Scarring is an inevitable part of skin surgery, but the scars that are left behind are not always permanent. Many surgical scars will fade over time and some will disappear completely. Even if the scar does not become invisible to you, you may find that other people don’t notice it at all.
The Likelihood of Scarring
Your skin specialist at our Harley Street Dermatology Clinic in London will explain what kind of scarring you can expect before you have the procedure. Most of the wounds left by skin surgery will be relatively small. The wound will usually be about the same size as the growth that is being removed. If there is a risk of skin cancer, a border of healthy tissue around the growth will also need to be removed by your skin specialist in London. The larger the area that needs to be removed, the more likely there is to be a lasting scar, but it is essential to ensure that all the cancer cells have been eliminated.
Another factor that can affect the likelihood of permanent scarring is the position of the wound. In most cases, small wounds on your face will heal relatively well. The areas that are most likely to develop a permanent scar are those such as your shoulders, where the skin is frequently being stretched. The weakened scar tissue isn’t able to cope with this stretching as well as the surrounding skin. The strain can make the scar more likely to remain visible and it can even stretch it to make the scar a bit bigger.
Preventing Scarring
Taking good care of the surgical wound can reduce the risk of permanent scarring. Your skin specialist at our London clinic will tell you how to keep the wound clean and dry. Once the wound has healed, you might want to try massaging the scar with Vaseline every night as this can encourage the mark to fade.
