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Scar removal and revision is best performed after months or years of healing. Medications (topical corticosteroids, anesthetic ointments, and antihistamine creams) can reduce the symptoms of itching and tenderness during this time. Scars shrink and becomes less noticeable as they age, therefore, immediate surgical revision is delayed until the scar lightens in color, which is usually several months or even a year after a wound has healed.
A keloid is an abnormal scar that is thicker, different color and texture, extends beyond the edge of the wound, and has a tendency to recur. It often creates a thick, puckered effect simulating a tumor. Keloids are removed at the point where it meets normal tissue. The skin is then sutured closed. Keloids often recur at the site of scar revision.
Review Date 5/6/2025
Updated by: Tang Ho, MD, Associate Professor, Division of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, Houston, TX. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
