Traumatic or surgical scars occasionally require touch ups due to poor closure at the time of injury or due to unpredictable healing. Scar revision represents a series of procedures, which are designed to improve the final appearance of the scar.

Z-plasty, W-plasty and Broken Line scar revisions are performed to turn a straight-line scar, which may cast a shadow which accentuates the scar into an irregular line that is difficult to see.

Dermabrasion or skin sanding is sometimes utilized to help fade raised scars into the surrounding flat tissue. Please see a discussion of this technique on this website.

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Once a scar is revised, it will take six to twelve months to see its final appearance after all the wound healing changes take place.

Keloid scars are unusual scars, which result from an individuals overactive response to injury such as lacerations or surgical wounds. These scars require special techniques for revision and usually require reexcision coupled with injections of steroids or medication which slows the abnormal healing.

Most scar revisions may be performed under local anesthesia and are frequently covered to some extent by health insurance plans.