Understand the Genetics of Healing
How your family members heal after surgery could be a preview of your own results. In some cases, the tendency to overproduce scar tissue can be a genetic inheritance. Talk to your parents and grandparents about their own experiences healing from surgery and injuries. It won’t necessarily be a guarantee that your body will heal in the same way, but being aware of a potential problem can help your facial plastic surgeon to take additional measures when placing your incisions.
Skin Pigment and Scarring
When incisions heal with scar tissue, the area will appear pinkish or light purple for weeks or months. Scars can present as raised bumps as well and stand out from the surrounding skin visually. If pigment causes a problem for your fair skin, discuss your concerns with your facial plastic surgeon. Pigmentation treatments can help to lighten the color of scar tissue as it heals. Such treatments can smooth the raised scar, lighten the darker edges around the scar, and even blend the pinkish hue into lighter surrounding skin tissue.
As your facelift and incisions heal, you always need to take extra precautions against sun exposure. Always wear sunscreen when you go out, especially during the first year after your surgery. Sun exposure can worsen any difference in color between your scar tissue and regular skin, making your incision scars even more noticeable.
Microdermabrasion Treatments for Scars
One of the most effective treatments to reduce issues with scarring is microdermabrasion. You must wait for an appropriate amount of time before your skin will be healthy enough for this procedure, so discuss it with your facial plastic surgeon. During a typical microdermabrasion procedure, a licensed esthetician will use a small tool to apply micro-sandblasting to the skin. The dead skin cells will be shed from the skin to reveal the healthier skin beneath them. Microdermabrasion can even the tone and texture of your skin, lessen the appearance of many types of scars, and even help with clogged pores and buildup.
Massaging the Scars
Not every scar treatment needs to be done in a facial spa. Once you’re home and recovering, you can begin gently massaging the area around your incisions with your fingertips. Massage therapy can help the scar tissue to remain soft and supple, preventing bumps and other irregularities. Regularly massaging the area will increase blood flow to the area and help with collagen production where it is needed most. You’ll form less scar tissue as a result, leaving the area more natural looking when your healing process is complete. Talk to your facial plastic surgeon about massage methods and timing of massage that will be most effective for your needs.
Plan Your Facelift and Scar Prevention Treatments Today
To learn more about the most natural looking facelift results and the least amount of visible scarring, contact the Aesthetic Surgery Center to book an appointment with Dr. Anurag Agarwal or Dr. Richard Maloney, our double board certified facial plastic surgeons. They have been featured on many of the major news networks, including ABC, NBC, and FOX, as recognized experts on a variety of facial plastic surgery topics. Dr. Agarwal and Dr. Maloney believe that educating and communicating with their patients are the keys to helping them achieve successful, natural-looking results. Book your appointment at the Aesthetic Surgery Center, located at 11181 Health Park Boulevard #1115 in Naples, FL, by calling (239) 594-9100.
