An Exploration of Facial Skin Scarring, Its Impact and Contemporary Evaluation

Facial skin cancer secondary to surgical treatment may be distressing due to the malignancy itself and from the consequences of its treatment. A visible postsurgical scar is an obvious reminder of the condition. This investigation sought to broaden our understanding of facial scarring and develop a novel tool for its objective evaluation. To this end, skin cancer as the most common etiology of facial scarring was reviewed. The scar scale literature was evaluated in the context of assessing scars through a biopsychosocial lens. Finally, the development of a novel scar scale was presented. Thirty-four individuals completed 13,056 ratings using a novel scar scale – the Scar Camouflage Scale (SCS). Preliminary data demonstrated intra-rater agreement of 0.74 - 0.92 and between-rater agreement of 0.78 - 0.96. In conclusion, through rigorous methodology this investigation provides preliminary support for the establishment and use of the Scar Camouflage Scale (SCS). These results provide the empiric basis for wholistic scar evaluation.