Facial Scar Management

Cutaneous scarring is an inevitable consequence following surgery and deeper dermal injuries. Scars on the face can be especially disconcerting to patients due to their public visibility. Facial scars also can give significant morbidity, ranging from functional problems impairing eating, speaking, nasal breathing, and eyelid closure, which can result in long-lasting psychological impairment.

Important principles and management techniques can be employed that can minimize scarring to improve both patient functional outcomes and satisfaction.

Many scar references describe how to manage scars by using numerous techniques using a generic perspective. However, another conceptual approach to manage scars is categorizing them by anatomic facial site ( Fig. 1 ).