What Type Of Facial Scar Revision Can Improve Dog Ears?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I was left with a depressed facial scar with dog ears as a result of multiple cyst removals on the left side of my face along the smile line by my nose. I have been told by plastic surgeons that my scar condition can be improved with fat injections for the loss of volume and surgery which will expand the current scar even more to address the dog ears. I found your article on the internet on the aesthetic refinement of the dog ear correction very encouraging. I am hopeful that it would work on her scar. Please advise. 

A: Thank you for sending your facial scar pictures. The depressed scar and dog ears are very evident as you have described. Your facial scar revision would initially consist of elevating the depressed scar can be done with either fat injections or an actual dermal-fat graft. Given the need to harvest dermal-fat grafts with a resultant scar, even though they take better, fat injections would be the preferred technique given that its harvest and injection can be done in a relatively scarless fashion. As for the dog ears, the classic teaching is that the scar must be extended to excise them. And given how they look for a small amount of scar length increase that is not necessarily a terrible idea and may be the best solution. An alternative approach is to defat them with limited excision and see how that turns out.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana