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Among all scars, those that are visible on the face are the worst. They are more than just skin deep. They are emotional as well and one cannot evaluate the impact of such injuries and their scars. Scars are caused by injuries and wounds, by burns and infections. They may be light and pinkish or may be dark, puckered and rough. If they are very ugly, then surgical intervention is the best idea to lessen their impact.
Though scars cannot be totally erased, they can definitely be made less visible and an experienced and reliable surgeon can make a good job of it. It takes a couple of hours for the surgeon to remove the scar and reposition the tissues. After he sutures the new wound with fine stitches, he will cover it with bandage. The healing, in healthy people, can be fast. It may take a minimum of three days and a maximum of two weeks for the patient to have all of his bandages removed.
The surgeon can reposition the scar to match the natural facial contours and lines so that the scar becomes less visible. He may use a technique called Z-plasty where the surgeon removes the scar tissue and then cuts the skin to create triangular flaps at both ends. These flaps are then laid across the original scar area at angles creating a z shape. These flaps are then sewn together, reducing the visual impact of the scar. The face may have some swelling or bruising but it will soon go away. Some tenderness or stretching feeling may also be there. But once the new wound heals, the face will look almost normal.
Facial scar revision is often necessary because of the emotional aspect. Children are the worst sufferers as their original wound may heal quickly leaving a horrible scar behind. They may retreat into a shell because of this and not verbalize their feelings. Sometimes the families and the parents may not even realize the extent of damage a facial scar leaves on a person. The patient has to wait at least a year to see if the scar goes away naturally or fades before he makes a decision to seek medical advice. Treatment of facial scar may be listed among reconstructive operations but one has to know that this type of operation is a very delicate and difficult one. |
