Opinions on What is Happening to my Chin Scar - 2nd Surgery Post Op

Swelling and scar under the chin area are major issues post facelift surgery. The healing in sub mental area is very slow causing prolonged edema, in some instances it require steroid injections to reduce the duration of this swelling. 

As you know from experiencing the healing from your primary lift, there are changes going on for months.  Revisions take even longer, as the surgeon was working on scarred tissue, not virgin tissue.  Ask about massage, silicone containing scar gels and ultrasound treatment.  These things are proven effective.

Based on your photos it appears that you have a excess skin on either side of the scar. This may resolve with time and massage.  Laser tightening (Smartlipo) may also help.

You need to give it time to heal as you are only a few weeks post-surgery.  You might try using vitamine E oil and massage, or you could use a laser to help speed the healing time.
 

Dear SecondSurgery,

Scars can take at least 6 months to fully heal.  I have experience with this, as well as photos taken at monthly intervals after closing incisions or cuts on the face.  At 1 month it may look good, at 3 months, it may be darker, but at 6 months, it all resolves and looks great.

Stay optimistic, it's still too early to see if it worked.

Best,

Nima Shemirani

Scar revisions can greatly improve the appearance of an unsightly scar. If a scar is too wide or too thick it can usually be improved by removing it and closing the wound again. Scar revisions, however, have no guarantees. While good technique can give your tissue a nice set up to heal well, the most important part of the equation is your ability to heal. The good news is that in most cases scar revisions result in a significant improvement in the appearance of scars.

I would not be too concerned about your healing at three weeks post-op. It takes no less than three months and even up to a year to see the true final results of the healing process. That being said, if you see thickening of the scar forming you should see your surgeon to discuss possibly using some treatments while you are healing to improve the scar. Otherwise, try to be patient and you will likely be enjoying a nice improvement in just a few short months.

I hope this info helps!

More than likely, this scar will mature over time and look just fine. Your surgeon may consider injecting a small amount of dilute steroid in the area to help swelling resolve quicker. Otherwise, I recommend aggressive massage. Things should look much better over the next few months.

Andrew C. Campbell, M.D.

Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
 

You are very early in the postoperative period.  The abnormalities you are seeing are most likely the result of postoperative swelling.  You need to allow time for the swelling and induration to subside before you can truly assess your results.  This can take up one year.  In the meantime, I would suggest gentle massage and warm compresses, at the discretion of your current surgeon.  Good Luck, Dr. Corrado

The prominence at the ends of the incisional scar represent some skin bunching with fat excess. Because you are quite early in the healing process, this will likely improve quite a bit with time. If contour issues persist beyond 3-4 months, a little fat removal can help.

3 weeks after scar revision, it is far too early to make a call on how it will look eventually. Scars take a full year to remodel.  In the cases of revision surgery, scars will take longer (especially in the initial phases of healing) to settle down.