Will there be scars after surgery? The most asked question from patients before surgery. The answer is yes. Anytime there is a cut on the skin, there are 100% chances of a scar. Surgeries always leave marks on the skin. Almost all the patients do not want scars to grab the attention to the fact that they had a medical procedure.
Unfortunately, scars are not preventable, but the good news is this you can do a lot to fade surgery scars significantly. According to the best surgeon in Islamabad, good incision care, along with other methods, can be helpful in preventing scars after surgeries. This article explains the risk factors for scarring and, in addition, the most effective ways to prevent and minimize surgery scars.
Also read: What is a lip lift surgery, different types and who should opt for it?
Risk factors for scars
There are certain things that influence the ability to heal without scars. However, you can’t change the risk factors, but information about them will help you to understand the likelihood of scarring. These risk factors are;
Your Race
Some races are more prone to scars. For example, African people are more likely to form keloid and hypertrophic scars. These scars are defined as an overgrowth of scar tissues at the injury or surgery site. In general, these scars remain very thin. How these scars appear totally depends upon your skin colour.
Your Age
As you get older, your skin becomes less elastic and thinner. This happens because collagen reduces as we age. Collagen is responsible for making our skin flexible. Due to the decreased collagen, the fat layer under the skin becomes thinner. Therefore, your skin does not heal effectively and quickly as you age. In addition, some other factors may also make your skin more prone to scars. These factors are;
- Pollutants
- Smoking
- Sun exposure
Genetic Tendency to Scars
If your siblings or parents get scar heavily, then you are more likely to do that. Therefore, if your family is badly prone to scars, you need to discuss it with your surgeon.
How Quickly the Skin Heals
You are among the genetically blessed people who seem to heal easily and quickly with minimum scarring. Or you have skin that heals slowly. Sometimes, slow-healing can be the cause of medical conditions such as diabetes.
Depth and Size of Incision
Large incisions are more likely to leave big scars than small ones. If you have a longer or deeper cut, then the healing process would be lengthy and have great chances of a scar. Large incisions are more exposed to stress when you move, which can cause slow healing.
How to Prevent or Minimize Surgery Scars?
The good news is this there are some factors that can play an essential role in helping you to prevent scars. Some ways are simple to avoid scars, like the instructions the surgeon gives you to the letter. Some others, such as quitting smoking, are not easy. The effective ways to prevent surgery scars are;
Manage Chronic Illness
Diabetic symptoms, along with other problems, can slow the healing process. For the best outcomes, make sure that your condition is well-controlled before surgeries and during the recovery. In addition, high glucose levels slow healing. Therefore, if you are experiencing diabetes, then work hard to normalize your blood glucose levels.
Stay Hydrated
Someone may experience dehydration when he does not take enough fluids. In severe conditions, dehydration can cause heart problems and electrolyte imbalances. In moderate conditions, due to dehydration, you can feel increased thirst or generally unwell. Therefore, stay hydrated to create the best environment for quick healing. You will know if you are hydrated when your urine is light in colour or colourless.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
If you are experiencing obesity or have extra weight, you are at greater risk of developing scars after surgery scars because the fat under the skin may work against the surgeon’s efforts to the incision.
Quit Smoking
Smoking not only increases the chances of scars but also slows overall healing. Smoking is such a big risk that plastic surgeons do not operate on a person who smokes or does not quit smoking at least two weeks before any surgery. Therefore, quit smoking if you want to reduce the risks of surgical risks and scarring.
Improves Your Diet
Protein plays an essential role in building blocks of healing skin. Therefore, it is important to provide the body with an adequate amount of protein to allow the skin to heal. So, try to eat a balanced diet full of protein. Some protein-rich diets can be the following;
- Legumes and nuts
- Beef
- Dairy products
- Seafood
- Fish
- Chicken
Scar Massage
After a couple of weeks of surgery, you can start massaging your scar every day. Massage the scar back and forth and in circles and continue the massage until the skin feels normal.
Conclusion
It is really difficult to prevent scars after surgery. All you can do is minimize the risks of scars or do your best to reduce scars. The above-mentioned factors can be helpful in minimizing scars. So, do follow these steps if you want to minimize these scars.
