Scars
Facial scars can often be disfiguring to the patient, and cause significant amounts of stress and low self-esteem. This is because our faces are always on show to other people we come into contact with .
There are many treatments for scars – before embarking on the path of scar revision which involves refashioning the scar surgically. These preliminary treatments may involve silicone gels/sheets, various creams/therapies to massage into the scar, steroid injections and laser treatment especially for keloid scars.
Scar revision is only considered 9 – 12 months after the initial procedure, once the scar has matured and been given chance to become less conspicuous. The main goal of scar revision is to re-orient the scar, ‘break it up’ so it becomes less obvious to the onlooker, divide it into smaller parts and align the tissue levels.
All the various options can be discussed with your surgeon.
Skin tags, freckles, moles, ‘old-age moles’ (seborrhoeic keratoses)
Simple lesions such as a freckle, mole or skin tag can easily be removed under a local anaesthetic and heal very quickly, without any pain, and a faint small scar is all that will remain, giving an aesthetically appealing result.
Skin cysts
Many people present with small skin cysts (sebaceous cysts, epidermoid/dermoid cysts) which can often become infected, swollen and painful. These can be removed with a short procedure involving local anaesthetic and several stitches which need to be removed in one week.
Occasionally it may be necessary to send the cyst off to the laboratory for further testing and Mr Duncan will review these results and your wound at the follow up appointment. You will be given instructions on how to look after the wound during the healing process.
