Generally, no – IG-SRT does not cause the kind of scarring that surgery does. Because we aren’t cutting out tissue, there isn’t a surgical scar line. Once healing is complete, most patients are left with skin that looks smooth and intact. In many cases, you really cannot tell where the treatment was after a year or so. Now, there can be subtle changes: sometimes the treated area might be slightly lighter or darker in color (a form of scarring in a broad sense, pigment scarring), or the skin texture might be a tad different (maybe a bit thinner or with some small visible capillaries). But these are often not noticeable unless pointed out.
It’s not the raised, ropey or indented type of scar you might see after an excision. In fact, one of the big advantages and reasons patients choose IG-SRT is to avoid a visible scar, especially on cosmetically sensitive areas. And surveys have shown extremely high cosmetic satisfaction – on the order of 99% of patients were happy with how their skin looked after treatment.
It’s worth noting that “no scar” assumes proper healing and no complications like a significant ulcer. If an unusual complication occurred and caused a deeper wound, that might heal with some scarring. But that’s rare. Under normal circumstances, the new skin that grows in should blend with your existing skin, with no clear scar border as you’d get from a cut line.
Patients who’ve had Mohs on one spot and IG-SRT on another often comment how the IG-SRT site is scarless while the Mohs site has a scar (even if it healed well).
Sometimes, if pigment changes remain (like a lighter patch), one could consider cosmetic treatments later (like laser blending or microdermabrasion) – but often it’s subtle enough not to bother.
So, to answer succinctly: no obvious scar is expected after IG-SRT. You should end up with smooth skin at the treatment site once fully healed. People around you likely won’t notice anything, especially compared to if a surgical scar had been there.
Of course, we still ask you to protect that area from sun long-term, as radiated skin can be more prone to pigment changes when sun-exposed. Keeping it protected helps it continue to look its best.
