Scars

Forming a scar is a normal part of the healing process. It is the body’s natural way of repairing and strengthening damaged skin. When an injury to the skin goes deeper than the top layer of skin (the epidermis) into the middle layer (the dermis), a scar may be formed as part of the scar healing process.

What causes scars?

  • Infections on the skin
  • Burns, injuries or surgery
  • Inflammation, for example due to certain types of acne
  • Stretch marks are another form of scar that appears after rapid growth of skin, as can occur during pregnancy.

The more the skin is damaged and the longer it takes to heal, the greater the chance of a noticeable scar being formed. Also the more tension or pulling there is around the damaged skin the higher the chance of a scar forming. This is common if the damaged skin is on or near a joint that is always moving such as a knee or elbow.

A scar is different to normal skin. It is made of different materials (mainly collagen) and has a different structure to normal skin.

When scars are first formed they can appear red, thick and raised. Even though scars are permanent, during the healing process (that can take up to 2 years to complete) the scar may gradually become smoother, softer and paler. The appearance of a scar can be visually improved with treatments such as DermaScar.

Types of scars

  • Flat & Pale

    These are the most common type of scar, occurring as a result of normal healing. At first these scars may be red, dark and raised, but over time (up to 2 years) they will tend to become paler and flatter.

  • Stretch Marks

    These scars appear after rapid growth of the skin, such as occurs during pregnancy. Here the scar is sunken a little into the skin. The most common locations for stretch marks are around the abdomen (or belly), breasts, upper arms, underarms, back, thighs, hips and buttocks.

  • Hypertrophic

    A hypertrophic scar is a raised, red, and firm scar that forms when too much collagen builds up during wound healing.

  • Atrophic

    These scars are sunken down into the skin, looking like a valley or pick-hole in the skin. It is like some of the inner layers of the skin are missing causing this sunken appearance. Atrophic scars are often caused by inflammation as can occur with acne or infections such as chicken pox. Sometimes this type of scar is formed following an injury where there is a loss of tissue under the skin.

  • Keloid

    These are very elevated red or dark scars that form when the body produces too much collagen. They often spread larger than the area of the original injury and can continue to become larger even after the original wound is fully healed.

  • Contracture

    These types of scars are caused by the skin shrinking and tightening during the repair process. Contracture scars often happen after a burn and end up pulling the skin in towards the site of the injury. This can make the skin look puckered around the wound.

THE HEALING PROCESS

Stages of wound healing

  • Haemostasis

    Occurs within the first few seconds

    This is the first stage of healing, which happens in response to an injury. Blood vessels in the area that is injured constrict to reduce the amount of blood lost. The body then releases platelets at the site to coagulate the blood and form a clot.

  • Inflammation

    0-4 days

    The second stage is inflammation, which presents as redness, swelling, pain and a burning sensation. This is caused by your body releasing neutrophils and macrophages to remove debris and prevent infection. Fibroblasts are attracted to the injured area to start producing collagen as a scaffolding for new growth.

  • Proliferation

    2-24 days

    During this stage new connective tissue and blood vessels are formed where the damage has occurred. The wound also reduces in size due to the fibroblasts starting to produce collagen fibres.

  • Remodelling

    24 days to 1 year

    This is the final stage where collagen is remodelled to form a scar. During this stage, the amount of collagen changes from being at its peak for wound strength, to forming a mature scar with a collagen matrix that more closely resembles normal skin.

When to use DermaScar

As soon as the skin has healed apply DermaScar so that the remodelling stage can happen in an ideal environment. DermaScar provides a barrier to ensure optimal hydration for skin healing, which reduces the amount of scar collagen formation and promotes regular alignment of collagen fibres.

This can help to reduce the risk of abnormal scars, such as keloid or hypertrophic scars, as well as help to treat already formed scar.