Micro-needling for Mature, Hypertrophic Scar?

Question

I have a hypertrophic scar on my arm that is about a year old. I used silicone sheets for approximately 3 months with very subtle improvement. I've read that it takes somewhere between 6 - 18 months for a scar to fully mature. However, can one still expect a scar to naturally continually flatten and eventually restore some of the lost pigmentation, as the years pass? I'm not looking for miracles, just wondering if I can still expect some improvement even after a year, post-trauma. Will other treatments like micro-needling help achieve this improvement? Thanks.

Hooman Khorasani, MD · Answer

Thank you for the question.  I am sorry you have had to suffer with this hypertrophic scar on your arm.  Silicone has modest results and for more significant improvement you should see a scar expert.  Hypertrophic scars are best treated with bespoke multimodal therapy tailored to your scar type and your skin type.  For a start, intralesional injection can help hypertrophic scars - with ILTAC or 5FU often used in combination.  A variety of lasers can help hypertrophic scars including pulsed dye lasers, Nd-Yag lasers, fractionated non-ablative lasers and fractionated ablative lasers.  Physical therapies like microneedling and PRP can help, along with dermabrasion.  If your scar is hyperpigmented, topical bleaching creams containing compounds such as hydroquinone can be used.  Another option for hyperpigmented scars is a Q switch pigment laser.  Finally, surgical scar revision is an option that can improve scars.  Please see a scar expert for best results. I wish you well.

Micro-needling for Mature, Hypertrophic Scar?

Answers (1)