Scar Revision
Just about everyone has some type of scar whether from a minor injury, traumatic accident, or surgery. However, how the scar looks is unpredictable and depends as much on how your body heals as it does on the original injury or treatment. The appearance of scars may be improved but not completely removed.
The MOST important aspect of scar revision is a consultation that includes a discussion of REALISTIC expectations. We will discuss what bothers you about your scar, possible treatment methods and outcomes.
I usually recommend that patients wait at least a year after an injury before revising the scar and often results are not fully apparent for a year or more after the revision.
Skin Lesions
People often have an unsightly growth on the skin – a lump, bump, mole, or spot – commonly referred to as a “skin lesion”. Most skin lesions are harmless but some can be cancerous.Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and fortunately, it is also the most curable with early detection. The lesion usually starts as what appears to be a growth, mole, spot or irritation to the skin. Key indicators of a skin cancer include:
- Asymmetry in appearance, i.e. one side is different.
- Borders that are irregular (jagged or scalloped).
- Color that changes or spreads.
- Diameter that increases rapidly.
Removal of skin lesions usually improves appearance and a pathologist can determine if the growth is cancerous. I remove skin lesions by excision only.
A couple of website that might be helpful are: the American Academy of Family Physicians; and WebMD on skin changes.
Spider Veins
Spider veins – unsightly clusters of red, blue or purple veins typically on the legs can be treated with a procedure called “sclerotherapy.”
I inject small amounts of sterile saline (salt water) to safely shut down these tiny veins as they are not needed for your circulation. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (I am a member) has a nice web page that discusses spider veins and the treatment that I provide.
Sclerotherapy takes about an hour and my prices can be found here.
