An Overview to Scars
A scar is the result of the body’s process of repairing wounds in the skin. It is part of the natural healing process of the body and occurs in some degree by most all wounds. A scar can result from surgeries, accidents, diseases, acne, pregnancy, and severe weight gain or loss.
A scar forms when a thick, deep layer called the dermis is damaged. The body attempts to fix the damage by forming new collagen tissue that has a slightly different texture and color surrounding the existing tissue. This results in the scar, which has finally formed after wound itself is completely healed.
There are many different types of scars. The most common scars are pale in appearance and flat. There are types of scarring that occurs. Raised scars occur when the body overproduces collage and are known as hypertrophic scars or keloid scars and are common in people who are younger with darker-skin tones. Other scars are sunken in and pitted and occur when parts of the skin structures are lost. These scars are typically caused by acne and surgery. Additional scars appear with stretched skin, resulting in rapid weight gain or decrease. This often occurs during growth spurts in teens, athletes, or pregnancy.
Scars can never be completely healed; however, there are a wide range of treatments available including creams, ointments, topical medication, surgery, injections, and other procedures. The cost and effectiveness of each treatment varies depending on the person, the scar, and the actual treatment.
The most common treatments elected by scar victim include topical creams and ointments. Some of these can be purchased over the counter while others require a prescription. Non-topical methods are common for those experiencing severe scars, but can also prove to be costly and time consuming. Surgery is often performed to render a scar less noticeable. It is not recommended for raised scars as it can further damage and cause additional scarring. Injections of steroids for these kinds of scars are more often recommended as they will flatten out the scar. Other injections include filler injections which temporarily raise sunken scars by boosting collagen levels. These injections need to be repeated every 6 months to maintain the desired results.
Dermabrasion is a treatment used to resurface the skin with special equipment. It is often useful for raised scars but has little effect on sunken and pitted scars. Alternatively, microdermabrasion is a less invasive procedure often used for less serious scarring. Similar to dermabrasion, laser resurfacing achieve similar results with less recovery time.
When considering treatment, it is important to remember that most insurance companies will not cover the cost unless treatment is a medical necessity. Visible areas like the face, chest, cause more distress than hidden areas and often prompt the desire for treatment. While most scars fade over the years, they will never completely go away. Even expensive treatment will work to make the scars less noticeable, not non-existent. Some treatments work better than others depending on the scar. Be sure to consider the financial implications as well as the likelihood for positive results when thinking about acquiring scar treatment.
