. These include topical vitamin E, mederma,
scarguard, silicone gel and a variety of lotions and creams. Although these
agents are popular, most of the data regarding their use is anecdotal.

The incision scars from a facelift mature within six to twelve months from the surgery date.  It is very important to keep the sun and sunbed off of the incision lines it can discolor them . There are a variety of treatments available at this time to help reduce the appearance of the incision line as well as the cred/pink color, such as ; topical vitamin E, mederma, scarguard, silicone gel.  Check with your Board Certified Surgeon and his/her recommendations.  

The #scars from a facelift mature within six to twelve months from the surgery date. It is during this time that the rejuvenating effects of the facelift will become apparent and the real result will be seen. We find that scar reducing product, BioCorneum , appears to be very effective. If you have certain concerns about the procedures and #healing process, it is recommended to call your board-certified surgeon or their medical staff and discuss those #concerns.

Thank you for your question. While scars will always be present, much
can be done to make them as subtle as possible. Facelift incisions can be
managed using a multimodal approach:
1) Scar massage - starting as soon as the surgical dressings come off and the incisions are sealed
2) Silicone sheets or scar gels for about six months to year
3) Fractionated lasers to help blend the scar into the background -
done as a series, starting about 4 weeks after surgery and repeated
every four weeks for six months.
4) Sunscreen to prevent the scars from darkeningYour incisions
should be very subtle based on the placement of the incisions, but may
need a full 6 months to 1 year or more to fade.

Hello! Thank you for the question! It is common for scars to fully mature for up to a year. In the meantime, there are a few things that may help to ameliorate your incision/scar. The most proven (as well as cheapest) modality is simple scar massage. Applying pressure and massaging the well-healed scar has been shown to improve the appearance as it breaks up the scar tissue, hopefully producing the finest scar as possible. Other things that have been shown to add some benefit, albeit controversial, are silicone sheets, hydration, and topical steroids. In addition, avoidance of direct sunlight to the incision will significantly help the appearance as they tend to discolor with UV light during the healing process. If unsightly scars are still present after approximately a year's time, other things that your surgeon may consider are intralesional steroid injections, laser, or just surgical revision of the scar itself.Hope that this helps! Best wishes!

Facelift scars should be treated aggressively to give you a lifetime of satisfactory results.  I treat many facelift scars with pulsed dye laser, early neosporin application, and fractional laser skin resurfacing.

Any scars after surgery can be improved by proper care after surgery. Immediately after surgery clean the incisions with peroxide and apply bacitracin several times a day. After the stitches come out use Vit E lotion or cream to massage the scars daily for 3 months. In some cases where a scar starts becoming raised then immediately start using silicon sheets every night, or Scarguard or Mederma.
Regards

Hi,
Thank you for your question.
I would recommend the product Neaclear Scar Advantage. It promotes optimal scar healing with ingredients such as liquid oxygen, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamins A & D, cortisone, and silicone. You apply the product a few times a day and should see scar reduction in a less than a few weeks.
Best regards,
Dr. Speron

In more than 30 years of facelifts, I have never had a patient with noticeable scars in front of the ears that required any cream. The surgery makes the scars not noticeable except for the initial redness which is easily covered with cover-up makeup for the first few weeks.

In general, Facelift incisions by a qualified, reputable, board certified Facial Plastic Surgeon or Plastic Surgeon should heal very nicely. The reason: blood supply in the face is excellent. Scar creams, although they may provide some piece of mind to the patient are of questionable therapeutic value to a normal healing facial wound. If the incision looks questionable, application of a silicone based cream may be helpful.