There are many types and causes of scars which makes scar treatment difficult to treat and unpredictable – did you know scar tissue can take up to 12 months to mature? At Cairns Plastic Surgery, our non-surgical and surgical scar treatments can help reduce the size of scars and improve their appearance.
Scarring can be unpleasant, so it’s reassuring to know that there are both surgical and non-surgical treatments available that can help minimise the appearance of many types of scars.
Type of Scars
The following is a non-exhaustive list of the types of scars that surgical or non-surgical solutions can help treat:
- Injury-related scars
- Surgical incisions
- Hypertrophic scars (raised, red scars)
- Keloid scars (severe scars which may hamper movement)
- Depressed and stretched scars
- Skin grafts
- Acne scars
- Contracted scars
Surgical scar treatments
Deeper or more severe scarring could benefit from a surgical scar treatment, such as:
Scar excision
The excision improves the width, thickness, and puckering of a scar.
Z Plasty
The Z Plasty technique can elongate or relax a scar for improved functionality (for example, bending a knee), or can realign a scar to make it less noticeable.
Incision repositioning
Depending on the type of scar, this treatment can help scars appear less obvious in crease lines.
Non-surgical scar treatments
There are several non-surgical scar treatments which may help improve the look and feel of certain scars. Options include:
Taping
Applying pressure to a scar for a period of time can help flatten and therefore improve the appearance of some scars.
Steroid injections
This repeat treatment can flatten thick scars.
Erbium laser
The laser flattens and contours the skin’s surface, while scars are camouflaged by resurfacing the skin and blending it into its surrounds.
Dermal Fillers
This injectable treatment can treat depressed scars, resulting in a more even skin surface.
