Hi, I am 25 and I've had this scar since I was 3. It's about an inch long and a quarter of an inch thick, it's indented, and it reflects light so I would like to find a way minimize it. I understand it is in a very difficult spot so I don't know if scar revision is even an option for me. I fell and cut my forehead open on a sharp edge of marble from a fireplace at 3 years old. I had 11 stitches. I have tried botox and a few fillers. Not sure if they helped. Thank you!
February 23, 2015
Answer: Help for your scar...... This scar should be improved with a combination of subscision, fractional laser and possibly filler. Post-traumatic scars are treated with an approach that is similar to acne scars, chicken pox scars and post-surgical scars. My starting point is typically subscision, performed under local anesthesia, whereby a very thin needle with a scalpel-type end is inserted into the indented scar and this tissue is "loosened" through a gentle back and forth motion. New collagen is laid down in this area, helping to fill the indented area. This process takes about a month or so and I anticipate several sessions. If the improvement is incomplete, the sharp edges of the scar can be "blurred" with fractional laser or microneedling. Fillers such as Juvederm are helpful as well. Although they are temporary, they tend to last longer as compared with injections in sites such as lips and melolabial folds (perhaps because scar tissue is densely collagenized).Finally, there is emerging data to suggest that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) infusion, in combination with fractional laser, can improve acne scars. PRP helps to regenerate collagen and soft tissue though local infusion of platelet derived growth factors.* The statements above are not intended as a replacement for authentic medical advice; an in-person medical visit with a formally trained dermatologist is recommended.*Kenneth W. Alanen MD,Dermatology FRCPC Fellow, American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, Mohs' Micrographic SurgeryDermatopathology ABD / ABP, Fellow ASDP
Helpful
February 23, 2015
Answer: Help for your scar...... This scar should be improved with a combination of subscision, fractional laser and possibly filler. Post-traumatic scars are treated with an approach that is similar to acne scars, chicken pox scars and post-surgical scars. My starting point is typically subscision, performed under local anesthesia, whereby a very thin needle with a scalpel-type end is inserted into the indented scar and this tissue is "loosened" through a gentle back and forth motion. New collagen is laid down in this area, helping to fill the indented area. This process takes about a month or so and I anticipate several sessions. If the improvement is incomplete, the sharp edges of the scar can be "blurred" with fractional laser or microneedling. Fillers such as Juvederm are helpful as well. Although they are temporary, they tend to last longer as compared with injections in sites such as lips and melolabial folds (perhaps because scar tissue is densely collagenized).Finally, there is emerging data to suggest that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) infusion, in combination with fractional laser, can improve acne scars. PRP helps to regenerate collagen and soft tissue though local infusion of platelet derived growth factors.* The statements above are not intended as a replacement for authentic medical advice; an in-person medical visit with a formally trained dermatologist is recommended.*Kenneth W. Alanen MD,Dermatology FRCPC Fellow, American Society of Dermatologic Surgery, Mohs' Micrographic SurgeryDermatopathology ABD / ABP, Fellow ASDP
Helpful
