scar healing

[a-monk]

how long can incision scars continue to heal? It's been almost a year since my surgery. My scars are still more noticeable than I'd like them to be. Will they heal some more? Anything I can use to expedite the process? By the way I am  a smoker. I quit for a month before surgery and started smoking again a couple of months after. I am planning to stop smoking again...for good this time.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

There are many factors which affect the healing of scars -- perhaps two of the most important factors is your age and own genetic background.  Younger men have more exuberant healing characteristics -- which can lead to thicker, redder scars for a long time.  Excess sun exposure to the healing scars will also keep them red.  And if you have a hereditary predisposition to poor or prolonged scars, that too will affect the healing.

Obviously, the wounds must have been sutured properly in the first place -- I am assuming that is the case.  Also, proper scar care with medications and pressure garments will also help.

Best way to be re-assured is to go back to your surgeon and ask him his opinion about the scars.

Good luck!

Dr Jacobs

[DrBermant]

how long can incision scars continue to heal? It's been almost a year since my surgery. My scars are still more noticeable than I'd like them to be. Will they heal some more? Anything I can use to expedite the process? By the way I am  a smoker. I quit for a month before surgery and started smoking again a couple of months after. I am planning to stop smoking again...for good this time.

The best way to deal with scars is to use techniques that minimize damage to tissues. The skill of the surgeon is a major factor.  How patients heal are also important.

After Surgery Scar Care can help evolve tissue during healing.  I prefer to individualize the scar care for each of my patients.  There is a great deal of hype about what products do what but no definitive studies that show one type of agent better than another.  My typical recommendation is for cocoa butter, much less expensive than most, for the agent.  Also scars that evolve under pressure do much better than scars without pressure.  That is why After Surgery Compression Garments can be of such value to contour scars.

Depending on many factors by one year, most chest scars have evolved.  However, it can vary from patient to patient.  Scars in other parts of the body can take quite a bit longer to fully evolve.

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
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