Scar revision

Scar revision in Turkey: what it is and what it can change

Scar revision is a group of procedures that make an existing scar less noticeable, flatter, softer or better placed. It does not erase a scar. Skin that has been cut or injured heals with collagen that is arranged differently from the surrounding skin, and that difference stays for life. What a surgeon can do is change the scar's width, direction, height, colour or tension so that it draws the eye less. In Turkey scar revision is offered in plastic surgery departments and dermatology clinics, either as a small day-case operation or as a short course of non-surgical treatments.

This guide explains how the main techniques work, what the evidence says, who is a sensible candidate, what scar revision costs compared with the UK, US and Germany, how recovery goes and how to check a clinic. For the wider range of operations see our plastic surgery treatments in Turkey.

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Which scars can be improved, and which cannot?

The scar type decides the method, so identify it first. A wide or stretched scar (for example after a caesarean or a tummy operation) has healed under tension and is usually pale and flat; it can often be cut out and closed again with less tension. A hypertrophic scar is raised, red and stays inside the original wound; it often responds to injections, silicone and laser. A keloid grows beyond the wound and tends to return after simple cutting, so it needs a combined plan. Contracture scars, typically after burns, pull the skin and may limit movement; they need release techniques such as Z-plasty or grafts. Atrophic or acne scars are depressions and are treated by resurfacing, subcision or filler rather than by cutting.

Scars that are old, pale and flat with no functional problem often need nothing; a scar that is under a year old may still be maturing, and many surgeons will advise waiting before any operation.

How do the scar revision techniques work?

Surgical excision and re-closure

The scar is cut out and the wound is closed in layers with fine stitches, so the new scar is narrower and follows the natural skin lines. It is the usual choice for wide, stretched or badly placed scars.

Z-plasty and W-plasty

The scar is broken into zig-zag segments and rearranged. This lengthens a tight scar, changes its direction so that it lies along a skin crease, and makes a straight line less obvious. It is common for contracture scars on the hand, neck and face.

Laser and light treatments

Vascular lasers reduce redness in raised scars; fractional lasers create microscopic channels that stimulate remodelling and can soften texture and shallow acne scars. Several sessions, usually four to six weeks apart, are normal.

Steroid injections, silicone and fillers

Corticosteroid injections flatten hypertrophic scars and keloids. Silicone gel or sheets are a low-risk first step recommended by dermatology guidance. Fillers or fat can lift a depressed scar for a time.

Does scar revision actually work?

Yes, within limits. Good evidence supports silicone for preventing and softening raised scars, steroid injections for hypertrophic scars and keloids, and re-excision with tension-free closure for wide scars. Laser has reasonable evidence for redness and texture but studies vary in design, so claims of a fixed percentage of improvement should be treated with caution. No technique makes a scar disappear, and results depend on your skin type, the scar's location, how much tension the area is under and how well you follow aftercare. People with darker skin have a higher chance of pigment change and keloid formation and should ask the surgeon about it directly.

Scar revision cost in Turkey compared with the UK, US and Germany

The ranges below are approximate and cover a typical single scar or small area; they are not hospital quotes. The final price is confirmed in a written plan after the surgeon has seen photographs or examined the scar.

What changes the price: the length and location of the scar, whether it is a simple excision or a complex release with grafts, local versus general anaesthesia, and the number of laser or injection sessions. A face scar done under local anaesthesia sits at the lower end; a large abdominal or burn-contracture revision sits at the upper end. Ask whether the quote covers the operation, anaesthesia, dressings, follow-up visits and any later touch-up. Because laser and injections need repeat sessions, check whether they are priced per session or as a course.

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Surgery or non-surgical treatment: which suits your scar?

Most people have more than one workable option, and plans often combine them: for example excision of a wide scar followed by silicone and laser during healing.

Scar revision is often discussed alongside other operations that leave scars. If your concern is a scar from a previous face operation, our guide to facelift explains where those incisions sit and how they usually heal.

Who is a good candidate, and who should wait?

Good candidates are healthy adults whose scar bothers them or limits movement, who understand that the aim is improvement rather than removal, and whose scar is mature (usually twelve months or more). You should wait or reconsider if the scar is still red and changing, if you smoke and cannot stop before and after surgery, if you have an active skin infection, if you take medication that affects healing or if you expect the scar to vanish. A history of keloids needs a specific plan, since new cuts can trigger new keloids.

What happens during scar revision, step by step?

At the consultation the surgeon examines the scar, asks how it formed and how long ago, and photographs it. Simple revisions are done under local anaesthesia in about 30 to 90 minutes; larger or multiple scars may need sedation or general anaesthesia. The scar is marked along the planned incision, excised or rearranged, and the wound is closed in layers, often with a buried suture and a skin-glue or fine surface stitches. A dressing or silicone tape is applied. Laser and injection treatments take 15 to 30 minutes per session and need no hospital stay.

How long do you need in Turkey, and how does recovery go?

For a single operation under local anaesthesia, two to four nights is usual so the surgeon can check the wound and remove or review stitches; non-surgical courses can be arranged within a short visit, though a full course may be planned across repeat trips or with a clinic at home. Typical milestones:

• First week: mild pain, swelling and bruising; keep the wound dry and protected.
• Weeks 1–2: stitches out around 7 to 14 days (face earlier); light activity.
• Weeks 2–6: avoid stretching the area; start silicone or taping as advised.
• 3–12 months: the scar is firm and red at first, then softens and fades; sun protection is essential.

Final appearance is judged at about twelve months, not at the first check.

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Scar revision before and after: what do the photos show?

Good before-and-after photographs show a narrower, flatter, paler or better-aligned scar, taken at the same angle and lighting, at least six to twelve months after treatment. They do not show a scar-free skin. Be cautious of galleries with photos taken a few weeks after surgery, when swelling can flatter or hide the result, and of images with different lighting before and after. Ask for examples of the same scar type and similar skin tone as yours.

Risks and complications of scar revision

Possible effects include bleeding, infection, delayed healing, a scar that widens again, raised or keloid scarring, pigment change (lighter or darker skin) and numbness. Laser can cause burns or pigment change, particularly on darker skin, and steroid injections can thin the skin or cause visible veins. Dermatology and plastic surgery societies, and the NHS guidance on scars and keloids, advise realistic expectations, protection from the sun and early review of any wound that looks infected. Ask who will treat you if a problem appears after you return home.

How to choose a surgeon and clinic, and red flags

Look for a specialist in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, or a dermatologist for laser and injection plans, working in a licensed facility with a named doctor who will examine or review your scar before quoting. Red flags are promises to remove a scar completely, a fixed price given with no photographs, laser on a fresh unhealed scar, pressure to pay a deposit quickly and no aftercare plan. Read how our process works and send photographs through the free quote page for a written plan and price.

Questions to ask the clinic:

• Which type of scar is this, and why do you recommend this technique?
• How many sessions or operations will I realistically need?
• What will the new scar look like, and what are my chances of a keloid?
• What does the quote include, and what is charged for a touch-up?
• Who handles complications after I return home?

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Hospitals with Plastic & Aesthetic Surgery in Turkey

Academic Hospital

Üsküdar, Istanbul

MoHHealth Tourism Licence+2

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Lokman Hekim Istanbul Hospital

Pendik, Istanbul

JCIMoH+2

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