What words should I know about scar revision?

Chemical peel solutions

Substances that penetrate the skin's surface to soften irregularities in texture and color.

Contractures

Scars that restrict movement due to skin and underlying tissue that pull together during healing and usually occur when there is a large amount of tissue loss, such as after a burn.

Dermabrasion

Mechanical polishing of the skin.

Excision

Surgical removal of a scar.

General anesthesia

Drugs and gases used during an operation to relieve pain and alter consciousness.

Hyperpigmented scar

A scar that is darker in color.

Hypertropic scar

Thick clusters of scar tissue that develop directly at a wound site.

Hypopigmented scar

A scar that is lighter in color.

Intravenous sedation

Sedatives administered by injection into a vein to help you relax.

Keloids

Large scars that can be painful or itchy, and may also pucker which can occur anywhere on your body, developing more commonly where there is little underlying fatty tissue, such as on the breastbone or shoulders.

Laser resurfacing

A method to change to the surface of the skin that allows new, healthy skin to form at the scar site.

Light therapy

(Intense Pulsed Light) Pulses of light that can be used to treat discoloration and texture changes of the skin.

Local anesthesia

A drug injected directly to the site of an incision during an operation to relieve pain.

Skin grafts

Healthy skin taken from other areas of your body, such as the abdomen or thigh, to revise a scar.

Tissue expansion

A procedure that can substitute for skin grafts. An inflatable balloon called a tissue expander is placed under the skin near the scar site to stretch additional skin to be used to revise a scar. Oftentimes, multiple procedures are needed.

Z-plasty

A surgical technique that creates angled flaps on either side of the original scar site that can completely reposition or change scar direction, interrupt scar tension or improve scar flexibility.