Options for new scar on face? Help (Photo)

Question

Hi. I am 28F, East Asian, medium light skin with clear skin. I fell and had a laceration on my face that needed stitches. It now has scarred horribly and is impacting my confidence and self-esteem. What are my options? Thank you in advance!

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

You gave no indication of how long ago this injury and repair was. The ideal time for improving an imminent scar is between week four after the injury repair, when a healing wound is considered strong enough to undergo treatment, and week twelve, after which the scar is considered "mature," and hence not completely erasable with any treatment or combination of treatments currently available anywhere in the world. Some additional general principles are worth noting. If a scar is depressed, think of simple, relatively inexpensive subcision, which I have been performing routinely since 1995  for elevating and smoothing it. And for improving the superficial texture and color irregularities, professionally performed microneedling (no need for the added expense and risks of RF microneedling) accompanied by the application of topical tyrosine and lanatoprost to improve both the color and texture of the scar. Make sure to consult with a board certified cosmetic dermatologist with scar treatment experience and be very cautious when being hawked expensive "bells and whistles" fraxel laser and RF treatments, since the hard science to back the use of these gizmos lags woefully behind the heavy marketing and social media buzz to promote them. Best of luck.

Options for new scar on face? Help (Photo)

Answers (1)

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Scar Removal Surgery

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

Options for new scar on face? Help (Photo)

Answers (1)

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Scar Removal Surgery

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