What is Scar Removal?
The forming of a scar is a result of a natural healing process following a trauma, injury or a surgery. The body will produce collagen fibers to fix a damage that was caused to dermis and this leads to creating of a scar. This formation depends on each specific patient’s skin type, the healing process and the sort of injury they had. Scars can appear to be bumpy, flat, colored or indented. To some, it can be a minor cosmetic concern but to others, it might create discomfort or self-esteem issues. That is why, they might seek for a treatment to improve the appearance of the scar.
Types of Scars
There are many various types of scars which are formed due to the nature of the injury and/or the healing process. These consist of; keloid scars, hypertrophic scars and atrophic scars.
Keloid scars are one of the most difficult scar types to erase because they extend further from the scar and after they are treated, it can recur. If one’s skin type is prone to keloid scars, correcting that keloid scar might worsen the situation. The keloid scars are generally dark or red in colour and feel lumpy and plump. The keloid scars generally appear on darker skin people.
Hypertrophic scars, unlike keloid scars, don’t exceed the limits of the original scar tissue. But, they have a close appereance to keloid scars, so they also look raised and reddish.
Atrophic scars are different than hypertrophic and keloid scars. They are generally seen around the face. They tend to appear like dents and are generally associated with acne.
How to Choose the Right Treatment?
It is important to be evaluated by an experienced specialist in order to decide which treatment goes for that specific condition. A detailed examination is a must.
Generally, fractional laser or steroid injections help with keloid and hypertrophic scars. And, microdermabrasion and laser resurfacing often help minimizing the atrophic scars.
Types of Treatments
Laser treatment: There are two kinds of lasers. One is fractional laser and the other is CO2 laser. Fractional laser helps breaking down the scar tissue and stimulates skin rejuvenation and usually works better on sensitive skin type. On the other hand, CO2 restores collagen production and helps with new skin growth. CO2 laser is more appropriate for thicker skinned patients. Patients can feel mild discomfort during the treatment. It may require more than one session.
Surgical scar removal: Surgically removing the scar means to cut out the existing scar and replacing it with a less visible one. This can be performed either under local or general anesthesia. This treatment is preferred on larger scars, where the surgeon can end up with a more aesthetic look for the scar.
Chemical peels: There are variety of peels such as light, medium and deep. This should be discussed between the patient and the practitioner in order to decide on the best solution. Chemical peels are generally used for correcting acne scarring. During a light peel, a solution containing salicylic acid is dused. For the medium peel, trichloroacetic acid is used and for the deep peel, the skin is exposed to phenol.
Microdermabrasion: This treatment helps mildly removing the outer layer of the skin. Through the usage of tiny crystals, a smoother skin which lies underneath the dull layer becomes exposed.
This treatment helps the skin to create collagen, ending up with a more rejuvenated skin. Microdermabrasion might involve multiple sessions depending on the case.