4 Steps for Cosmetic Surgery: Minimize Scars
August 27th, 2012
Cosmetic plastic surgeons are trained to minimize scars following surgery. The surgical design plan determines where the scar(s) will be located. This determines the appearance after surgery. There are several choices to consider when designing incision placement based on the type of surgery I am doing. I evaluate placement using key solutions such as, whether it can be covered with clothing, camouflaged by make up, obscured by hair style, hidden within body orifices (nostrils) or concealed within the natural creases of the face or body. My overall philosophy is to utilize all these elements, so that minimal efforts are sufficient to keep any scars out of plain sight or minimized following cosmetic surgery. I suggest patients look at Before/After photos to help get an idea of the surgeon’s aesthetic skill in reviewing their final results.
I also custom design most surgery scars to be as short as possible. The length of a scar will ultimately be determined by the goals of the surgery and the limitations of technology. Obviously, a longer scar will usually be more conspicuous than a shorter scar. For instance, I use a 2 cm incision to do breast enlargement with saline implants. The implant simply cannot be inserted through a smaller scar at this time. However, as technology changes and there are advances in cosmetic surgery, our techniques evolve. It is important to refrain from exposing new scars to the sun. Tanning a scar before it has healed completely (soft and white) can cause discoloration, which may be permanent. Scars are not fully mature for up to six months, so keep them covered or applied with adequate sunscreen applications.
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