How do I get rid of a curling iron scar on the forehead? (photos)

Question

About two months ago I burned myself with a curling iron on the forehead. A couple days after I peeled the surface of the burn and it left a light pink scar. I used some acne scar removal products and some cocoa butter products but they haven't worked. Is this scar permanent? And what can I use to get rid of it? And how long would a scar like this take to get rid of?

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Our treatments use combination therapy to improve the epidermis and dermis for most deep scars. The options available for acne scars depend on the character of your scars, in terms of topography and contour. We see atrophic and hypertrophic acne scars, as well as scars that have hypo and hyperpigmentation. We begin each scar evaluation with an assessment of scar quality and subtype. Our main concern is rebuilding collagen and that is why we use a HIDEF protocol that includes combination therapy. Morpheus 8, scar subcision, fibrous release, fractional laser, CO2 laser, Thulium laser, PDL Vbeam laser, and fractional resurfacing can be used in addition to TCA Cross and chemical peels to further improve skin. Patients should start Melarase AM and Melarase PM for active hyperpigmentation. Always begin with a consultation to decide whether early subcision should be started.

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian 
Realself100 Surgeon

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

There are options that help fix this such as microneedling and fractional laser such as clear and brilliant.  Medical tattooing is not a bad option permanently, but an in person consult is needed to see if it is just color or if there is a textural issue.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Robert S. Schmidt, MD · Answer

Hi there. Whenever we're evaluating a troublesome scar, we try to determine what the objectionable things are and direct our treatments to those concerns. First of all, it looks like your body healed the area just fine. The biggest problem seems to be that you have a lack of pigment in the area. The burn was deep enough to injure your melanocytes (pigment producing cells) but not so deep as to lead to major textural problems that you can get with worse injuries.You have a couple of options. The simplest is to use makeup to cover it. A more permanent solution would be medical tattooing. More drastic solutions like surgery are available, but I think that makeup or tattooing would be a very good option.Good luck.

How do I get rid of a curling iron scar on the forehead? (photos)

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How do I get rid of a curling iron scar on the forehead? (photos)

Answers (3)

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Everything you need to know about Scar Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.