Dr. Maman (who did not treat Underwood) explains that physicians in emergency rooms and urgent care facilities are capable of taking care of facial injuries. But the results are often better when an experienced plastic surgeon repairs what he describes as a “cosmetically sensitive” wound. “There are a lot of things we can do in the long-term for scar optimization, but there’s no question that the best scarring results from the best repair in the short-term,” Dr. Maman says.

How bad a scar will ultimately be depends a lot on the nature of the injury itself. Certain areas of the face simply heal better than others, says Dr. Maman. The orientation of the laceration matters too. For example, a horizontal scar across a forehead blends in more than a vertical one, he adds.

The type of stitches—either dissolvable or those that must be removed by a doctor—can make a difference too. Says Dr. Maman: “In my opinion, the ones that need to be removed yield the best cosmetic results, so it’s worth coming back” to the doctor’s office for a follow-up visit. Stitches used in deeper layers of tissue are always the dissolvable kind, he adds.

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After the stitches are in, it’s important that patients are careful not to re-injure their face. A few weeks into recovery, they can begin to use silicone-based scar tapes or scar creams to help minimize the size of the scar, Dr. Maman says. Approximately a year after the injury, a scar reaches “full maturation,” he says. “At that point, I usually tell patients what you see is what you get.” If they’re not happy with the way the scar looks, cosmetic surgeons can use laser treatment or surgical scar revision to help alter the scar’s appearance.

Underwood, however, remains undeterred. “I am determined to make 2018 amazing and I want to share things with you along the way,” she wrote in her post. “And when I am ready to get in front of a camera, I want you all to understand why I might look a bit different.”