Many people either through various injuries or surgical procedures develop scars on their skin. Many people assume that there is nothing to do about these scars. In fact, there are many ways to treat scarring. Some scarring results in thickened skin; some scarring results in stretched skin. Scars can also result in the development of blue or red discoloration due to new blood vessel formation beneath the surface of the skin. Some people refer to darker, pigmented skin in a local area after an injury or insult as scarring.

No matter what kind of scarring someone has, it can almost always be made to look better. Thickened scars can be injected with appropriate concentrations of cortisone, and I say appropriate concentrations because it is important not to inject too high or too low a concentration of this medication. Therefore, this should only be done by someone very experienced with cortisone injections. Appropriate injections can flatten a scar almost completely. Scars that are stretched can frequently be re-excised and brought together with less tension on the surface of the skin resulting in healing without a stretch mark. Scars that develop prominent blood vessel formation resulting in the red or blue discoloration can usually be treated by superficial electrocautery of the area. Scars that are darker or hyper pigmented respond nicely to specially compounded skin bleaching medications.

If you have a scar from an old acne breakout, an injury, a surgical procedure or even an insect bite reaction, there are things that can be relatively easily done to improve the appearance of the area and significantly minimize the scar.

– Dr. Bussell

Beverly Hills Dermatology Consultants

433 N. Camden Drive, Suite 805   Beverly Hills, CA 90210 | 310-550-7661