What is a burn scar?
Burn scars are a normal and inevitable physiological response to the natural healing process of wounds or wounds without septic infection, even if they are very minor injuries (e.g. mosquito bites), and are the inevitable result of the wound healing process. The nature of burn scars is a kind of abnormal and unsound tissue that does not have normal skin tissue structure and physiological function, and loses normal tissue vitality. Burn scars are not only detrimental to the appearance, but can also interfere with the physiological functions of related tissues or organs, such as burn scars in the mouth that affect eating, burn scars in the eyes or outside the lids that affect vision, burn scars in the nostrils that affect breathing, etc.
Burn scar formation and its extent are often directly related to the cause and nature of the injury, the weight of the drama, the presence of infection and foreign bodies, and whether the treatment is timely and appropriate. The healing of any human wound depends on the adhesion of blood plasma and the supply of nutrients, the growth and anastomosis of small blood vessels, the surface is covered with new epithelium, the wound is closed, followed by the growth of fibrous connective tissue, the small blood vessels are gradually occluded and reduced, and the burn scar tissue is formed. It also varies from person to person with different degrees and forms of expression. Some burn scars can become proliferative burn scars or keloid scars, which are itchy and painful, and can grow and spread locally like a tumor.
Burn scar rehabilitation is an important part of modern burn treatment, and timely and correct scar rehabilitation treatment can significantly improve the quality of burn healing and reduce the disability rate. Pay attention to skin cleanliness and hygiene. When a burn wound is just healed, there are still a small amount of secretions and scabs, and bacteria are prone to rapid reproduction, plus the epidermis is thin and tender, and its structure and function are imperfect, making it prone to infection and rupture. During this period, it can be cleaned with neutral cleanser and treated with anti-scar medication etc. after cleaning. Avoid excessive friction and excessive activity. Due to the imperfect structure and function of scar epidermis, the epidermis is more susceptible to damage and some inappropriate treatments may aggravate the damage. When applying anti-scar medication, it is not advisable to massage excessively hard or for too long, which may cause the epidermis to separate from the fibrous plate layer to form blisters or blood blisters, and excessive activity in the joint area may likewise cause the epidermis to loosen and separate and blister.
Treatment of burn scars
Any scar that affects the aesthetics and normal function of a person’s body needs to be treated. For example, the aforementioned linear, webbed, redundant, bridged, depressed, atrophic, hyperplastic, contracture, unstable, painful scars can be treated under the guidance of a doctor who can select the appropriate treatment to improve the local appearance and function of the scar. There are very many methods of scar treatment, which are generally divided into non-surgical treatment, surgical treatment, and comprehensive treatment in medical science.
Non-surgical treatment includes: laser, freezing, pressure, physical, radiation, medication, herbal medicine, rehabilitation and other treatment methods.
Surgical treatment includes: scar excision, split excision, post-excision skin slice, flap or other tissue graft, grinding, tissue expander and application of microsurgical techniques, etc.
Combined treatment includes: surgery supplemented with drugs, radiation or isotope therapy, medical, sports and physical therapy, drugs and physical therapy, etc.
Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, and they are applicable to different scars. If once a scar appears, how to choose from so many methods? You should never act rashly, but always consult an experienced doctor for a clear diagnosis before making a choice.
1.Laser treatment for scarring
Laser has the four characteristics of strong monochromaticity, strong directionality, high energy density and good coherence, which is a new medical technology different from other medical light technologies. There are many types of lasers used in the medical field, but not many lasers can be used to treat scarring at present. It is mainly through the unique technology of burning, vaporizing, cutting, coagulating and scattering radiation that the laser itself has, by directly changing the output power of the laser or for the focused laser beam adjustment, so that it treats different scars with different qualities.
Laser treatment of keloid scars is suitable for flat keloid scars without obvious dysfunction, scattered depressed keloid scars of varying sizes and heights left after healing of smallpox, chicken pox, acne, bridge-shaped and superfluous keloid scars, and also for the treatment of hyperplastic keloid scars and keloid scars. Since the application of laser technology for scar treatment requires the doctor to fully understand the functions, usage and indications of various lasers, and to be able to master the *operation* of the instruments, as well as to have strict and effective protective measures, careful understanding and selection should be made before preparing for laser treatment, and careful inquiries should be made about the possible problems during and after treatment, and no hasty decisions should be made.
Laser treatment for scarring, if applied properly, is generally not dangerous, but very rarely there may be local complications of scar formation and pigmentation, which are mostly due to improper mastering of the treatment depth. Oral antimicrobial agents should also be taken for 3 days after laser treatment, and the duration should be extended for patients with larger treatment areas. Do not forcefully remove the scab after the treatment, wait for it to fall off naturally, and avoid sunlight and wind and sand stimulation after the scab removal.
2.Medication for scar treatment
There are many drugs for the treatment of keloid scars, and the most commonly used is the direct use of ① steroids, which are mainly injected locally or formulated into creams or ointments, applied and applied to the scar. It is suitable for hyperplastic keloid scars and keloid scars, and has obvious effect. Due to the effect of the drug itself, or too large injection dose, incorrect method, different sensitivity of patients, local or systemic side effects may occur after using the drug, such as: local capillary dilation, pigmentation, loss of pigmentation, female menstrual disorders, etc. The above side effects can disappear within 1-6 months after stopping the medication. ② French Maca scar removal combination adopts nano-decomposition activation therapy and nano-phagocytosis repair method, using Maca scar removal essence gel in the morning, it adopts high-tech nano-transdermal technology, using the latest scar removal technology – nano-decomposition activation therapy, retaining the highest active ingredients of the drug, applied to the skin surface, so that the drug quickly penetrates into the skin surface layer It is applied to the skin surface, so that the drug can quickly penetrate the skin surface and enter the dermis layer, decompose the connective tissues that previously formed scars, repair the broken fiber tissues, restore the collagen structure of the basal layer of the skin, make it neatly arranged, maintain the smoothness and luster, elasticity and toughness of the skin, and thoroughly treat all kinds of scars. It adopts the nano phagocytosis repair method and the unique LEYA active factor, which can penetrate deep into the skin surface cells, rapidly activate the basal layer MB cells to phagocytose and dissolve melanin, effectively reach the damaged skin tissues, promote blood circulation, enhance the metabolism of epidermal cells, drain the pigment of scar tissue, and at the same time effectively promote cell regeneration, prevent the damaged skin pigment from producing mutations, smooth the Lymphatic fluid circulation function, restore the normal skin color, characteristics of safety, fast results.
3.Radiation therapy for scarring
Radiation can penetrate human tissues, when it irradiates scar tissue, its radiation energy is transmitted to the tissue, causing physical and chemical damage to the scar, thus inhibiting and destroying the growth of the scar, and achieving the purpose of treating the scar. Radiation has been used as a treatment method for nearly a century. In the early days, strong penetrating X-rays were applied for direct irradiation of keloid scars, but the effect was slow and side effects were high. Nowadays, it has been improved to apply beta radiation that only irradiates superficial layers after excision of keloid scars or hyperplastic keloid scars, which shortens the treatment time and also greatly reduces side effects.
Radiation therapy is indicated for the treatment of abnormal scarring and is usually used as an adjunctive therapy to prevent recurrence after surgery. There is almost no adverse effect on the whole body during the treatment, and individual patients have slight local reaction after irradiation, which can mostly recover after stopping the treatment.
4.Cryotherapy for scarring
Cryotherapy is the use of low temperature below 0℃ to freeze and destroy scar tissue to achieve the purpose of treating scar. This method is suitable for flat scars without obvious dysfunction, scattered depressed scars of different sizes and heights left after the healing of smallpox, chickenpox and acne, bridge-shaped and superfluous scars. This method is safe and easy to use, but patients with deep or oversized scar are better off not choosing this method.
5.Compression therapy for scar
The method of preventing scar growth and treating hyperplastic keloid scars and keloids by applying continuous pressure to the scar area with elastic fabric is called compression therapy. This method is easy to perform, has almost no side effects, and can also be used as an adjunct to drug and radiation therapy, which can reduce the dose of radiation or medication and reduce the recurrence rate. This method is suitable for patients with large hyperplastic scars or those who are not suitable for radiotherapy or local medication. The principle of pressure treatment is to narrow the vascular lumen and reduce the blood flow in the scar through pressure, resulting in a lack of nutrients in the scar and a significant inhibition of the proliferation of scar tissue, thus achieving the purpose of scar treatment.
6. The significance of rehabilitation therapy in scar treatment
Rehabilitation therapy in the treatment of scar is also called rehabilitation training, which mainly includes physical therapy method, medical exercise therapy and compression therapy. Proper, timely and correct rehabilitation training can improve the function of respiratory, circulatory, digestive and metabolic systems through the regulation of nerves and body fluids throughout the body, and improve the patient’s mood, which is no less important for patients whose severe and large scar formation leads to disfigurement and dysfunction, affecting normal work and daily life, and even causing psychological imbalance and mental depression. It can not only soften the scar, but also regulate the physiological functions of the human body and restore the quality of the human body, including muscle strength, exercise endurance, flexibility of joint activities, body reaction and balance coordination. It can also regulate the patient’s mentality through exercise and build up the confidence to be positive and overcome the disease.
7.The role of physiotherapy in scar treatment
Physiotherapy is a method to treat scar tissue by using natural and artificial physical factors, such as electricity, light, sound, cold and heat, etc. It is referred to as physical therapy. It includes: electrotherapy, phototherapy, hydrotherapy, thermotherapy, ultrasound therapy, etc. In the process of wound healing, scar recovery and scar treatment, appropriate physical therapy can be selected as needed to prevent scar formation, soften the formed scar and promote scar treatment, such as reducing local symptoms of tightness, pulling, dryness, pain and itching, and improving local functions.