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The neck scar after submandibular surgery | CION Cancer Clinics
Removing the submandibular gland usually leaves one line, a few centimetres long, in a skin crease of the upper neck below the jaw. It is placed there to protect the nerve to your lower lip and to help the line fade from view. This page explains how the scar changes over the months, what slows healing, which signs need a doctor quickly, and what this page cannot tell you. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Where will the scar be, and what will it look like?
- How does the scar change as it heals?
- What decides how well your scar settles?
- What do the words for scars mean?
- Are the things people say about neck scars true?
- What can you do at home, and what can this page not tell you?
- Common questions about the neck scar
The short answer
Where will the scar be, and what will it look like?
Removing the submandibular gland usually leaves one line in the upper neck, a little below the jaw, a few centimetres long. It sits in a natural skin crease, so once it settles it is often hard to see from a normal distance.
Why it sits below the jaw, not on it
The nerve that moves the corner of your lower lip runs just under the jawbone. Surgeons place the cut lower in the neck to keep well away from it. A cut higher up would put that nerve at more risk. The crease also hides the line when you bend your head.
How long the line will be
That depends on the size of the gland, the size of the lump and your build. A cancer operation that also removes lymph nodes (small glands that filter fluid) from the neck needs a longer cut. Ask your surgeon to draw the line on your skin before the operation.
Not every salivary operation leaves a neck scar
Surgery on the small glands of the palate, and on the sublingual gland under the tongue, is usually done through the mouth. Those wounds heal inside and leave no mark on the skin.
A small second mark sometimes sits beside the main line, where a drain tube came out. It usually fades with the rest.
!
Signs at the wound that cannot wait
If the neck under the wound swells quickly and feels tight, or you find it hard to breathe or swallow, go to the nearest emergency department straight away. This can mean bleeding under the skin, and it needs a surgeon the same day. Do not wait to see if it settles. Redness that spreads, pus or a fever should also be seen the same day.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistHealing
How does the scar change as it heals?
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The first days
The line is closed with stitches, clips or skin glue, sometimes under a thin dressing. It looks swollen and slightly raised, and the skin around it may be bruised. Your team will tell you when the dressing and stitches come off.
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The first weeks
The swelling goes down and the line turns pink or red. It may feel firm, like a ridge under your finger. That firmness is healing tissue, and it softens with time.
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The following months
The colour slowly fades. On darker skin the line often turns darker than the skin around it before it lightens. Itching and a pulling feeling as you turn your head are common now.
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The long run
Most scars keep flattening and fading for many months, often longer than people expect. Judge the final look late. Almost every scar looks worse early on than it will end up.
What makes a difference
What decides how well your scar settles?
Some of this you can change. Some you cannot, and it helps to know which is which.
Your skin
Some people form thick, raised scars whatever the surgeon does. Tell your surgeon before the day if this has happened to you.
Worth mentioning
- A raised scar from an earlier operation
- A raised scar after an ear piercing
- A family history of keloids
Smoking
Smoking cuts the blood supply to healing skin. Wounds in smokers close more slowly and are more likely to open or get infected. Stopping before the operation helps, and it is easier with support than alone.
Infection
An infected wound heals with a wider, thicker line. Keep the wound dry for as long as you are told. Do not put turmeric paste or oils on an open wound.
Diabetes
High blood sugar slows healing and raises the chance of infection. Keeping your sugars where your doctor wants them helps the wound as much as anything you put on it.
Radiotherapy afterwards
If radiotherapy follows a cancer operation, the skin over the scar can become darker, tighter and drier. This is expected. Your radiotherapy team will tell you how to care for it.
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On your discharge papers
What do the words for scars mean?
- Incision
- The cut the surgeon makes. Your papers may call the scar the incision line.
- Hypertrophic scar
- A scar that stays raised and red but keeps inside the line of the cut. It often flattens slowly on its own.
- Keloid
- A scar that grows beyond the edges of the cut into the skin around it. It can itch, and it tends to return if simply cut out.
- Skin crease incision
- A cut placed along a natural fold of the neck, so the line is less visible once healed.
- Drain site
- The small hole where a tube drained fluid after the operation. It leaves its own small mark.
Commonly believed
Are the things people say about neck scars true?
"Oil or turmeric on the wound makes it heal faster."
On a fresh wound, home pastes and oils can cause infection, and infection makes a scar worse. Once the skin has fully closed and your team agrees, gentle massage with a plain, unscented moisturiser is fine. Ask before you put anything on it.
"If the scar is thick now, it will stay that way."
Nearly every neck scar looks its worst in the early weeks. It keeps softening and fading for many months. Early thickness is not the final result.
"Another operation will make the scar disappear."
Every cut leaves a scar. A revision can sometimes improve a wide or raised line, but it cannot remove it, and a keloid often comes back. This is a conversation for later, once the scar has matured.
"A visible scar means something went wrong."
A line is the normal result of an operation through the skin. What matters is where it sits, whether it heals without infection, and whether the nerves nearby still work.
Being straight with you
What can you do at home, and what can this page not tell you?
Most of a good scar comes from the wound healing cleanly. Your part is to keep it clean and dry as instructed, leave scabs alone, and come back if something looks wrong.
Once the wound has closed
Sun darkens a young scar. Cover it with a collar or scarf outdoors, or use sunscreen once the skin has fully healed. Some surgeons suggest silicone gel or sheets for raised scars. Ask whether they suit your skin before buying anything.
When to ask for a review
Ask to be seen if the scar spreads beyond its edges, stays very itchy or sore, or pulls when you move your neck. Raised scars respond better when treated early.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you how long your own cut will be or how your skin will heal. That depends on the operation you need and whether lymph nodes are removed. Whether to operate is decided with your treating team, and it rests on the lump, not on the scar.
A numb patch of skin is not the same as weakness of the lower lip. If your smile looks uneven, mention it at your follow-up visit.Questions we are asked
Common questions about the neck scar
How long will the scar be after submandibular gland removal?
It depends on the size of the gland and the lump, and on your build. For the gland alone it is usually a short line of a few centimetres in a neck crease. If lymph nodes also need removing for a cancer, the cut is longer. Ask your surgeon to mark it on your skin beforehand.
Can the gland be removed without a scar on the neck?
Removing the whole submandibular gland is usually done through the neck. Some centres use approaches through the mouth, but these do not suit everyone, especially when a cancer is suspected. Ask your surgeon which approaches they use and why they recommend one for your lump.
When can I get the wound wet?
Your team will tell you, because it depends on how the wound was closed. Glue and some dressings allow a shower sooner than others. Until you are told, keep the wound dry and pat it gently if it gets splashed. Do not soak or scrub it.
Why is the skin below my scar numb?
Tiny nerves that carry feeling in the skin are cut when the skin is opened. The skin below and around the line often feels numb or strange. Feeling usually comes back slowly over months. A small patch may stay numb, which most people stop noticing.
My scar has turned dark. Will it stay that way?
Darkening is common on Indian skin while a scar heals, and sun makes it worse. For most people it lightens slowly. Keep it out of the sun. If it is still dark and raised after many months, ask about treatment rather than trying skin-lightening creams on your own.
Is a keloid dangerous?
A keloid is not cancer and does not turn into cancer. It can be itchy, tender or upsetting to look at. Treatments such as injections into the scar or silicone work better when started early. Tell your team if your scar starts spreading beyond the line of the cut.
Can I wear a collar or chain over the scar?
Soft cotton over a healed scar is fine, and covering it protects it from the sun. In the early days avoid tight, rough collars or chains that rub the wound. If fabric makes the wound red or wet, stop and let your team see it.
Can the scar be improved later if I do not like it?
Often, once it has matured. Options range from silicone and injections for raised scars to a small revision operation for a wide one. None of them removes a scar entirely. Wait until the scar has settled, then ask for a referral to discuss it.
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Sources
- Cancer Research UK — Surgery for salivary gland cancer
- NHS — Scars
- NHS — Keloids
- Cancer.Net — Salivary gland cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Nerves at Risk in Submandibular SurgeryWhy the cut sits where it does, and the lip nerve it protectsSubmandibular Gland Removal: What It InvolvesThe operation that leaves this scar, step by stepWound, Stitches and ScarsDressings, stitches and caring for any surgical woundRadiation After Salivary Gland SurgeryHow radiotherapy changes the skin over a scar
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