How do scars occur?
Scar formation is a normal mechanism for the body to repair damaged skin. When the damage reaches deep into the dermis, scar formation is unavoidable. In response to the skin damage, the body synthesizes new collagen fibers at the site of the injury. When the injury is completely healed, these collagen fibers will eventually form scars. Therefore, the cause, depth, shape, direction, and size of the skin injury is critical to the appearance of the scar later.
What do scars look like?
Most scars are flat and pale when they are stable. However, if the body synthesizes too many collagen fibers, the scar will bulge out above the surrounding normal skin. Such a raised scar is called a proliferative scar or keloid and is more common in younger people and those with darker skin tones. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between a proliferative scar and a keloid, but generally speaking, keloids grow wider and wider, while proliferative scars do not.
There are some scars that are depressed. This is because the supporting structures underneath the scar (such as muscles) are missing, or there are adhesions to deeper tissues. There are also scars that form when the skin is stretched vigorously because of the breakage of elastic fibers. The most common of these are stretch marks.
Can scars be removed?
It is impossible to completely remove an existing scar once it has formed. However, the appearance of scars can be improved by various means, such as lasers, injections, etc.
Can scars be prevented?
Prevention of scars is far more important than treatment, yet many patients often do not know where to go after they have undergone surgery. When you open the internet, you are dazzled by all kinds of advertisements and propaganda. Finally, many patients attribute the lack of scar growth to not eating certain foods and the obvious scars to scarring. From a professional point of view, it is really ludicrous. Today, let’s talk about the prevention of scars.
Preventive measures.
1. Seek medical attention immediately after trauma in life
Wounds should be stitched up as much as possible, and the scars formed after stitching will be much smaller than the scars of wounds that heal naturally. Remove the sutures as early as possible under the premise of wound healing. Movement of the wound site should be minimized. This is especially important for wounds around joints.
2.After the wound is completely healed, the scar can be massaged daily
Massaging the scar can loosen the adhesions between it and the deep tissue to some extent. It is certainly important in the prevention of surgical scars such as cesarean section and appendicitis.
3.Keeping a certain degree of pressure on the surface of the scar
Local compression is very important to prevent scar proliferation, especially for post-burn scars. Many burn patients are discharged from the hospital with healed wounds and scars that do not protrude significantly from the growing skin, but soon afterwards the scars gradually proliferate due to the neglect of pressure, leading to various functional impairments.
4.Don’t expose scars to the sun
Ultraviolet light can slow down the healing process and cause the color of scars to deepen. Don’t be careless when the scar suddenly raises and turns red, as this may be a sign of local infection or allergy.
5. Do not expose the wound to the air as much as possible
Keeping the area around the wound moist will not only speed up the wound healing, but also prevent the formation of thick scabs.
In short, you must have patience when dealing with scars. Scarring usually stabilizes gradually after six months of skin injury, therefore, one should never be in a hurry when preventing and treating scars. Of course, each person’s specific situation is different, so it is recommended that you should consult with a professional doctor at a regular medical institution to seek further treatment.