How long post-op should scars be red/purple and raised? (Photo)

After 2 years, its unlikely your scars are going to improve without a little extra help.  For the bumps / itch, a series of steroid injections can help (every 6 weeks or so).  Silicone sheeting also helps to flatten scars.  IPL laser (intense pulsed light) can help to lighten the redness.  All the best.

There are a few things you can do to minimize the appearance of scars; apply silicone strips, massage the scar to break up tissue and attempt a fotofacial laser to remove pigment. Ensure you are working with a laser technician experienced with scar treatments.All the Best.

You are two years postop and have had steroid injections. It sounds as though you may have had hypertrophic scars, or scars that are not actually keloid but thicker and redder than would ordinarily be expected. If we could improve one thing at this point, it would be the color, as this makes the scars more visible than necessary. If you were my patient I would have you seen by a trusted laser colleague. Lasers can be very effective in lightening red or pink scars. Good luck!

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.  The appearance thus far looks excellent and at 5 weeks postoperative, it is quite early to comment on the final appearance.  Be patient with this and follow your surgeon's instructions.  Hope that this helps! Best wishes for what appears to already be an excellent result!

It sounds and appears as though you have hypertrophic scarring. Sorry to hear steroids didn't work, as injections will usually help with itching and flattening the scar. In my practice, I will also treat difficult scars with fractional CO2 laser. Since you are 2 years out from surgery, you may want to talk to your surgeon about a scar revision. 

Thanks for your question. It looks like you have what we call Hypertrophic scarring which means lumpy , red due to xs scar tissue. Itching is common also. I would recommend topical silicone which comes in a gel or a patch form. This needs to be used day and night for a number of months to see the effect but is safer than steroid which can cause the opposite problem, atrophic scarring (basically a stretch mark). Hope this helps youbest wishes

Schedule an evaluation with your board certified plastic surgeon to determine how to best address your scars. Best wishes.