Hypertrophic scarring from surgery *pic inside*

[wrestletib]

Well, turns out the surgery did leave me with  nasty hypertrophic scars. What are ways to correct it? Anyone with exp or advice care to share?

I am almost certain the scars are manifesting from using Accutane in the past. Ever since I did 2 cycles of accutane my skin scars easily. When I originally had surgery, I had been off accutane for about 4 months (maybe that wasn't long enough)

My question: How can I fix the scarring; at least how can I flatten them?... feelsbadman ;( Am I a good candidate for Kenalog injection?

EDIT: originally, my surgeon removed the entire gland behind the nipple,leaving craters that luckily were filled in with scar tissues and etc.... would having a kenalog injection into the hypertrophic scar affect the way the crater was previously filled in? (look at pics of my previous thread see link below to see pics of crater)

here is a recent pic I took; bad representation of the scar since its not fully visible, but it should at illustrate it enough to know what I am referring to




Link to older thread of my surgery/recovery phase:
http://www.gynecomastia.org/smf/2/22-y-o-athletic-male-bilateral-gyno-surgery-general-surgeon/

[Marik_1988]

Just had surgery yesterday and am really scared of getting what you have. Don't know about the accutane, from what I understand some people are just genetically prone to hypotropic scars/keloids in certain parts of their bodies. I have some in the back of my left shoulder, mid chest and right side of my face. The latter since it is in such a visible area I got treated. The surgeon didn't know what it was, in fact everyone I went to thought it was a cyst due to the way it looked, it was only after the removed portion was sent to the lab that they figured out it was a "hypotropic scar with keloid properties". Anyway whatever you do don't get it cut off! The worse thing you can do is cut a scar, it will just grow an even bigger one in it's place. My face scar looks a lot worse than before now. And the raised-ness even came back after a few months, only after getting a cortisone injection did it flatten again.

So I would recommend that, get cortisone injections in those areas from a plastic surgeon specializing in them. Almost all PS do them but I would go to one that advertises them specially. The bad thing is they will only get rid of the raised-ness, and flatten them out. It will do nothing to change the coloration and match the rest of your skin. In fact since it's a steroid is will also leave some white discharge in that area. I spoke to my PS about that and he said it will go away with time but it's been almost a year and it hasn't. But for me the cons were outweighed by the fact that it actually flattened my scar. Cost me a hundred bucks for one injection so it was pretty affordable. The day I got it, it ballooned up immensely, but the next day it got flat.

Good luck.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

There is no way to magically remove a scar and replace it with virgin skin.  Some scars heal extremely well -- and others, like yours, result in wide and raised (hypertrophic) scars.

There are basically two common approaches to treatment -- one is with one or more cortisone injections (by a plastic surgeon who is skilled in this) or with topical silicone gel sheets or cream.  Sometimes, both injections and silicone gel are used simultaneously.  The best result would be a flattened scar which would still be wide.  The color would improve over time.

Do not try to excise the scar and re-stitch it --- it often makes it worse.

BTW, I don't know many plastic surgeons who would place a scar on a guy's chest similar to your scar.

Dr Jacobs

[hatemymoobs]

How are scars on other parts of your body?
Can you snap a better pic? I am interested to see how it looks in better view.

I have a scar like this from when I was 6 and fell through a glass table. Cut my back. Also have a few that I'm not sure if they are hypertrophic or not, but from mole removal on my back.

I have a keloid on my right ear from a piercing that got infected.

Needless to say, I'm hesitant about surgery due to my potentially poor scar healing.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

One of the mysteries of the human body is why incisions in certain areas heal with virtually undetectable scars while other areas may yield thickened, hypertrophic scars.  For some reason the incisions around the areola tend to heal very well in most people (yes, women too have peri-areolar incisions -- for breast augmentation).  Yes, I have seen a very few hypertrophic peri-areolar scars -- but these can be treated with kenalog. 

There are three places on the body where scars predictably do not heal well at all:  the middle of the chest, the back and the deltoid area.  Other areas (ie abdomen, etc) are variable.  Earlobes and nipples can also develop keloids from piercings.  But these are in no way indicative of how one would heal in another area.

Unfortunately, the only way to know exactly how a scar will heal is to actually have an incision and then see how it heals. 

Dr Jacobs

[vampire]

hi mr:wrestletib Please, I want know how you Revision Crater Deformity bec ihave This problem I am depressed      I wish you good luck