“Every scar tells a story. My role is to rewrite the ending — using the most appropriate technique for each scar's unique anatomy, orientation, and history. Whether that's a precise Z-plasty, a local flap, a skin graft, or laser resurfacing, the goal is always the same: a scar that becomes nearly invisible.”
Keloids & melanin-rich skin.
Patients with skin of color — particularly Black, Hispanic, Asian, and South Asian patients — are biologically more likely to form keloid and hypertrophic scars. A scar that would heal flat in lighter skin can develop raised, firm, or pigmented tissue in melanin-rich skin. Standard scar-revision protocols often fall short here.
Dr. Truesdale operates on the most ethnically diverse patient population in his field. His scar-revision technique — tension-redistributed closure, layered subdermal sutures, in-office post-op steroid injections, and silicone-based scar therapy — is built specifically to minimize keloid recurrence and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in patients with darker complexions.
Tell us during your consultation. The plan, the technique, the post-op protocol, and the realistic expectation-setting all change for keloid-prone patients — in your favor when handled correctly from day one.
Schedule a Consultation →What scar revision can do for you
For years, the scar has been the first thing you see when you look in the mirror — and, you’ve long assumed, the first thing anyone else sees too. Scar revision can’t erase what happened. What it can do is change the scar itself: reorient it so it falls within a natural skin line, flatten it, soften its color, break it up, or resurface it — so it stops being a feature of your face and starts being something almost no one notices. Dr. Truesdale trained in facial reconstruction specifically for this work, and he chooses the technique that will produce the most invisible result your particular scar allows.
- A scar that stops pulling focus — reoriented to sit within a natural crease, skin line, or shadow so the eye simply passes over it.
- Flatter, softer, the right color — raised scars brought down, depressed scars lifted, red or pigmented scars blended back toward your skin tone.
- Your face feels like yours again — the version from before the injury, the surgery, or the burn — not erased, but restored to where the scar is no longer what your face is about.
- Photos you don’t have to angle for — no more turning your “good side” to the camera, no more covering the scar with your hair, no more dreading a close-up.
- Strangers stop asking — the question you’ve answered a thousand times (“what happened?”) simply stops coming up.
- Honest expectations, never oversold — Dr. Truesdale will tell you in consultation exactly what is achievable for your specific scar and what isn’t. No promises of erasure — just the best technically possible result for your anatomy.
Ready to discuss your scar revision goals?
Understanding the scar revision procedure
Scar revision is one of the most technically nuanced procedures in facial plastic surgery. The right surgeon — with the right anatomic knowledge, the right technique selection, and the right artistic eye — makes the difference between a scar that becomes nearly invisible and one that remains a daily reminder.
What a scar revision surgery does
Scar revision reorients, camouflages, or resurfaces poorly healed scars from prior surgery, trauma, or acne. The right technique depends on the scar’s orientation, tension, and depth — and Dr. Truesdale selects the approach most likely to render the scar effectively invisible.
Scar revision can rarely make a scar completely invisible — but in skilled hands it can dramatically reduce its visibility, restore lost function, and give patients back the freedom to live without a daily visual reminder of trauma.
The right technique can break a straight scar into an irregular line, redirect it along natural skin folds, or smooth its texture — making it blend with surrounding skin so only someone looking for it would notice.
Contracture scars that limit eyelid closure, mouth opening, or facial expression can be released — restoring movement and function the patient may have lost for years.
Raised, depressed, hyperpigmented, or hypopigmented scars can be improved through laser resurfacing, dermabrasion, or revision techniques — bringing scar texture and color closer to surrounding skin.
Multi-modal management combining surgical excision, steroid injection, 5-FU protocols, silicone therapy, and (when indicated) radiation referral can dramatically reduce the appearance and recurrence of raised scars.
Skin grafts, local flaps, and tissue expansion can rebuild areas of the face affected by trauma, burns, animal bites, or skin cancer removal — restoring both appearance and confidence.
More than the technical result, scar revision often returns something equally important: the freedom to look in the mirror, meet a stranger’s eyes, or take a photograph without thinking about a scar at all.
Who the scar revision is for
If any of the following describes you, the scar revision may be worth exploring:
Dr. Truesdale’s scar revision approach
Dr. Truesdale’s approach to scar revision reflects a consistent set of principles — the same standards that inform every consultation, every surgical plan, and every post-operative follow-up.
Restraint, Not Over-Correction
The most over-done procedures in facial aesthetics are over-done because someone kept going past the right stopping point. Dr. Truesdale's rule: when the result is right, stop — even if more could technically be done. For scar revision, that means committing to the technique most likely to produce the most invisible result — even when it’s the more complex option.
The Artist's Eye
Before becoming a surgeon, Dr. Truesdale was a trained portrait artist. That lens shapes every decision — proportion, light, shadow, the relationship between every feature — in a way purely clinical training alone does not. For scar work, that lens guides incision orientation along natural skin tension lines so the final result respects the geometry of your face.
Personal, Start to Finish
Every consultation, every surgical plan, every procedure — performed personally by Dr. Truesdale. No delegation to coordinators, PAs, or residents. Dr. Truesdale is personally involved every step of the way. Every scar revision is planned and executed by Dr. Truesdale — reconstructive technique selection is not delegated.
Natural Is Non-Negotiable
The only acceptable outcome is one that no one can identify as a procedure — a result that reads as a better version of you. No pulled look, no frozen expression, no obvious work. The scar-revision goal: a result so well integrated that, in time, even you stop noticing the area was ever revised.
Why choose Dr. Truesdale for your scar revision
A few elements of Dr. Truesdale’s training and practice are specifically what make scar revision — as opposed to other facial surgeries — a true specialty of his.
“Every scar has an ideal revision technique. The surgeon's job is to know which one.”
— Dr. Carl Truesdale, MD
Scar revision & reconstruction before & afters
Real scar revision and reconstructive surgery patients of Dr. Truesdale. Each revision is designed around the scar’s location, direction, and the underlying tissue.
Your transformation starts with a conversation.
From first consultation to final reveal
We always tell our patients to ‘trust the process.’ You are in good hands on every step of the journey to your unique masterpiece.
Consultation
Personal session with Dr. Truesdale — facial analysis, honest assessment of candidacy, and a clear plan for what the procedure can and cannot achieve.
Planning
Medical clearance, pre-operative instructions, and a personalized plan Dr. Truesdale reviews with you before the day of the procedure.
Procedure Day
Performed in office or in surgical center depending on scar complexity. Local anesthesia for most cases; sedation for larger reconstructions.
Suture Removal
Sutures removed on your area’s standard day — Day 5 for the lip, Day 7 for the face. Mild redness, swelling, and tightness around the new incision are expected. Light cardio is OK at Day 14.
Redness Fades
New incision pink and slightly raised — this is normal scar maturation. Silicone scar gel applied twice daily through this phase. Sun protection critical.
Look and Feel Like a Masterpiece
The revised scar has matured, softened, and blended substantially.
Individual timelines vary. Dr. Truesdale sets realistic, patient-specific expectations during your consultation — not exaggerated claims.
See if Scar Revision is right for you.
See More about Scar Revision & Reconstructive Surgery
Dr. Truesdale on technique, philosophy, and patient stories — from his self-produced Beyond the Surface docuseries and his educational content library.
Scar Revision FAQs
Bring your own questions to consultation — Dr. Truesdale personally answers every one. Below are the questions patients ask most often about scar revision.
The strongest candidates have a previous scar (surgical, traumatic, acne, or keloid) that is visible, raised, discolored, or in the wrong orientation. Dr. Truesdale evaluates you personally in consultation and only recommends the procedure when it will genuinely help. If a different approach would serve you better, he’ll tell you that too.
Scar revision does not eliminate scars — it makes them less obvious. A well-revised scar fades into the natural lines and shadows of the face, becoming very difficult to notice. Dr. Truesdale explains realistically what the revision can achieve before any work is planned.
No single technique fits every scar — Dr. Truesdale selects from a full range based on the scar’s orientation, depth, location, and skin quality. The most common techniques include Z-plasty (redirects a scar along natural skin tension lines), W-plasty (breaks a straight scar into a less perceptible zig-zag), local flaps (recruits adjacent healthy tissue to replace scarred skin), full- and split-thickness skin grafts, dermabrasion and CO2/Erbium laser resurfacing (smooth raised or textured scars), serial excision (staged removal of wide scars), tissue expansion, and injectable treatments such as steroid, 5-FU, or filler injections for keloid, hypertrophic, or atrophic scars. The right plan is always individualized to the scar in front of him.
Most patients describe the discomfort as mild to moderate. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia; in-office for most smaller revisions. Dr. Truesdale’s team is available throughout recovery — you are not managing discomfort on your own.
Our surgical procedures utilize a patient-focused anesthesia technique known as MAC (Monitored Anesthesia Care) and IV Sedation, ensuring your maximum comfort and safety. This method provides a level of gentle, deep sedation comparable to the comfortable experience many patients have during a colonoscopy, which we have found helps make patients less fearful. The anesthesia is administered intravenously and meticulously monitored by a hand-picked group of board-certified anesthesiologists, who are dedicated to your well-being throughout your entire procedure.
Plan on 5–10 days of social downtime. Expect sutures removed at day 5 or 7, depending on the area; initial pinkness fades over 3–6 months. Light cardio resumes at 2 weeks; most patients are cleared for strenuous exercise at about three weeks, at a follow-up visit. Your follow-up appointments along the way are conducted by Dr. Truesdale and our physician assistant, with Dr. Truesdale seeing you personally at the key milestones.
That’s the entire standard Dr. Truesdale designs for. A good scar revision reads as a natural line or shadow — not as a scar. Every patient is evaluated in a seated, relaxed state beforehand so the target is based on your real anatomy — never on an idealized template.
Permanent. A matured revised scar is stable and permanent.
Yes. A significant portion of Dr. Truesdale’s patients travel from across the United States and internationally. The process begins with a virtual consultation with Dr. Truesdale himself (not a coordinator), followed by in-person pre-procedure evaluation. Our patient-care coordinators help arrange travel, accommodations, and local transportation, and Dr. Truesdale’s team conducts virtual follow-ups after you return home.
Request a consultation through the form at the bottom of this page, email contact@doctortruesdale.com, or call (424) 363-4112. Our team responds within one business day to schedule either an in-person consultation at 150 S. Rodeo Drive, Suite 360, Beverly Hills, or a virtual consultation worldwide. Every consultation is conducted personally by Dr. Truesdale.
Scar revision can be performed at any adult age. What matters most is scar maturity — Dr. Truesdale generally recommends waiting until the scar is at least 12 months old before a surgical revision, so the final result reflects fully healed tissue rather than an early inflammatory scar.
The cost of scar revision can vary based on the patient’s situation, including if it is a revision surgery and if this surgery will be combined with other surgeries or treatments. The total cost may include the surgeon’s fee, operating room fees, and anesthesia fees. At Truesdale Facial Plastic Surgery, we believe the surgeon’s philosophy and experience, and your comfort with him, are just as important as the final cost of the surgery. We can provide an approximate range for this procedure over the phone, and your patient care coordinator (PCC) will confirm the pricing for you after your consultation with Dr. Truesdale.
Schedule your scar revision consultation
A private, unhurried conversation with Dr. Truesdale personally — never a coordinator. Share your scar’s story, hear honestly what revision can and cannot do for it, and begin the plan to change how it reads on your face. We respond same-day, Monday-Friday.
Book a Surgical Discovery Call online
After clicking the booking link, select “new patient” under Schedule Your Appointment and fill out the form to see our current availability for a Surgical Discovery Call with a Patient Care Coordinator and book immediately. Call us (424) 363-4112 for additional appointment times and information.All times are based on Los Angeles, Pacific Time (PT).
Book Discovery Call →Prefer to share details first? Submit the form and a Patient Care Coordinator will reach out the same business day (Monday–Friday).