I had a browlift performed ten years ago and due was left with a wide, visible scar beneath my hairline. As I have aged and my hair thinned--I am now 46--the scar seems to be extremely visible and ugly, and more difficult to hide. Can it be treated in any way, such as with lasers or tattooing? The doctor who did the surgery tried to tattoo it, and now I have a darker red line above the scarline, making it even worse. Does anyone have any experience with this? Thank you so much!
Can Visible Browlift Scars Be Treated?
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Emily in Houston
- Houston, TX
- 5 years ago
Doctor Answers 11
The scar can certainly be dimished but you are always taking a chance with possibe further scarring. Tatoo and hair transplant can help assuming you would want your hairline to be lower. A new incision with meticulous repair has a very good chance of improving your appearance. It would be critical to follow the surgey with adjunct treatments such as steroids, IPL etc to prevent the formation of a new scar - Best of luck
You have a big enough scar that a scar revision can probably help. The old scar, and tatoo, would be removed and a new scar created closer to the hairline and following it more closely. You need an in person examination with a plastic surgeon to tell for sure, but there is a good chance that can be improved.
This is a difficult problem. The easiest solution would be to remove the scar and camouflage it with a more cosmetic closure and hair grafts. But this would narrow the space between your brow and temple - which is already narrow.
Learn more: http://www.seattleface.com/html/brow_lift.php
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considor revising a portion as a test with a trichophitic technique, essentially beveling the insicion to allow the follicles to grow through the scar.
otherwise consider single hairgrafts
Incisions along the front of the hairline are always visible IMHO, no matter how nice the scar is from the incision. There are small villous hairs in front of the hairline that are removed with that type of incision and Brow Lift procedure. For this reason, I only use an incision 3 inches inside the hairline.
Your best option to hide the current scar, IMO, are hair transplants.
Learn more: http://www.drfpalmer.com
I'm sorry you had an unfortunate, unnecessary complication following your browlift. After 10 years your forehead has relaxed which will permit excision of those scars and then refinement of your hairline with fine micrografts.
Revising a browlift scar can be difficult but not impossible. Your scars appearance can be improved with a scar revision using the trichophytic approach allowing the root hairs to grow through the scar itself.
Learn more: http://www.funkfacialplastics.com
Hi Emily,
Sorry to hear of your troubles. One of the best ways to treat your concern of post-lift visible scarring is a procedure known as grafting of hair follicles. It is possible to camouflage the scar by placing individual hairs in and around the scar to hide it very effective and restore your hairline. One of the world's leaders in hair grafting is in your backyard, Dr. Alfonso Barrera. I would suggest a consult with him.
Good luck,
Dr. Shah
Hi Emily,
You could benefit from a scar revision. I use a strong absorbable sub cuticular suture technique that minimizes widening of scar. This allows my incision lines to be almost invisible. Ten years should be long enough to allow for full excision of scar, but a physical exam should tell you for certain. Best wishes, Dr. H
Learn more: http://www.horndeski.com/Default.aspx
Unfortunately scar revision in this area will not improve the result even with a trichophytic approach. In order for a scar to be undetectable at the junction of hair and non hair bearing skin, the hair growth has to be in a direction to grow through the scar rather than parallel to it. I and others have had some (not always great) success using single hair follicular unit hair transplant grafts inserted into acutely angled, tiny recipient slits made in and in front of the scar. See someone with expertise in hair transplant techniques.
These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.
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