Scar Treatment: Weighing the Options and the Costs

The most common scar treatments, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

• Over-the-counter and prescription creams, ointments and gels.
• Surgical removal
• Surgical treatments including dermabrasion, lasers and skin grafts.
• Injections including collagen and steroids

Ranking the options by cost, from most expensive to least.

1. Surgical excision.
2. Laser surgery.
3. Derm abrasion.
4. Cortisone or steroid shots.
5. At-home silicone scar removal cream or gel.

All five options have been shown to be effective. There is no clear-cut method for ranking the effectiveness of each of the scar treatments.

• Everyone scars differently,
• Everyone heals at different rates.
• All scar treatments except surgical removal involve repeated treatments.