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Scar revision is about improvement, not erasing a scar. The approach depends on whether the scar is raised, depressed, widened, tethered, discolored, painful, or limiting movement.
Options range from injections and laser to microneedling or surgical revision. The right choice depends on scar type, age, location, skin tone, and the amount of improvement that is realistically achievable.
How It Works and What to Expect
Scar revision is any procedure intended to improve the appearance, texture, symptoms, or function of an existing scar. The goal is usually improvement—not complete erasure.
What types of scars can be revised?
Treatment depends on whether the scar is wide, depressed, raised, tethered, discolored, painful, itchy, or restricting movement. Keloids require a different strategy from atrophic acne scars or widened surgical scars.
What techniques are used?
Options may include surgical excision and re-closure, layered repair, intralesional injections, laser treatment, microneedling, subcision, or other procedural combinations.
When is the right time?
Many scars continue to mature for months after an injury or surgery. Unless there is a functional problem or another specific reason to intervene early, waiting for scar maturation can sometimes improve planning.
What are the risks?
Revision can create a new scar and carries risks of infection, bleeding, wound separation, pigment change, keloid formation, and recurrence. Your clinician will discuss the tradeoffs before treatment.
Raised scar or keloid? See Scar & Keloid Treatments for injections, laser, excision and recurrence-focused treatment.
Related reading from Borealis
Explore these articles for more background and questions to discuss at your visit.
- Scar revision options
- Treatments for acne and acne scars