What Type Of Lip Scar Revision Do I Need?

Q: Dr. Eppley,  I am interested in getting some information on scar revision. My daughter has a lip scar from an injury 5 months ago. Is there anything that can be done to fix the misalignment of the vermilion border and to minimize the white scars on the red part of the lip? Attached are some pictures of her upper lip scar.

A: Your daughter’s residual lip scar is classic for what happens in many lip lacerations that cross the vermilion-cutaneous junction. There remains a residual misalignment of the vermilion edge, white scars on the vermilion and thickening of the involved lip area with a knotty feel to it. This can be improved by a lip scar revision in which the scar tissue is removed by vertical excision and the lip elements then anatomically realigned. The question about the timing of a lip scar revision is determined by when after the injury one is certain that a revision is needed. That is most evident now so it can be done anytime moving forward.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana