What is the best treatment for scars after a facelift?

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!

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

Thanks for the question. In the scalp area 2 cm incisions are made symmetrically on both sides, mid-face tissues are freed. Reaching the cheek oil and moved up and out as young ages. The mid-face area rejuvenates, the gutters on the rim disappear. I wish you all the best.

The #scars from a facelift mature within six to twelve months from the surgery date. It is during this time that the rejuvenating effects of the facelift will become apparent and the real result will be seen. We find that scar reducing product, BioCorneum , appears to be very effective. If you have certain concerns about the procedures and #healing process, it is recommended to call your board-certified surgeon or their medical staff and discuss those #concerns.

All scars go through three phases of healing with an initial redness phase followed later on by rebuilding and maturation of the scar.  Most scar and wound experts agree it takes about a year for a scar to fully mature.  

Facelfit scars are commonly seen as red and can be hypertrophic.  Treatment of scars depends on the type of scars seen and can include the following treatments:

-laser treatments to help both scars and redness of scars 

-injections of kenalog or a combination of kenalog and 5-FU 

-scar revision if poorly positioned scar

The key to great scars after a facelift is to avoid tension on the skin and lift the deeper layer of the face.  Placing too much tension on the skin can make scars wider than ideal.  Meticulous closure technique can also aid in scar appearance.

Thank you for your question. While scars will always be present, much
can be done to make them as subtle as possible. Facelift incisions can be
managed using a multimodal approach:
1) Scar massage - starting as soon as the surgical dressings come off and the incisions are sealed
2) Silicone sheets or scar gels for about six months to year
3) Fractionated lasers to help blend the scar into the background -
done as a series, starting about 4 weeks after surgery and repeated
every four weeks for six months.
4) Sunscreen to prevent the scars from darkeningYour incisions
should be very subtle based on the placement of the incisions, but may
need a full 6 months to 1 year or more to fade.

Thank

you for your question. Scars will improve over time over a two year
period. Follow the advise of your surgeon. Laser resurfacing, silicone products, and massage will help scars improve.  Unfavorable scars can be
revised after a year. Best Wishes.

Sometimes, unfortunately bad scars do happen.  Hypertrophic scars around the lower ear and lobule are where most commonly bad scars do occur in facelifts.  This is due to an attempt to excise more skin and obtain a better result.  However, more skin excision in the area of the lobule results in a pulled lobule and a hypertrophic scar.  You have tried silicone gels and steroid injections with minimal improvement.  At this point, i would recommend readvancing the skin flap on the affected side, removing and reclosing the scar under no tension.  Discuss this option with your plastic surgeon.

As long as there is enough laxity it is probably best to remove the old scars and take a number of steps to make sure the new scars heal better:


Having minimal tension on the wound

Using minimal dissolving sutures

Using topical silicone gel and tape on new scars

Injecting the scar at the earliest sign of thickening

This does happen with face lifts.  You describe hypertrophic scars and not Keloid scars.  You have done everything right.  The scars are active which is why they are sore and tender.  Re-excision is best.  Steroids can be injected in one week or at the time.  The most important thing is that the scars will now not be closed under tension.