Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Understanding Your Treatment Options
If you have squamous cell carcinoma, there are a variety of treatment options to eradicate it. Here, we explore freezing, electrosurgery, Mohs surgery, and more.
5 Tips for Minimizing Scarring After Skin Cancer Surgery
Some people like the look of scars, thinking they make them look tougher. It’s one thing to get a scar doing something daring. It’s quite another to have a lasting reminder that you had cancerous cells on your skin.
Ali Hendi, MD, and Kristina Lim, DO, know that most of our patients want to do what they can to minimize scarring after skin cancer removal. We keep that in mind any time we perform advanced surgical care for skin cancer.
At our office in Chevy Chase, Maryland, we also provide tailored scar minimization guidance for patients throughout the greater Washington, DC, area, northern Virginia, and the eastern shore of Maryland.
Broadly speaking, though, we have a few tips everyone can use to minimize scarring after skin cancer surgery.
1. Find an experienced surgeon
The right surgeon will know how much tissue to remove to eradicate all of the cancerous cells while protecting as much of your healthy tissue as possible. This shrinks the size of your scar.
Dr. Lim and Dr. Hendi offer Mohs surgery, for example. This multi-step procedure allows us to confirm that all the cancerous cells have been removed while taking the thinnest margin of healthy tissue possible.
2. Follow instructions
After skin cancer surgery, our team sends you home with specific instructions to care for your wound. We create those guidelines to help you heal with minimal complications and minimal scarring.
Generally, that means giving the wound daily attention for the first couple of weeks. We’ll probably recommend you clean the area daily, apply ointment, and use a protective covering.
We also tailor the post-surgical instructions to you. If you play a sport or exercise in a way that causes you to sweat a lot, for example, we might recommend taking a couple of weeks off. We provide personalized guidance to help you adapt your lifestyle to support wound healing with minimal scarring.
3. Ask us about silicone scar tape
Silicone products give you a proven way to protect your skin and defend against tone and texture issues (e.g., discoloration, hardening).
A silicone product may be right for you, but it’s important to use it in line with our guidance. We still recommend you remove the scar tape to clean the area daily, for example.
4. Protect your scar from the sun
The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays take a toll on your skin, especially when it’s trying to heal. Sun exposure can worsen scarring, so cover the area with sunscreen, clothing, or a hat anytime you’re outdoors.
5. Give your scar a massage once it’s safe
Gently massaging your scar for a couple of minutes each day can help prevent it from becoming raised or hardened. You shouldn't start this right away, though. Our team can tell you when it’s safe to start scar massage (usually after 2–4 weeks).
If you need skin cancer removed, our team has the expertise to perform your procedure and provide guidance to minimize your scar. To schedule a consultation, call our office at 301-812-4591 or book your appointment online today.
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