Top Scar Revision Doctor in Los Angeles
Our approach to scar revision uses a combination of both surgical and non-surgical methods to optimize your skin’s performance during early or late scar healing. Surgery is often required if the existing scar is severely widened, hypertrophic, or mismatched in contour and dimension. However, we employ a complex protocol of lasers and RF therapy to help further improve scar pliability, topography, texture, color, and contour. In addition, Dr. Karamanoukian may also recommend scar modulation techniques, intralesional injections, and topical therapy to further improve a scar.
The Leading Scar Revision Experts in Los Angeles
Our Los Angeles plastic surgery practice is a National Center of Excellence for the management of simple or complex scars on the skin. We utilize a combination approach to scar mitigation that can involve surgical or non-surgical treatments. Using his extensive expertise in scar revision, our leading plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian can offer you exceptional recommendations to improve your scar and minimize its visibility. Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian is the leading plastic surgeon in the United States for scar revision. His expertise is based on two decades of experience in the management of complex scars, including keloids and hypertrophic scars.
Professionalism: Dr. Karamanoukian understands the importance of ethics and quality of care in plastic surgery. He is a graduate of the UCLA School of Medicine and provides exceptional treatment to his patients. During your consultation, he will assiduously examine your scars and provide you with a comprehensive surgical and non-surgical plan that incorporates the latest technical, pharmacological, and surgical treatments available for your particular concern.
Exceptional Qualifications: Having received his training from leading academic universities, Dr. Karamanoukian is dedicated to lifelong learning and education. He is a consummate researcher and clinical investigator in plastic surgery and lectures regularly to physicians and medical students. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery, an active member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and an advisor and mentor to countless medical students seeking an academic career.
Meticulous Care: Dr. Karamanoukian is an exceptional plastic surgeon with an outstanding aesthetic eye and meticulous attention to detail. He enjoys treating patients with challenging clinical problems. He dedicates his practice to providing a high level of individualized and patient-centric care. He is recognized by his peers, both academic and clinical, for his complex understanding of reconstructive surgery.
Our Approach to Scar Revision
Our approach to scar revision uses a combination of both surgical and non-surgical methods to optimize your skin’s performance during early or late scar healing. Surgery is often required if the existing scar is severely widened, hypertrophic, or mismatched in contour and dimension. However, we employ a complex protocol of lasers and RF therapy to help further improve scar pliability, topography, texture, color, and contour. In addition, Dr. Karamanoukian may also recommend scar modulation techniques, intralesional injections, and topical therapy to further improve a scar.
Facial Scar Revision Surgery in Los Angeles
Facial scar revision requires technical precision, artistic judgment, and a deep understanding of wound healing biology. Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, a board-certified plastic surgeon and recognized scar revision expert in the United States, specializes in advanced surgical and non-surgical techniques to improve the appearance of facial scars. Depending on the scar’s location, texture, and direction, he may perform scar excision surgery to remove damaged tissue and re-close the skin with meticulous layered suturing. Techniques such as W-plasty and Z-plasty are used to reposition and camouflage scars by breaking up straight lines and reorienting tension along natural facial contours. For raised, thickened, or uneven scars, Dr. Karamanoukian incorporates scar remodeling strategies that soften fibrotic tissue and improve flexibility. Laser therapy with skin resurfacing further enhances results by smoothing texture irregularities and stimulating collagen renewal. For discolored or visibly red scars, targeted laser treatments reduce excess pigmentation and vascular redness, restoring a more even skin tone. Through a customized, comprehensive approach, Dr. Karamanoukian helps patients achieve smoother, less noticeable scars and renewed confidence.
Emergency Laceration Repair and Post-Injury Scar Treaments in Los Angeles
Facial lacerations are common injuries that require prompt and precise management to minimize scarring and preserve function and appearance. Early treatment is critical, as timely intervention reduces the risk of infection, promotes proper wound healing, and improves long-term cosmetic outcomes. Initial care involves careful wound cleaning and debridement, removing any dirt, damaged tissue, or foreign material to create an optimal environment for healing. For deeper or complex facial cuts, layered closure with meticulous plastic surgery techniques is essential. This approach aligns the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and muscle in layers, minimizing tension on the surface and reducing the likelihood of prominent scars.
Even with expert initial repair, scars can develop over time. Post-injury scar treatments can significantly improve the appearance of facial scars. Pulsed dye laser therapy, such as the Vbeam Perfecta Pulsed Dye Laser, reduces redness and vascularity in scars. Laser resurfacing with CO2 or fractional lasers smooths skin texture and promotes collagen remodeling. For scars that remain raised, irregular, or restrictive, surgical scar revision techniques—including z-plasty—can reposition and reorient the scar to improve contour and flexibility. Early intervention combined with comprehensive post-injury treatments ensures that facial lacerations heal with the best possible aesthetic and functional outcomes, preserving both appearance and confidence.
Facelift and Necklift Scar Revision
One of the most complex procedures in plastic surgery involves a necklift or a facelift, during which incisions are made along the temporal sideburns, pre and post-auricular region, and along the hairline in back of the ears. Meticulous attention to detail is paramount during a facelift or necklift. Otherwise, scars may be permanently visible.
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian provides expertise in the management of facelift and necklift scars using a combination approach that usually involves minor surgical scar revision, hair transplantation, laser scar removal, intralesional injections, or scar modulation. We are most concerned about the area in front of the ear, which can often scar poorly. Our approach at Kare Plastic Surgery is to recontour the pre-auricular scar lines so that they blend in more naturally with the skin.
Tummy Tuck Scar Revision Surgery in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
Tummy tuck surgery, or abdominoplasty, is a highly effective procedure for removing excess abdominal skin and tightening the abdominal wall. However, it often results in a surgical scar that runs across the lower abdomen. While most scars fade over time, some patients develop thick, raised, or irregular scars that can affect the overall aesthetic result. Fortunately, there are several options to improve the appearance of tummy tuck scars.
Surgical scar revision is one of the most effective approaches for problematic scars. This involves carefully excising the old scar and re-closing the incision with precise techniques to minimize tension and promote better healing. In some cases, combining scar revision with laser therapy can enhance results.
Laser therapies, such as the Vbeam Perfecta Pulsed Dye Laser and CO2 Laser, target redness, thickened tissue, and surface irregularities. Vbeam laser reduces vascularity and redness, while CO2 laser resurfaces the skin to improve texture and smoothness.
Topical therapies, including silicone-based creams and specialized scar gels, can be used alongside professional treatments. Combined approaches—including surgical revision, laser therapy, and topical management—can significantly improve the appearance of tummy tuck scars, helping patients achieve smoother, more even-toned results.
Breast Surgery Scar Revision in Los Angeles
Breast surgery, whether for mastectomy, augmentation, lift, or reduction, often leaves scars that can affect both appearance and confidence. While all surgical scars heal differently, some patients develop hypertrophic scars or keloids, which are thickened, raised, and sometimes discolored. Hypertrophic scars remain within the boundaries of the incision, while keloids can extend beyond and may continue to grow over time. Managing these scars requires specialized techniques to soften, flatten, and improve color and texture. In Los Angeles, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian is recognized as a leading expert in breast scar revision, combining aesthetic sensibility with advanced scar management strategies to achieve natural, subtle results.
Non-surgical treatments are often the first line of approach for breast scars. Laser skin resurfacing, such as CO2 fractional lasers, penetrates the dermis to remodel scar tissue, smoothing texture and improving elasticity. Vbeam pulsed dye laser therapy is particularly effective for red, inflamed scars, targeting blood vessels within hypertrophic or keloid tissue to reduce redness and discoloration. Intralesional injections, commonly using corticosteroids, help soften raised scars and reduce excess collagen formation in keloids and hypertrophic scars. Dr. Karamanoukian customizes treatment plans for each patient, often combining lasers and injections to achieve the most balanced and long-lasting outcomes. These therapies are minimally invasive and can significantly improve both the appearance and feel of breast scars without additional surgery.
For more severe or persistent scars, Dr. Karamanoukian may incorporate surgical revision to reshape or minimize scar tissue. Meticulous excision and re-closure of breast scars, often in combination with laser therapy and intralesional injections, can reduce prominence while preserving breast shape. Patients with keloid-prone skin are carefully evaluated, as these scars carry a higher risk of recurrence, and adjunctive treatments are implemented to prevent regrowth. Dr. Karamanoukian’s experience with breast surgery scars—including post-mastectomy scars, augmentation scars along the inframammary fold, lift scars around the areola, and vertical or anchor scars from reduction—ensures that each revision plan addresses the unique characteristics of the patient’s scar and breast anatomy. With his comprehensive approach, patients achieve smoother, flatter, and less noticeable scars, restoring confidence and comfort while maintaining natural breast contours.
Liposuction and BBL Scar Treatment
The growing popularity of liposuction has influenced the prevalence of bad liposuction scars on the abdomen, back, and arms. During the Brazilian Butt Lift, liposuction fat is removed and placed into the buttocks to improve the contour and volume of the buttocks. Liposuction scars can be dark, indented, or raised with keloid or hypertrophic scarring. There are many options to improve the quality and visibility of these liposuction scars using lasers, RF therapy, scar modulation, and our advanced Hidef scar protocols for scarring.
Our doctors are trained in the latest advancements in laser technology and can provide you with expertise in the management of your liposuction scars. The Hidef scar revision protocol involves an initial consultation to discuss and examine your scars followed by an in-depth treatment plan that includes surgical as well as nonsurgical options to reduce the visibility of your scars.
The most common treatment plans involve the initial use of Kenalog Injections followed by a multi variate laser treatment protocol that can reduce the vascularity of your scars, the contour of raised scars, replacement of contour on indented scars, and improve the texture and color of the skin overlying the scars.
Dr. Karamanoukian can evaluate your Brazilian butt lift scars in his Los Angeles plastic surgery center located in Santa Monica. The most advanced therapies can be initiated on the day of your consultation or can be scheduled at a later time. If you are traveling from another state or country, Dr. Karamanoukian can help you coordinate your travel plans so that your therapy can be achieved with minimal downtime or inconvenience.
Liposuction scars can include keloids, hypertrophic scars, dark or discolored scars, PIH, atrophic scars, or hypervascular scars. The most effective high definition protocol must place importance on your skin type, recovery, and propensity for further scarring.
Some of the most effective scar treatments include sublative RF, vascular laser, fractional laser, Vbeam laser, skin resurfacing, ablative laser, non-ablative laser, fibrous release, fat transfer, lipocavitation, erbium laser, and clear and brilliant laser.
To schedule a comprehensive consultation for scar vision in our Los Angeles plastic surgery office, please call 310-998-5533 and speak to one of our patient care coordinators. Our office can help accommodate your consultation for scar revision and assist you in finalizing a treatment plan that can help you reduce the visibility of your scars. We begin with a consultation and discussion of availalble scar options. These options may include laser, chemical peels, scar modulation, surgery, wound treatment, pigmentation protocols, topical creams, and HIDEF scar treatment protocols.
Scar Revision Surgery for Keloids in Los Angeles
Keloids are a challenging type of scar that can develop on the face or body after injury, surgery, acne, burns, or even minor skin trauma such as piercings. Unlike normal scars, keloids grow beyond the boundaries of the original wound and may continue to enlarge over time. These scars often appear thick, raised, and firm, and may be pink, red, or darker than the surrounding skin. Keloids can also cause symptoms such as itching, tenderness, and cosmetic disfigurement, particularly when they occur in visible areas such as the cheeks, jawline, chest, shoulders, or earlobes. The condition known as Keloid occurs when the body produces excessive collagen during the wound-healing process, resulting in abnormal scar formation.
Keloids are different from other types of scars, including Hypertrophic Scar and typical surgical scars. Hypertrophic scars also appear raised and thick, but they remain confined within the borders of the original injury. These scars often improve gradually over time and may flatten with conservative treatments. Keloids, however, behave more aggressively. They extend beyond the original wound margins and rarely regress on their own. In some individuals, keloids may continue to grow slowly for years, making them more difficult to manage than standard scars.
Because keloids involve abnormal collagen production and increased vascularity, treatment often requires a combination of therapies rather than a single procedure. One commonly used treatment is intralesional corticosteroid therapy, which involves injecting medications such as Triamcinolone directly into the scar tissue. Cortisone injections help reduce inflammation, suppress collagen production, and gradually soften and flatten the keloid. Multiple treatment sessions are typically required to achieve meaningful improvement.
Laser therapy has also become an important tool in the treatment of keloids. One of the most effective technologies for vascular scar treatment is the Vbeam Perfecta Pulsed Dye Laser. This laser targets hemoglobin within the blood vessels that supply the keloid, reducing redness and decreasing the blood flow that contributes to scar growth. By reducing vascular activity within the scar, the laser can help flatten the keloid and improve its color and texture. Pulsed dye laser therapy is particularly helpful for keloids that appear red, inflamed, or thickened.
Surgical scar revision may also be considered for large or persistent keloids. During scar revision surgery, the abnormal scar tissue is carefully removed and the wound is closed in a way that minimizes tension on the skin. However, because keloids have a tendency to recur after surgical removal, surgery is often combined with additional treatments such as steroid injections or laser therapy to reduce the risk of recurrence.
Early treatment is especially important when dealing with keloid scars. Fresh scars that begin to show signs of abnormal thickening may respond more effectively to conservative therapies before they grow larger. Laser treatments, corticosteroid injections, and careful monitoring can help prevent progression and improve cosmetic outcomes.
Management of keloids requires expertise and a personalized treatment plan based on the location, size, and severity of the scar. By combining modern therapies such as cortisone injections, laser treatment, and surgical scar revision when necessary, patients can achieve meaningful improvement in the appearance and symptoms of keloid scars on both the face and body.
Orthopedic Scar Revision Surgery
Orthopedic surgeries can have a positive impact on your ability to function on a daily basis. The scope of orthopedic surgery encompasses emergency orthopedic fractures, spine surgery, shoulder surgery, arm and hand surgery, hip surgery, knee and elbow surgery, and leg/foot surgery. In any case, the scars from an orthopedic injury can be keloid or hypertrophic. We often see these scars and can treat early and late orthopedic scars so that they look better aesthetically.
Learn more about orthopedic surgery scar revision in Los Angeles.
Treatment of Self-harm Scars in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles
Self-harm scars are marks on the skin caused by self-injury and they are quite common among teenagers and adults in the United States. There are several amazing treatments to help reduce the visibility of self-harm scars at Kare Plastic Surgery in Santa Monica. The best treatment for you will depend on the severity of your scars, your skin type, skin color, severity of scars, and textural changes in the skin.
Some of the most common treatments for self-harm scars include:
- Laser therapy: Laser therapy can help to fade the color of scars and improve their texture.
- Topical creams and ointments: There are a number of topical creams and ointments that can help to improve the appearance of scars. These products typically contain ingredients that help to promote collagen production and reduce inflammation. We recommend Melarase creams to help reduce hyperpigmentation of the skin when combined with exfoliants.
- Surgical treatments: In some cases, surgical treatments may be necessary to remove or improve the appearance of self-harm scars. These treatments may include scar revision, skin grafting, or tissue expansion.
Pediatric Lacerations and Scars in Children
Facial scars in children are quite complicated from the standpoint of timing - plastic surgeons often hesitate to perform elective surgery on children unless there is an overwhelming need to correct a surgical deformity. At Kare Plastic Surgery and Skin Health Center in Santa Monica, we specialize in three major disciplines, including emergency pediatric lacerations, surgical scar revision, and non-surgical laser scar repair - making our office the most comprehensive center for pediatric scars in Los Angeles.
Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian works alongside in-house dermatologists to construct data-based algorithms for scar correction and repair in children. Many of these non-surgical options are also relevant in adult scar revision techniques. Our expertise lies in the combination of non-surgical and surgical scar transformations.
Timing is essential when it comes to pediatric scar repair, as many of the easiest options are lost if attention is not placed onto the wound in the early phase of healing. If you have gone to an emergency room or urgent care and your child has a scar or open wound, it is essential to seek early treatment for the scar at our office.
Minimal-Scar Surgical Tattoo Removal
Surgical tattoo removal is an effective option for patients seeking complete removal of unwanted ink in a single procedure. Unlike laser treatments that require multiple sessions, surgical excision physically removes the tattooed skin and closes the area with meticulous suturing to minimize visible scarring. In Los Angeles, Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, a board-certified plastic surgeon with extensive experience in scar revision, applies advanced closure techniques to ensure the resulting scar is thin, well-concealed, and aligned with natural skin tension lines. His precision and expertise help patients achieve clean tattoo removal with the most refined cosmetic outcome possible.