Can You Really Get Rid of a Scar After Surgery?

There's no such thing as erasing a mark on your skin. The best a cosmetic surgeon can do is trade it for a thinner, flatter line placed where a waistband or bathing suit hides it — which is exactly what a tummy tuck does with an old vertical C-section scar.Dr. James Koehler and Kirstin Jarvis get into the honest gap between removing a scar and improving one, and why every operation leaves a mark no matter how skilled the hands that made it. For a cosmetic surgeon, where that line sits and how it heals is the whole job.They clear up one of the most common mix-ups in scar talk: a keloid is not the same as a thick, raised scar, even though most people — and plenty of physicians — use the words interchangeably. The two heal for different reasons and get treated in completely different ways, from steroid and 5-FU injections to, in stubborn cases, low-dose radiation.Dr. Koehler explains why location and skin tension decide whether a scar fades to almost nothing or stays visible, when it's worth re-operating versus treating from the outside with lasers and microneedling, and why time is the most underrated healer of all. He tells two stories — including a woman convinced her beautiful breast reduction scars were ruined — that show how much of the scar conversation is really about expectations.Questions answered by this episode:Can you completely remove a scar, or just move it somewhere hidden?What's the difference between a keloid and a hypertrophic scar?Why do some scars fade beautifully while others stay raised and thick?How do surgeons treat keloid scars?Do drugstore scar creams work as well as medical-grade silicone gel?When is it worth having a scar surgically revised?How long does it take for a surgery scar to fully fade?Why is a tummy tuck scar sometimes thicker than a scar on the face?Do microneedling and laser treatments help flatten and lighten scars?What should I know about scarring before booking a cosmetic surgery consult?Alabama the Beautiful is the cosmetic surgery podcast co-hosted by Dr. James Koehler and Dr. Vincent Gardner, surgeons with over 2 decades of expertise in cosmetic surgery and their trusty co-host Kirstin, your best friend, confidante, and the snarky yet loveable "swiss army knife" of Eastern Shore Cosmetic Surgery.Have a question for Dr. Koehler, Dr. Gardner or Kirstin? Record your voicemail at alabamathebeautifulpodcast.com and we'll answer it on the podcast.Eastern Shore Cosmetic Surgery is located off Highway 98 at 7541 Cipriano Ct in Fairhope, Alabama. To learn more about the practice or ask a question, go to easternshoreplasticsurgery.comFollow the team on Instagram @easternshorecosmeticsurgeryWatch Dr. Koehler, Dr. Gardner & Kirstin on YouTube @JamesKoehlerMDAlabama The Beautiful is a production of The Axis: theaxis.ioTheme music: Never Need a Reason, Guy Trevino and Friends