What should you know about healed skin-graft scars?

A grafted area may look smoother, shinier, paler, darker, or more uneven than the surrounding skin. The donor site can have its own line or patch of altered colour. Healing may bring itch, tightness, tenderness, numbness, or sensitivity to temperature. Scars near a joint, eyelid, mouth, or other moving area deserve attention to flexibility because tightening can interfere with ordinary movement. Appearance alone does not show how well the graft is functioning.

Once skin is closed, moisturise it, limit friction, and use reliable sun protection to reduce darkening. Silicone gel or sheets can be useful for selected raised scars when recommended by a clinician. Do not massage an open, crusted, or infected area. A therapist may prescribe movement exercises for tight scars. Fractional Laser Treatment can be considered for selected texture or colour concerns, while the Skin Graft team can explain how any procedure fits the original reconstruction.

Arrange a review for increasing tightness, pain, itch, or loss of movement. Get urgent help if the scar opens, drains, becomes hot and increasingly red, or is accompanied by fever or sudden swelling. A persistent ulcer, bleeding spot, or changing lump should not be treated as a cosmetic issue without examination.

Ask whether the graft and donor site are maturing as expected, which symptoms can be treated, whether silicone or therapy is suitable, and what outcome a laser procedure could realistically target.