Question:
I was bitten by a dog on my cheek when I was a kid. The scar still bothers me and I’m very self-conscious about it. It never healed particularly well and is now thinner but still a raised, very long line that’s whiter than the rest of my skin. Is there anything that can be done to improve it?
Answer:
Typically surgical removal of a scar and repair leaves the patient with a much better and less perceptible scar. The scars are oriented in the lines where the eye expects to see a line or shadow and this allows it to blend it more appropriately. We always inform patients that it will initially look worse before it looks better and providing the patient is willing to go through this process after being evaluated there is generally considerable improvement with a scar revision procedure.
About the Author: Dr. Edwin Williams
Dr. Edwin Williams is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon who founded The Williams Center in 1993. He has performed over 10,000 facial plastic surgery procedures and has pioneered the deep plane facelift. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery for over a decade, and served as President from 2015-2016. In 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Dr. Williams earned the Castle Connelly Top Doctors award in New York Facial Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Edwin F. Williams III attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1982. He began medical school at the State University of Buffalo School of Medicine and received his Doctor of Medicine in 1986.
Dr. Williams is actively involved in teaching facial plastic and reconstruction surgery to the residents of the Albany Medical Center and is former Chief of the Section of Facial and Plastic Reconstruction Surgery at Albany Medical Center where he received an academic appointment of Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery.