Can a surgical scar be treated with lasers?
Surgical scars come in all shapes, thicknesses, and lengths. After surgery, the skin heals through a very distinct process of wound healing which can either lead to a normal scar or a thickened scar that can have undesirable features. Scars can go through an acute and chronic growth phase that can render it unappealing with abnormal pigmentation, surface texture, and thickness.
Options for scar treatment are influenced by the type of surgical scar you have. Linear surgical scars usually respond well to early treatment that may include laser therapy, injection therapy, topical silicone gel therapy, and scar modulation.
Keloid vs. hypertrophic surgical scars:
The first step in determining treatment options for your scars is defining what type of scars you have. Keloid scars are actively growing scars that have inflammatory features including redness, pain, and active growth patterns. They usually grow above the plane of the skin and can change over time. Hypertrophic scars are similar to keloids but lack an active growth pattern and do not exhibit as exuberant an inflammatory phase as keloids. The distinction between the two can be difficult to make with some scars.
Laser therapy for surgical scars:
There are many lasers that can be used for surgical scar treatments. Pigmented or dark scars respond well to fractional laser therapy such as Clear + Brilliant laser, Q-switch laser, and IPL lasers depending on the depth of pigmentation and your skin type. Surface texture scars respond well to fractional laser treatments such as Fraxel, fractional CO2, and Clear + Brilliant laser. If scars are red or inflamed, a Vbeam laser can be used to help reduce the vascularity and growth phase of a scar.
It is important to use topical therapies when seeking laser therapy for scars. Fractional treatment and Q-switch lasers often require pre-treatment of scars with either Plato’s Dark Scar Corrector or Melarase creams. If the discoloration is moderate to severe, the Body Brightening Kit or Brightening Kit can be used to prevent any iatrogenic discoloration. With Vbeam or surface texture treatments, Plato’s Scar Serum should be used to help smooth out the scar contour.
Topical Therapy for Scars:
Plato’s Scar Therapy Mini Kit: A scar treatment duo that includes Plato’s Scar Serum to help smooth out thick scars and Plato’s Dark Scar Corrector for dark discoloration.
Melarase PM: Ideal skin lightener for dark scars
Body Brightening Kit: Dark scars on the body can be corrected with the Body Brightening Kit that includes Luminase and Exfolase creams. Use is recommended before laser therapy with fractional lasers.
Brightening Kit: Dark scar treatment for facial scars and as pre-treatment before scar therapy. Contains Melarase AM and Melarase PM.
