The Skin Care Lab - Treatment for scars

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Treatment for scars

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RUHS69

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Community member since 09/27/2009

(I started this topic)

This website has it going (www.inviciblescars.com). Easy to understand and actual links to the medical publications is references. Here's an excerpt:

SCAR HEALING IS THE RESULT OF BIOLOGIC WOUND REPAIR AND IS A COMPLEX PROCESS.

With the exception of minor lesions, every skin wound causes some degree of permanent scarring.

The word scar comes from the Greek word eschara, meaning “place of fire.” Scar tissue is different from normal skin. It is inferior in appearance and function. Scars are less resistant to ultraviolet rays and more prone to sunburn. Scars also lack a blood supply or sweat glands, and they never grow hair.

Complete scar healing can take up to 2 years. Scars continue to soften, flatten and fade throughout this time. Unfortunately, some scars become more problematic over time by:

* Growing larger or more raised
* Causing itching
* Becoming painful
* Becoming permanently pigmented (dark red/brown)
* Restricting motion

There are various factors influencing scar appearance:

* Age – younger skin is more prone to abnormal and exaggerated healing. This can lead to hypertrophic or keloid scars. Older skin takes longer to recover1.
* Skin type – scar healing is typically worse in people with darker skin types. African and Hispanic ancestry is associated with a higher risk of developing hypertrophic or keloid scars1-3.
* Genetics – abnormal scarring can be inherited1-3.
* Location – Movement of scars over joints can make them wider1.
* Infection – Infected wounds do not heal well. The final scar may be raised, wide, uneven and abnormally red or dark.
* Poor nutrition – Not eating healthily deprives the body of nutrients (like protein), vitamins (like vitamin C) and minerals (like copper and zinc) that are needed for optimal wound healing.
* Smoking – Cigarette smoke causes blood vessels to clamp down and decrease blood flow. Wounds that do not receive enough blood are more prone to poor wound healing and worse scarring.
* Sun exposure – Exposing fresh scars to the sun causes permanent redness.