Your Opinion on Steriod Shots After Facelift a Year Ago?

Yes, steroid shots are commonly used in many aspects of facial cosmetic surgery, such as a facelift. Steroids can help reduce swelling and improve scars. Steroid shots may be given at any point after cosmetic surgery, even beyond a year. Only after a comprehensive evaluation can a facelift plastic surgeon help determine appropriate options for you.

Best,

Dr. Chaboki

 

Hi,

All surgery results in scars, but not all scars are the same. The main determinants of scar formation and outcome include surgical closure techniques, wound care, pressure, and genetic predisposition. Most enlarged scars can be treated with steroids during the first few months, but at a year's time all scars are final. To obtain a finer scar you will most likely needs a scar revision.

Be healthy and be well,

James M. Ridgway, MD, FACS

Very rarely a second scar can be benefited by steroid injections after facelift. Other than that I can't think of a good reason to use them. In my opinion steroid injections are grossly overused in the management of postoperative surgical problems.

Steroid shots can an effective means in treating either hypertrophic scars (red, raised).  This can be performed at any point after a facelift procedure but is typically started 6 months after  a facelift.

 

Steroid injections are commonly used following facelifting in an effort to soften and flatten thickened scars and quicken the resolution of swelling, induration, or discomfort in some areas.  I typically use dilute dosages and perform a series of steroid injections as needed at one month intervals.

--Dr. Jeffrey B. Wise, MD, FACS

If this irregularities are due to hypertrophic scaring then steroid injection would help. However bunching of skin will not response to that.

If you have some excess scar than yes steroids may help but they have side effects so make sure you have your PS review them with you

Thank you for your question. If your facelift scars are hypertrophic and painful, steroid injection can sometimes be helpful.  If the pain is associated with nerve injury...in this case the greater auricular nerve, then steroids may or may not be helpful.  It is a fairly low-risk procedure so it may be worth trying to see if you get improvement.  The risks of steroid injection include skin atrophy (a depressed scar) and  skin de-pigmentation (loss of color of skin).  These side effects can be avoided by diluting the steroid and doing serial injections.  Best wishes.

It is very common to have a step off in the skin under the chin or behind the ears.  To a large degree, this is related to brining skin together that was originally distant but has been relocated so to speak.  As a result, often the overall thickness of the dermis and epidermis can be very different between the newly approximated tissues.  As the skin heals, excess collagen can be deposited to help the healing process.  This can be tender or raised.  Your physician may recommend injections to assist these areas.

To my knowledge, there have been no randomized studies proving that this is better than observation alone.  However, I have been using injections for 15 years without any unpredictable results.

My best advice is to contact your physician and ask the question directly.  I think you'll be very reassured.

It would be nice to know why you are experiencing the swelling you describe.  If it is thick scaring, steroid shots can help ameliorate the problem.  Best to understand why you are having this problem a year following your surgery.