White Scar Treatment

• Dermatology
• Skin Rejuvenation
• White Scar Treatment

Medically Reviewed 3rd March 2025, by Mr. Bryan Mayou (GMC: 1414396) - founder of the Cadogan Clinic and one of the world's leading plastic surgeons

What is White Scar Treatment?

White Scar Treatment is a minor surgical procedure which restores the natural pigmentation to white scar tissue (also known as hypopigmented scars), improving the appearance of your scar. Also known as Micro Dermal Melanin Grafting or Hypopigmented Scar Treatment, White Scar Treatment is an innovative approach to Scar Revision developed in Taiwan.

As injuries or skin trauma heal, it is normal for scarring to appear. Depending on the size, colour and placement of the scar, this can cause a loss in confidence and may lead to individuals avoiding wearing certain clothing or taking part in activities where their scarring may be visible. White scarring in particular can be highly visible as the colour of the scar contrasts with the natural skin tone.

While other scar treatments focus on improving the texture of scars, they aren’t able to repigment hypopigmented scarring. Micro Dermal Grafting extracts melanin (the body’s natural skin pigment) and transplants it into the white scarring, resulting in repigmentation of white scars, blending the scar into the surrounding skin and making it less obvious. This improves the overall skin tone, which may boost confidence and self-esteem. 

Why do Scars Turn White?

The appearance of a scar can be affected by several factors, including the severity of the initial injury, how the injury is cared for and many other individual factors such as age, genetics, and underlying medical conditions.

A healing injury goes through three stages:

• Inflammation: This begins immediately after the injury and lasts for a few days. Any bleeding will stop and the area will be flooded with white blood cells to stimulate healing and fight infection. At this point the injury will look red or pink and may be swollen.
• Proliferation: This stage lasts around three to four weeks. During this time, fibroblast cells gather at the injury site to form new tissues and collagen which strengthens the healing wound. This new collagen is produced for two to four weeks, knitting the edges of the wound together. New capillaries are also created to encourage the healing process. The scar tissue will be thicker and contracted and may appear red or darker in colour.
• Remodelling: This final stage can take several weeks up to a few years depending on the depth of the injury. During this time the scar tissue matures as the increased collagen production reduces, the excess capillaries disappear, and normal skin cell generation returns.

Due to the excess collagen production during the proliferation and remodelling stages of wound healing, the new skin cells may not have the same pigmentation as the surrounding skin. If the new skin has fewer or no melanocyte cells (the cells which produce skin pigment), the scar tissue will be lighter or may even appear white. Once this lack of pigmentation is established, the skin can’t naturally restore the previous pigmentation to the area. 

White Scar Treatment At a Glance

Who is Suitable for White Scar Treatment?

Hypopigmented Scar Treatment is a versatile option, suitable for many patients who have concerns about the appearance of white scar tissue. Your consultant will assess your suitability for scar repigmentation during your initial consultation to create your bespoke treatment plan. To decide whether you are suitable for this procedure, your consultant will consider:

• The nature of your hypopigmented scars – White Scar Treatment is suitable for individuals who are concerned about the colouring of their scarring. This procedure isn’t able to address the texture of scarring or treating a white keloid scar.
• Whether the area will remain healed – Further injury or disturbance to the area following the procedure may lead to changes in pigmentation. For example, patients who are considering treating a scar from a caesarean section will be advised to complete their family to avoid further scar treatment possibly being required.
• How long you have had the scar for – White scar tissue is mature, showing the injury fully healed and suitable for White Scar Treatment
• Your general physical and mental health – Your consultant will ensure that you are fit and well for a local anaesthetic procedure
• Your reasons for considering White Scar Treatment – During your consultation, your surgeon will discuss your concerns, desired outcomes and your reasons for considering treatment for hypopigmented scars. This is important to ensure you understand the realistic results that are possible for you 

Benefits of White Scar Treatment

White Scar Treatment is suitable for patients with scarring from various causes. This may include self-harm scars, scars from surgery, scarring from accidents, c-section scarring, or acne scars. Scarring can be a difficult reminder to individuals of a painful time during their past, and some people worry about how friends, family or employers will perceive them. Scar repigmentation can improve the colour of white scars on skin, thereby making it less obvious, improving confidence and the psychological impact.

Benefits from White Scar Treatment include:

• Improved white scar appearance – blending the scar into the surrounding skin by matching the colour
• Enhanced confidence and reduced psychological impact of visible scarring
• Comfort in wearing clothes which reveal the scarred area and participating in certain activities such as swimming or sport
• Natural results due to the skin’s own pigmentation being utilised
• Permanent results, meaning no recurring concern 

What is Involved in White Scar Treatment?

White Scar Surgery is carried out under local anaesthetic (meaning you are awake, but the treatment areas are numbed) as a day case procedure.

A specialist plastic surgeon will remove a small amount of skin from behind your ear, before carefully closing the incision. This skin sample is then processed to extract the melanin and other necessary components before they are transplanted into your white scars.

Most patients require two to four treatments, two to three months apart, to treat the lack of pigment in the white scars.

Depending on the nature of their work, most patients can return to work within one to two days following White Scar Surgery. It is important to avoid disturbing the micro graft as much as possible to allow the treated white scar to heal and reduce the risk of bleeding. Exercise should be avoided for two weeks before gradually increasing activity. 

Words From Our Founder