I was injured as a child and now am 55 with a scar on my right cheek. If I get a facelift, can I also get this scar tissue to disappear?
Answer:
The possibility of having the scar removed during your facelift depends on the location of the scar. If the scar is located in the area where the skin will normally be removed during a facelift. For example, I commonly perform revision facelift procedures on patients that have poor scars from their previous facelift. If the scar is not in a part of the face where skin will be excised during the facelift, then there are scar revision alternatives. If the scar is thin but raised and your skin type is 1 or 2, then a dermabrasion done at the same time as the facelift can be performed. Dermabrasion is a very effective skin resurfacing technique that works well for certain types of scars. If the scar is wide, then a scar revision can be performed during the facelift procedure. Scar revision involves cutting out the scar and closing the skin together in layers with certain sutures in order to produce a very thin scar. Occasionally, small flaps of skin are used to rearrange the skin in a more favorable position to align the scar in a better orientation.
Posted by Dr. Bustillo