Women's Health Wednesday: Scar Revision

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) - Women with scars can experience a range of emotions including both physical and emotional pain or discomfort. Scar revision surgery or other treatments can make a big difference.

Revision surgery can involve the removal of scars, or sometimes the rearrangement of the area around the scar.

Dr. Dzifa Kpodzo is a plastic surgeon with Albany Medical Center. She says, when a scar is stuck to tissue underneath it, it can create pain. When the scar is removed or rearranged it can improve both the physical pain and look of the scar.

For those who want to avoid surgery, there are injection options than can ultimately be the best option based on the patient. There are also at home remedies that can be used to treat scars before going to see a doctor. According to Dr. Kpodzo, they include: massage, gentle cream or oil, and any silicone based scar cream or tape.

These are the signs Dr. Kpodzo say would be reasons to go see a doctor:

• scar is worsening: getting more thick, more pain, intense itching
• keloid scar: scar is bigger than the area where the injury started

Listen to more of the conversation in this week's Women's Health Wednesday.