[Face Notes] Scars: What are hypertrophic and atrophic scars?

Q. I recently had double eyelid surgery, and I'm very worried about scars. Will it be okay?

A. Scars have a healing process, and it typically takes about six months for sufficient recovery. There's no need to worry if it's only been a few weeks or days. In cases of abnormal scarring, medical intervention might be necessary, but generally, it's best to wait patiently.

Q. If the scarring is severe, are there procedures to remove it?

A. While not commonly performed, if an undesirable scar remains on the eyelid or under the eyebrow, a revision surgery might be considered. This typically involves excising the scar and creating a new double eyelid line. However, this is not a frequently performed procedure.

Scars that can occur after double eyelid surgery generally fall into two categories: #hypertrophicscars and #atrophicscars.

Hypertrophic scars refer to the incision site becoming raised and firm. In such cases, #scarinjections or applying #scarointment can be effective.

However, for atrophic scars, injections or ointments are not very effective. To address these, it often requires a new incision at the site of the atrophic scar, followed by surgery to gather surrounding muscle or fat to fill in the deficient area.

Unless the scar is significantly problematic, this type of scar revision surgery is not commonly performed.

If you're considering your first double eyelid surgery, what kind of procedure should you consider?

For a non-incisional double eyelid surgery method that minimizes swelling and scarring, there is the natural adhesion double eyelid surgery.

#WhatisNaturalAdhesionDoubleEyelidSurgery?

Natural adhesion double eyelid surgery is also known as non-incisional double eyelid surgery. It involves removing fat and soft tissue to induce natural adhesion between the muscle and skin. It offers better fixation than traditional buried suture methods and results in less visible scarring.

However, for eyelids with a lot of fat, sagging eyelids, or severe ptosis, the incisional method is recommended over natural adhesion. Therefore, it is crucial to have a thorough consultation to choose the appropriate surgical method.