Can My Straight Facial Scar Be Revised?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Can anything be done about the straight line on my scar?

A:Thank you for your inquiry and sending your pictures. Whether a scar can be improved buy scar revision surgery is highly dependent on its orientation to the relaxed skin tension lines of the face. Your scar, which runs from the mouth corner to the ear lies perfectly along the natural relax contention line of the face. Thus it already lies in its most favorable orientation even though the straight line makes it visible.

In theory, geometric arrangement of the scar, making a straight line irregular, should make it less visible. But whether it would make it less visible or just create a more irregular scar that makes it more visible is the interesting question and is why scar revision in many patients is a gamble when the scar line lies parallel to the relax skin tension lines.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Plastic Surgeon