What can be done to improve raised scarring 1 year after face and neck lift? (photos)

Your scarring extends beyond the oronginal incision and covers a fairly large area. It is possible that existing of some of the scar Woukd improve the visibility but you have a challenging problem. The scar is too large to excise all of it. Not looks like there were problems healing over a relatively large area. I Woukd discuss with your surgeon.

It appears that many of your scars have healed with hypertrophic or keloid scarring. To treat the raised nature of the scars, I would recommend a steroid injection, which will hopefully flatten them out and make them less hard. The redness, or erythema, can be treated by various laser treatments, however the gold standard in treated redness is the PDL laser.

Thank you for your question about addressing and improving scars from your facelift and for including photos.

Steroid injections will help with the thick, raised scars. In my experience, this does take quite some time but is effective.

Hope this helps!

Hello and thank you for the question. There are several options available that can improve the appearance of scars following facelift surgery. Time will generally improve the appearance without any further interventions, however it is frequently helpful to be more proactive. Massaging the scar and silicone sheets/gel are easy ways to soften and improve the appearance of most scars. Steroid injections can be very helpful but shouldn't be used too aggressively/frequently. Certain lasers such as C02 or PDL can also blend and fade the color of scars. Finally, if all of these measures fail, a surgical scar revision may be warranted. I would suggest bringing these options up to your surgeon, or perhaps seeking a second opinion by a board certified facial plastic surgeon.

Thank you for your question. Kenalog (steroid) injections are best to help reduce the thickness of the scars. If that isn't helping then I recommend possibly doing a scar revision, where your surgeon tries to re excise the area in hopes to have some improvement. Scars can heal worse better or the same, so we tend to like to start with a small section. You can also try some scar creams to see if will help. I would suggest seeing your Surgeon and following their recommendations. Best of luck to you.

The scars in the photo are red and raised and are still not mature, despite the amount of time that has gone by. I recommend applying a silicone scar pad. This can be used only at night and will likely have to be held in place with paper medical grade tape. Massaging the scars twice daily will also help break down the scar tissue. At your in person follow up, your surgeon may have more specific advice.
I advise that your "final one year follow up" not be your last follow up as you are still healing. It is not unreasonable for you to expect your surgeon to follow you until the scars have matured.

Thanks for your question! We have had a lot of success improving scars with microneedling. It won't make the scar go away completely, but it can help to flatten it out. Try to find an office/nurse/esthetician near you that is comfortable and confident using needling for scar revision. Good luck!

Each surgeon has their own protocol on how to deal with thickened scars. Nonsurgical options include silicone tape or gel, laser, and steroid injections. You may need multiple treatments to see an effect from laser and steroid injections. As you are nearing a year postop, your surgeon may consider revising the scars if you have enough skin laxity to allow for tension free closure. Be aware that if you developed a thickened scar once, it may occur again after revision. I would keep your appointment with your surgeon to discuss your options.

Hello thank you for your question. Yes you have developed a hypertrophic scar typically can be treated with kenalog. Sometime you may need more than one kenalog treatment. Apply silicone tape and start scar massaging. Microneedling to the area will help soften the scar as well. Speak to your plastic surgeon for more options.