What Are Scars?
A scar forms part of the body's healing process to replace cut or damaged skin. The composition of a scar varies, but it is usually composed of fibrous tissue. Scars appear for different reasons, including infections, surgery, and tissue inflammation. They may develop anywhere on the body, with different shapes and sizes. Some scars may be painful or itchy, while others are barely visible.
What Are the Different Types of Scars?
The different types of scars are:
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Keloids: They are thick, rounded, irregular clusters of scar tissue that spread beyond the wounded area. The overgrown scar tissue may affect movement. They often present as red or dark-colored compared to the surrounding normal skin.
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Contracture: A contracture scar often develops after a burn and causes the skin to tighten or contract. These scars can make moving difficult, especially when the scarring gets into the muscles and nerves or occurs over a joint.
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Depressed or Atrophic: These scars mainly result from chickenpox or acne and appear as rounded pits or small indentations in the skin. They are also called ice pick scars and develop mainly on the face.
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Flat: These scars are slightly raised but gradually flatten as they heal. Flat scars are often pink or red.
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Raised or Hypertrophic: These raised scars can get smaller over time, but they never completely flatten. They do not grow or spread beyond the wounded area.
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Stretch Marks: They appear when the skin expands or shrinks quickly. Stretch marks often develop during puberty, pregnancy, or after massive weight gain or reduction. They are visible on the abdomen, buttocks, hips, breasts, stomach, thighs, and upper arms.
Why Do Scars Form?
A scar forms when the dermis, the deep thick layer of the skin, is damaged or injured. The body creates new collagen when the skin is injured to mend the damage, resulting in the formation of a scar. The newly formed scar tissue consists of different texture and quality compared to the surrounding tissue, and it protects the skin from infection. Scars develop once the wound is completely healed.
How Are Scars Diagnosed?
Scars are easily diagnosed by looking at the area of skin that has healed from an injury. They often look darker, lighter, or pinker than the surrounding skin. The healthcare provider diagnoses based on physical examination to evaluate a scar. The size, texture, and color of the scar help determine its type.
What Is the Treatment for Scars?
Scar treatment depends on several factors like type, size, location, and duration of scars. Treatments can not completely remove scars but can improve their appearance.
Several methods for improving the appearance of scars include:
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Topical treatments: Applying topical creams and ointments such as cocoa buttercream, Vitamin E, silicone gel or lotion, onion extract products may help heal scars.
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Surgery: Surgery may alter the shape of a scar or make it less noticeable. It is not recommended in hypertrophic or keloid scarring (raised scars) because of the increased risk of recurrence and severe scarring that results from the treatment.
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Steroid Injections: Steroid injections may help flatten the scars. Injections soften the appearance of scars, particularly keloid or hypertrophic scars. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or Bleomycin are usually injected into scars to flatten scars and ease itchiness and pain due to scars.
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Radiotherapy: A low-dose, superficial radiotherapy helps prevent recurrence of severe keloid and hypertrophic scars. Radiotherapy is used only for severe scarring because of the long-term side effects.
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Dermabrasion: This is a common scar treatment that removes the top layer of the skin with special equipment. Dermabrasion is helpful to soften and smoothen the skin and improve the appearance of scars.
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Laser Treatments: Laser and light treatments can make scars less noticeable. Laser treatments are done with a particular wavelength of light to cause a particular action in the skin. The V beam and Fraxel laser are such lasers available to improve the appearance of scars and ease pain and itchiness.
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Filler Injections: These injections help raise sunken scars to the level of surrounding skin. The procedures may need to repeat regularly as the effects of these injections are temporary. The newer forms of injectable fillers may be a better option.
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Microneedling: This involves making many small puncture holes into the superficial skin to stimulate collagen production to improve the appearance of scars.
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Cryosurgery: This treatment freezes the scar and thus reduces its size and relieves pain and itchiness.
What Are the Preventive Measures for Scars?
Following reasonable measures may reduce the risk of scarring:
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In case of a wound that may leave a scar, visit a health care provider for a thorough examination. The doctor may apply stitches or bandages to hold the skin together while it heals to minimize scarring. The doctor may prescribe medications like oral or topical antibiotics to prevent infection based on the wound's type and location.
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Wash the scar area using mild soap and clean out any dirt or dried blood. Followed by that, apply a clean bandage over the wound to keep germs out.
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Applying petroleum jelly provides moisture to the wound and prevents it from drying and developing a scab. Scabs can make scarring worse.
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Cover or protect the scar from the harmful sun rays with sunscreen, as sun exposure can make a scar darker. Sun exposure to scars also increases the risk of developing skin cancer.
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Vitamin D and C deficiency in the body can make scarring worse. It is essential to take a high-quality protein diet to help the skin heal.
What Is the Outlook for Scars?
While most scars fade over time and do not pose long-term health problems, some scars may cause problems later. For example, the scar may gradually become painful or itchy as nerve endings grow back. In addition, there is a risk of developing skin cancer, especially in burn scars, if unprotected from sun exposure.
Conclusion:
Scars can be painful, itchy, and discomforting. They can also lead to poor esthetics in some cases. Several effective treatments can flatten scars or make them less noticeable. Not all scars require treatment, and many fade away over time. Reach out to a healthcare provider if a scar causes discomfort or difficulty in movement. Treatments can improve movement and relieve pain. It is essential to protect scars from the sun to reduce the risk of skin cancer. However, if a scar is bothering causing pain, treatments can help.