Question regarding hypertrophic scarring from Mole Removal

Question:

I recently had a mole removed from the front bicep of my arm and I believe it has healed into a hypertrophic scar. My GP did it for me and used stiches that were left in for about a week and a half. In your opinion was that too soon to remove the stitches?

This is actually my second mole removal. My first one also looked like a hypertrophic scar and has healed now to be almost the same colour as my skin.

The thing that makes me self-conscious about this mole removal is because it is in a much more noticeable place and not healing as well as the previous one. I was using Bio-Oil on the scar for about 2 months then discontinued use because I ran out.

Even when this scar does turn into the similar pigment as my skin it will still be noticeable because of the position. I saw there is a possibility of scar revision surgery but they say there is a high risk of hypertrophic scarring reoccurring – is that true? Thank you so much for reading!

Answer:

Many thanks for sending me your photographs. It does look as though you have a hypertrophic scar and that your scar may have opened slightly whilst it was healing. It is difficult to say whether your stitches were taken out too soon without knowing more about your case.

I would advise you get more Bio-Oil to continue massaging the scar with and also you should apply silicone sheets such as Cica-Care to the area on a daily basis. This will greatly help the area settle and fade.

I think the scar is likely to get slightly smaller with time but is unfortunately unlikely to heal into a fine line. I think it would be sensible to leave the area to settle completely for 12-24 months before considering surgery: as it is a hypertrophic scar, it is likely to improve with time.

I hope this information has been useful. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if you feel that I can be of any further help.