# Can You Really Get Rid of a Scar After Surgery?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/alabama-the-beautiful-the-eastern-shore-cosmetic-surgery-podcast-6702363/can-you-really-get-rid-of-a-scar-after-surgery
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/alabama-the-beautiful-the-eastern-shore-cosmetic-surgery-podcast-6702363/can-you-really-get-rid-of-a-scar-after-surgery.md
Podcast: [Alabama The Beautiful: The Eastern Shore Cosmetic Surgery Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/alabama-the-beautiful-the-eastern-shore-cosmetic-surgery-podcast-6702363)
Published: 2026-08-20T11:00:03+00:00
Episode link: https://www.alabamathebeautifulpodcast.com/can-you-really-get-rid-of-a-scar-after-surgery
Audio file: https://api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74150510/atb066_scars_v1.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/alabama-the-beautiful-the-eastern-shore-cosmetic-surgery-podcast-6702363/episodes/can-you-really-get-rid-of-a-scar-after-surgery
Duration seconds: 1306

## Resource

There's no such thing as erasing a mark on your skin. The best a cosmetic surgeon can do is trade it for a thinner, flatter line placed where a waistband or bathing suit hides it — which is exactly what a tummy tuck does with an old vertical C-section scar. Dr. James Koehler and Kirstin Jarvis get into the honest gap between removing a scar and improving one, and why every operation leaves a mark no matter how skilled the hands that made it. For a cosmetic surgeon, where that line sits and how it heals is the whole job. They clear up one of the most common mix-ups in scar talk: a keloid is not the same as a thick, raised scar, even though most people — and plenty of physicians — use the words interchangeably. The two heal for different reasons and get treated in completely different ways, from steroid and 5-FU injections to, in stubborn cases, low-dose radiation. Dr. Koehler explains why location and skin tension decide whether a scar fades to almost nothing or stays visible, when it's worth re-operating versus treating from the outside with lasers and microneedling, and why time is the most underrated healer of all. He tells two stories — including a woman convinced her beautiful breast reduction scars were ruined — that show how much of the scar conversation is really about expectations. Questions answered by this episode: Can you completely remove a scar, or just move it somewhere hidden? What's the difference between a keloid and a hypertrophic scar? Why do some scars fade beautifully while others stay raised and thick? How do surgeons treat keloid scars? Do drugstore scar creams work as well as medical-grade silicone gel? When is it worth having a scar surgically revised? How long does it take for a surgery scar to fully fade? Why is a tummy tuck scar sometimes th…

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