Minimize Your Scar
Your skin is a seamless organ, treated as a fine cloth protecting valuable assets. Imagine a beautiful piece of silk, just one small tear can make a big difference in how it looks. This is the same with your skin. Any burn, injury, or other trauma, such as surgery, can cause a scar.
A scar isn’t bad if it is small or in a location that is easy to conceal. However when it is not easy to hide you may wonder if there’s a way to treat it. Other than hiding it under your clothes, the truth is the scar will never completely go away or change how it looks.
The same is true of surgery, even cosmetic surgery. Making an incision in the skin, which typically requires cutting through all layers of the skin, can result in scarring, regardless of where on the body the surgery is performed.
Certain factors beyond your control influence your ability to heal without scarring. These risk factors cannot be changed, but help determine if you will scar badly after your procedure. There are some methods that can help reduce the size of the scar and change its appearance.
How Does Scarring Happen?
Scarring is a natural part of the healing process after an injury or surgery. Its appearance and its treatment depend on multiple factors.
The depth and size of the wound or cut and the location of the injury or surgery. It is also due to your age, genes, sex, and ethnicity.
What Are The Types of Scars?
These are several different types of scars including:
- Keloid scars. These scars are the result of an overly aggressive healing process. They extend beyond the original injury. Treatments include surgery to remove the scar, steroid injections, or silicone sheets to flatten the scar. Smaller keloids can be treated using cryotherapy (freezing therapy using liquid nitrogen). You can also prevent keloid formation by using pressure treatment or gel pads with silicone when you are injured. Keloid scars are most common among people with dark skin.
- Contracture scars. If your skin has been burned, you may have a contracture scar. These scars tighten skin, which can impair your ability to move. Contracture scars may also go deeper, affecting muscles and nerves.
- Hypertrophic scars. These are raised, red scars that are similar to keloids but do not go beyond the boundary of the injury. Treatments include injections of steroids to reduce inflammation or silicone sheets, which can flatten the scar.
- Acne scars. If you’ve had severe acne, you probably have the scars to prove it. There are many types of acne scars, ranging from deep pits to scars that are angular or wavelike in appearance. Treatment options depend on the types of acne scars you have.
What Are Possible Treatments for Scars?
Scar treatments may include:
- Medical Grade Products. Products can be used to treat scars that are caused by cuts or other injuries or wounds. Often, treatments can include steroids or certain creams for scars. iS Clinical Super Serum Advancesafely lightens skin and effectively treats hyperpigmentation, hypertrophic scar tissue and fine stretch marks. This advanced serum significantly increases collagen production.
- Surgical removal or Laser treatment. There are many options to treat deeper scars depending on your particular case. These include skin grafts, excision, dermabrasion, or Sciton laser resurfacing. A skin graft uses skin from another area of your body. This is often used with people who’ve had burns. If you have scarring that impairs function, surgery can help address the functional problems. If you’ve recently had surgery that has caused scars, it is best to wait at least one year before making a decision about scar treatment. Many scars fade and become less noticeable over time.
- Injections. You may get steroid injections to treat scars that stick out, such as keloids or hypertrophic scars. Des Moines Plastic Surgery™ may use this on its own or with other treatments. Other types of injections, such as collagen or other “fillers,” may be useful for some types of pitted scarring, although these are not usually permanent solutions.
