Kim Facial Plastic Surgery

People frequently send me emails requesting my opinion on a particular skin-related problem. It recently occurred to me to ask permission to share these inquiries and my recommendations on this blog in order to offer information to other subscribers who may have similar issues. The following email & answer may be of assistance to those of you struggling with unsightly scarring. I hope it helps.

Dear Dr. Kim

I was in an accident when I was a teenager which resulted in a thin scar that runs perpendicular to my jaw line about 3 ½ inches. It’s not overly obvious and my husband says he “doesn’t even notice it,” but it bothers me. The skin is raised a bit so I feel it every morning when I apply makeup.

Can you recommend something to lessen the appearance of the scar and to smooth it, so I don’t notice it so much? I’m not sure I’d go as far as to have surgery, so I’m hoping there are other options.

Thank you,
Meredith

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Meredith

Of course, I’d have to see the scar in person to make a definite recommendation, but generally the appearance of facial scars can be diminished by a technique called dermabrasion. I usually recommend waiting up to a year after injury to see how the body heals on its own. Since your injury occurred a number of years ago and it doesn’t sound like surgery is recommended, we could try dermabrasion.

For lack of a better analogy, dermabrasion is like a controlled sanding down of the top layers of the skin to improve skin contour. Dermabrasion is performed in our outpatient facility and is relatively painless. After the procedure, you’ll feel as though you have a brush-burn and your skin will appear pink for up to eight weeks. You may cover the redness with makeup during the healing process. Depending on the results, an additional dermabrasion may be recommended, but given the reported details of your scarring, it sounds like one treatment would suffice.

Please feel free to contact my office at 770-458-4255 to schedule a consultation if you’d like for me to take a look at the scar and possibly help you improve its appearance.

Best,
Dr. Kim

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