I have red and enlarged scars by ear after facelift. What should I do about these scars? (Photo)

I'm
sorry to read you're unhappy with your scars. The scars just below the ear
lobule on both sides are what surgeons call hypertrophic scars. They can be
usually flattened with steroid injections into the area, but they would still
be highly visible. The reason the scar appeared in this area is that the
tension left on that area at the time of surgery after skin removal combined
with descent of the lifted tissues has left a scar that is raised and red. The
redness will fade, but to deal with the scar and eliminate or minimize it will
require some kind of relifting procedure to lift the tissues back up underneath
the scar. Hopefully this can be done as a mini lift type of procedure, but it
may require more. I would consult with your surgeon about your options. Best of
luck.

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

Hi.  You have a "hypertrophic scar".  The thickness can be improved by steroid injections.  The redness can be improved by IPL or vascular laser.  I agree with the suggestions for silicone gel products, as well.If the scar fails to respond, revisional surgery may be required.

 Thank you for your pictures. This is the scars due to excessive tension at the time of surgery which produce a widened and thick scar. In my opinion you should consider steroid injections plus silicone gel therapy. If this shows minimal to no improvement and removal of those scars  plus they use a silicone gel with  injection of  steroids and closure would be appropriate. 

There are a handful of things that can be done to your scar, before considering a scar revision. First, massage is helpful. This should be done 3 times a day for about 5 minutes. Second, topical silicone-based gel formulations are helpful for color and texture. These include Biocorneum, Kelocote, Scar-Away and others. Lastly, small injections of a steroid called Kenalog can help to shrink the scar tissue. In addition to these measures, some lasers can be used to help with scar management. However, these should not be used on keloid scars. As a last resort, the scar would be excised and the area re-sutured.

Thank you for your question and photos.  It appears that you have a hypertrophic scar that needs revision.  The scar will be cut out during the revision.All the best,Dr. ResultsMiami, FL

Hello! Thank you for the question! It is common for scars to fully mature for up to a year. In the meantime, there are a few things that may help to ameliorate your incision/scar. The most proven (as well as cheapest) modality is simple scar massage. Applying pressure and massaging the well-healed scar has been shown to improve the appearance as it breaks up the scar tissue, hopefully producing the finest scar as possible. Other things that have been shown to add some benefit, albeit controversial, are silicone sheets, hydration, and topical steroids. In addition, avoidance of direct sunlight to the incision will significantly help the appearance as they tend to discolor with UV light during the healing process. If unsightly scars are still present after approximately a year's time, other things that your surgeon may consider are intralesional steroid injections, laser, or just surgical revision of the scar itself.Hope that this helps! Best wishes!

I recommend massage to my facelift patients.  However, if the scars are still there after 12-18 months you might need a scar revision.

These scars are either keloids or hypertrophic scars. An examination is needed to determine if there is enough elasticity  in your skin to surgically excised these and treat the area with steroid injections if it is a true keloid. See a very 

Hi and thanks for sharing your question and photos.  You have developed some hypertrophic scarring to the incision.  First, there are nonsurgical treatments that can be started even though you are 9 months post op. Please see my link below to see what the non surgical and surgical treatment options involve. It would be best to follow up with your original surgeon.