5 months post- op- Facelift/necklift. I was left with lumps and bumps in neck. How can this scar tissue be fixed? (Photos)

Plastic surgery scars require attention after surgery so that they remain cosmetically-appealing and barely noticeable. In our office, we use a protocol for scars that minimizes their activity in the 6-8 weeks after surgery. If you have late plastic surgery scars, you may also require laser and RF therapy to help reduce the longterm effects of the scarring. Keloids, hypertrophic scars, widened scars, red scars, and hyperpigmented scars all require scar modulation with topical creams followed by lasers and RF therapy. Topical skincare should be directed to a specific need, whether for pigmentation or hypertrophy and our office can guide you through the process to obtain the correct Plato’s Scar cream or Melarase cream for hypertrophy and discoloration. In terms of lasers, we would employ the vbeam laser for redness, Venus Viva RF, PRP microneedling, chemical peels, and Morpheus 8, fractional erbium, or fractional co2. All of these have their individual benefits. Most of all, we recommend you visit a solid plastic surgeon who understands surgical scar revision, laser therapy, and RF therapy for scars.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Thank you for your question. Your surgeon is correct in that massage and time (scars take a year to mature) will help. Adjuncts such as microneedling would be helpful for improving the collagen makeup of the skin as well. I'm sorry you're going through this, and I wish you all the best.
-Dr. P

Dear Gagirlsays,
I understand your concern. However, without a proper assessment, it would be difficult to determine what went wrong. It is best that you visit your plastic surgeon for further assessment or ask for a second opinion. Only after a thorough examination, you can get proper recommendations and advice.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Thank you for sharing your question and photographs. Nothing replaces an in-person examination but if scar tissue is the cause, dilute cortisone injections should provide some improvement in general appearance and texture.

Hi! Lumps and bumps after neck lift are usual. It is also possible that these lumps are swollen lymph nodes that developed due to infection or during the healing stage. However, I would suggest that you take a second opinion from an experienced and board-certified surgeon to get more information and recommendations for your specific case post a thorough examination.

Scar tissue can happen, and takes time to go away. However if you’d like to speed it up, some doctors would inject anti-inflammatory solution into the area of the scar. It is similar to what we do for keloid injections. Radiofrequency Microneedeling could also potentially help to break up the scar, or RF non-invasive treatment like Forma (there are many other forms of RF out there).