The diagnosis of a surgical scar is easily done through visual recognition of a scar at the surgical site. Your doctor can explain the type of scar you have and provide you with possible treatment options. One treatment for surgical scars is fractional non-ablative skin resurfacing. This treatment is performed with a laser which delivers light pulses into the epidermis and dermis resulting in less redness and swelling than skin treated with ablative methods. Other treatments for surgical scars include topical agents designed to reduce the prominence of surgical scars and ablative laser procedures.
Reviewed by: Michael Fuller, MD