Jun
29
Rescuing Scars
Filed Under Aesthetic Procedures, Skincare, plastic surgery
Scars are a problem that affects everyone, and we often wish scars wouldn’t leave such an obvious mark on our skin. Sometimes it appears in places that can be conveniently hidden by clothes, but often the scars that concern us are those that are in obvious places- mainly our face, neck, limbs and shoulders.
BIOLOGY OF SCARS
Scar formation is a natural process which occurs after injury. It actually happens everywhere in your body, even in the inside of your blood vessels, organs and tissues. For this post, I’ll focus on scars on the skin.
After injury occurs to the skin, a rapid succession of events take place in that area to heal the skin. The blood vessels shrink to reduce blood loss from the area, and healing cells invade the area to clear up any bacteria, injured cells and debris. Soon after the injury settles, the healing process begins. An influx of fibrous tissue and collagen forms the scab and the scar tissue that we can see, and fills up the hole left behind by the injury. Many scars gradually fade and regain skin strength, but the process is slow and can take months to even years. The larger and deeper the injury goes, the longer you can expect the healing process to take.
Occasionally, the healing process goes into hyperdrive, and we end up with raised scars (hypertrophic scars) or scars that extend beyond the initial injury site (keloids). Hypertrophic scars can usually shrink over time, but may still leave a mark or remain hyperpigmented. Keloids are difficult to treat, and are often an angry red, itchy and can spread beyond the original injury site. Even surgical removal of the keloid can still recur. Some parts of the body are more prone to keloid formation- the earlobes, neck, shoulders and upper chest, as well as those of those of African descent.
HOME REMEDIES
The best remedy for scars is prevention! No injury=no scars. But everyone is prone to injury some time or other, and here are some simple things you can do to help healing:
- Keep out of sunlight. New scars and new skin are delicate, and will burn easily. By preventing sun exposure, you reduce the opportunity for the scar to become permanently darker than the rest of the surronding skin.
- Apply Vitamin E cream.You can get a Vitamin E gel capsule from your local health shop and apply it to your skin daily.
- Aloe vera can also be applied after the wound heals. Aloe vera is said to soften the scar, and help it to heal faster as well. Look out for the concentration of aloe vera in your product, but the sap from the plant works the best.
- Take Vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential in the formation of new skin cells, and for wound healing.
- AHA creams. AHAs function to exfoilate the superficial layers of skin and allow newer skin to surface. However, it is advisable to try out different strengths of AHA creams, especially those with sensitive skin. AHA creams can be irritating, stinging or burning.
- Lemon juice. Lemon juice contains Vitamin C and AHAs. However, use it
- Hydrocortisone cream. Regular application of minute amounts may help to decrease the scar formation. However, regular use over a long period may cause thinning, weakening and whitening of the skin, so it is best used under medical supervision.
- Get a silicone gel sheet from the pharmacy. Cut out a rectangular piece and paste it over your scar. It helps to soften and flatten scars. It has to be worn round the clock for the best effect. It is self adhesive onto the skin, and can be reused until its not sticky- probably around 3-4weeks. You can also use surgical tape (also available from the pharmacy) to keep it in place.
USING MAKEUP
Using makeup is an option to help hide or reduce the appearance of scars.
- Corrector. A yellow based corrector can correct red based scars
- Concealer. Use a concealer which is one shade darker than your natural skin tone to conceal raised scars. For depressed scars, use concealer a shade lighter. It’s useful to use a highly pigmented concealer, and to set the concealer with powder. Try Dermablend, which is a popular, effective concealer for most scars.
WHAT YOUR DOCTOR CAN DO
Despite following the above advise, sometimes scars remain raised or pigmented, especially heypertrophic scars and keloids.
If you consult a doctor, he may prescribe one of the following:
- Hydrocortisone (Steroid) injections. Especially useful for hypertrophic scars and keloids, hydrocortisone can help to reduce the inflammation (post injury reaction), reducing the size of the scar and softening the scar. However, this requires a series of injections over a period of time, depending on the size of the initial scar and its response to the steroid injections. However, steroid injections into the scar also leads to thinning of the skin in that area, and may also case depigmentation of the scar and the surrounding skin- important for those with darker skin shades.
- Dermal fillers injections- for scars that have shrunken and left a depression in the skin.
- Dermabrasion and laser treatments. for healed scars with pigmentation. However, your doctor has to assess the skin before determining whether it is suitable for laser therapy. Few scars are amenable to laser treatment.
- Surgical removal. This may include borrowing skin from other places of the body (skin grafts) to replace excised skin. Also, there is also a chance of scar recurrence after excision.
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Jason Berkes…
Aloe Vera is a plant which is a form of a medicinal gift to the Human Kind by nature. Aloe Vera is at its best when used for the development of the skin quality. Aloe Vera for skin works as a soothing remedy for minor burns, rashes and wounds. When it …
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I went into surgery having no idea what the affects would be. The doctors didn’ t have time to warn me, so 2 surgeons and 14 hours later, I couldn’ t walk. I don’ t think I minded though. I don’ t even remember the first week or so after surgery, which…
This is great information for not only females but males as well. Different types of scars also exist depending on which layers were affected, this article mostly deals with those only impacting the dermis where as the epidermis and subcutaneous tissue can also be impacted when more severe wounds have taken place. Overall, good introduction to the topic.