SKIN CONDITIONS
Scars and scar minimisation
Scars are a normal part of healing after a skin procedure, and treatment may help if they become raised, itchy or uncomfortable.
- Focus on early scar care after skin procedures
- Treatment may improve scars, but cannot erase them
- Many scars need no additional treatment
- No referral needed
Scar care after your procedure
At Spot Check Clinic, scar care is principally part of looking after patients who have had a procedure with us. This includes raised scars after mole removal or surgical excision, and selected indented scars after mole removal.
We consider how the area is healing, whether the scar is causing symptoms and whether treatment is likely to make a worthwhile difference. Sometimes the appropriate approach is continued aftercare and observation.
We also assess recent scars following procedures performed elsewhere or other injuries. Smaller, newer scars are generally where our treatments are most likely to help.
We are happy to assess older or larger scars, but there may be limited improvement we can offer. Our focus is care during recovery and selected troublesome scars; we do not offer a comprehensive service for acne scarring, burns or complex scar revision.
How scars heal
A scar develops as the skin repairs a wound and lays down collagen. Its early appearance is not necessarily its final appearance: colour, firmness and thickness can change over many months.
Early wound healing
Immediately after a procedure, the priorities are wound closure, protection and healing. Follow the instructions provided for your particular procedure, including dressing care, activity restrictions and any planned review.
Scar formation and remodelling
As healing progresses, the collagen in the scar is reorganised. A scar may gradually soften, flatten and become less noticeable, although the treated area can remain different from the surrounding skin.
A raised or discoloured scar does not necessarily mean that the procedure or aftercare went wrong. Individual healing is variable, and troublesome scarring can occur despite careful treatment.
What affects scarring?
The procedure, the location of the wound and your individual healing response all influence the result. Before treatment, tell your doctor about previous scars that became raised, widened or left persistent colour changes.
Care is customised to your scar and what you would like to improve. The final response cannot be predicted with certainty.
Types of scars
Surgical scars
Excision usually leaves a line where the wound edges were joined. The scar may initially feel firm or look pink. Its width and appearance depend partly on the wound’s location, tension and healing response.
Hypertrophic scars
Hypertrophic scars are raised and thickened but remain within the original wound. They may be pink, firm or itchy. These are among the scars we assess after mole removal and other skin procedures.
A raised, pink surgical scar confined to the original wound.
Keloid scars
Keloid scars grow beyond the boundaries of the original wound. Their behaviour and treatment needs differ from those of a straightforward surgical scar. Assessment is needed to determine an appropriate management plan.
A keloid scar on the shoulder blade following mole removal, extending beyond the original wound.
Indented scars and colour changes
Some scars sit below the surrounding skin rather than becoming raised. A healed area may also be darker or lighter than nearby skin. These changes require different considerations from a thickened scar and may not respond to the same treatment.
When should you discuss scar care?
If you are concerned about scarring, discuss it before your procedure. Your doctor can explain the likely wound, relevant risk factors and what you can do during recovery.
Arrange a scar review
Book an assessment if a scar from an injury or procedure in the last few months is becoming raised, firm or itchy, or its appearance concerns you. A scar growing beyond the original wound may be a keloid and should be assessed.
This does not mean every new scar needs treatment. A scar that is settling without troublesome symptoms may be monitored. If treatment is recommended, its timing depends on wound healing, the scar and the proposed treatment.
If the scar follows a procedure at Spot Check, contact us first so we can arrange the appropriate follow-up. You can also book an assessment for a scar from a procedure performed elsewhere.
Seek prompt advice about a wound problem
Increasing or unexpected pain or swelling, persistent or recurrent bleeding, spreading redness or warmth, pus, or a wound that opens need prompt clinical advice. Fever or feeling unwell can also indicate infection. Contact the treating clinic promptly rather than waiting for a routine scar appointment.
If bleeding is heavy or will not stop, symptoms are severe, or you feel very unwell, seek urgent medical care. These problems need assessment as wound complications, even if you are also worried about the eventual scar.
When might referral be more helpful?
We can assess selected hypertrophic and keloid scars and may recommend laser, corticosteroid injections or a combination. The options are customised to your scar.
For an older or larger scar, substantial tissue distortion, or a scar that may benefit from surgical revision, another practitioner may be better placed to help. We can discuss referral, for example to a dermatologist or plastic surgeon, after assessment. An appointment at Spot Check does not guarantee that we can offer a suitable treatment.
How we choose treatment
There is no single treatment for every scar. The choice depends on whether the main concern is redness, thickening, indentation or discomfort, together with the scar’s age and response to previous care.
Aftercare, silicone and taping
Aftercare is the foundation of scar management. Your clinician may recommend wound support with tape, followed by silicone gel or sheeting when appropriate. Different products have different instructions. Your clinician may recommend Epicyn early after a closed excision, including while stitches are in place; follow the instructions given for your wound.
These measures may be sufficient for slight or early scarring. Tell the clinic if a product causes irritation so that your care can be adjusted.
Laser treatment
Laser may be considered during the early weeks after a procedure or for a scar that has become raised, red or uneven. Different laser approaches address different features, so the treatment is selected after assessment.
Our clinicians may use laser before considering injections for suitable raised scars. More than one session may be needed, with review of the response between treatments.
LED light therapy
LED may be offered as an adjunct to wound care soon after selected procedures. Where recommended, it involves repeated appointments over a short period. It is not a treatment that removes an established scar.
Scar injections
Corticosteroid injections may be considered for selected raised scars, including scars that have not responded sufficiently to laser and some keloid scars.
The aim is to reduce thickness or symptoms such as itching. Injections can also cause unwanted effects, including skin thinning and colour changes, so suitability and response need to be reviewed.
Microneedling
Microneedling may be considered for selected depressed scars after mole removal, particularly where fractional laser has not produced enough improvement. It is not interchangeable with treatment for a raised scar.
Monitoring
Monitoring remains an option when a scar is improving, symptoms are limited or the likely benefit of further treatment is small. Cryotherapy is rarely used for scars at Spot Check and is not a routine part of our pathway.
MBBS, MA (Virtual Comm), Grad Cert Hlth Info, Grad Dip Comp Inf Sci
Explore scar treatments
What improvement is realistic?
Treatment may make a scar softer, less raised or less itchy. It cannot reliably restore skin to its appearance before the procedure, and a completely flat or evenly coloured result may not be achievable.
Some changes may be noticed after an initial treatment, while others require several sessions to assess. Further treatment should depend on the response and whether the expected benefit remains worthwhile.
You can decide not to begin treatment or to stop further sessions based on the improvement, cost or inconvenience. Your clinician can explain what continued aftercare or monitoring would involve.
How to care for your scar
- Follow the dressing and wound-care instructions for your procedure.
- Avoid stretching or putting tension on the healing area as advised.
- Protect the area from sun exposure.
- Avoid smoking, which can interfere with healing.
- Use silicone or tape only as directed, and attend recommended reviews.
For surgical excisions, see our excision aftercare instructions.
Scar care may continue for several months. Even with careful aftercare, the final appearance remains partly dependent on your individual healing response.
Weighing up the risk of scarring
When removing a skin cancer, the priorities are treating the cancer adequately and preserving function. The choice of procedure and wound closure also takes scarring into account, but avoiding a scar cannot take precedence over necessary treatment.
For removal of a benign mole, there is more opportunity to weigh the appearance of the mole against the mark that treatment may leave. It is reasonable to decide against an optional procedure if that trade-off does not suit you.
Your doctor can also discuss whether referral to another practitioner is appropriate for the procedure you are considering.
Planning care and costs
After radiofrequency mole removal at Spot Check, one laser treatment is included in the procedure fee, usually around four weeks after removal. Your clinician will confirm the timing and suitability based on how the area is healing.
Other scar treatments are not automatically included in procedure fees. If a scar results from a procedure performed at our clinic, we generally offer a substantial discount on further scar treatment. Any additional treatment at no charge is considered individually and is not a standard inclusion.
We will explain the recommended care, any fee or discount, and the likely number of visits before you decide. You are not committed to a course of treatment by attending an assessment.
Discuss your scar care
Had your procedure at Spot Check? Contact the clinic first to arrange the appropriate follow-up and check what is included in your care.
Considering a new scar assessment? We can assess your scar and discuss whether treatment here, monitoring or referral is most appropriate. Read about the assessment and current fees.