treatyourscars Scott Hultman, MD, MBA, plastic surgeon and director of the Johns Hopkins Burn Center and a member of the Scar Revision Clinic team, says the most common injuries are scars and cuts. Scars from operations on the knee or elbow joints are difficult to avoid, but scars caused by minor cuts and scratches can still be felt at home after the wound has been treated. The most effective method of preventing the formation of scars is to limit the injury to the skin.
As your skin heals, scars can form and this is a natural part of the healing process. Dermatologists have some tips to reduce the occurrence of scars caused by injuries such as a skinned knee or deep scratches.
Cut wounds, scratches and minor wounds are part of life, permanent scars are not. When our skin is injured, our body produces extra collagen to heal the wound as quickly as possible. If your skin has been injured in an accident or surgery, your body works hard to repair a wound.
The formation of scars is a natural part of the healing process after an injury to the skin as the body repairs the injury. The occurrence of scars after healing depends on several factors, including the nature of the injury and the affected area of the body, as well as the healing process itself.
The shape, size and depth of the wound contribute to the appearance of scars, as does the amount of blood in the region, skin colour and skin thickness. Several factors, including the nature of the injury, the affected area of the body and the healing process itself of the injury, are also important determinants of the formation of scars.
Most scars are flat and pale, but those that are raised are known as hypertrophic or keloid scars. Keloid scars are elevated and dark red, while hypertrophic scars expand and contour the actual wound.
These types of scars tighten the skin and can be deep enough to affect muscles and nerves. Scars are the result of a biological process in which a wound is repaired by skin and other tissue. The body forms new collagen fibres from naturally occurring proteins while repairing the damaged ones, resulting in scars.
Each injury is unique, so the most effective steps to prevent scars are different. Read on to find out how you can reduce your chances of developing scars from these injuries.
Certain parts of the body, such as the skin around the knee or elbow, are more likely to be affected by scars. Larger incisions in surgical procedures or injuries in serious accidents, for example, are less likely to result in scarring than smaller incisions and abrasions. However, certain injuries, such as large scratches on the knees or elbows, can form scars.
It is important to understand the wound healing process and consider how to prevent the formation of scars. Here you will find what our experts suggest about treating wounds so that you can limit scarring and damage. How to care for scars determines the extent to which they fade over time.
In the office, procedures such as laser micro needling can trigger a controlled wound reaction that can reduce the incidence of scars by 50% to 60%. You can explore ways to minimize scars up to a week after your injury, after removing your stitches, or as soon as you can pull your stitches.
Contrary to what many patients believe, the use of hydrogen peroxide to clean wounds can cause permanent irritation, slow the healing process, and increase scarring. Doctors advise patients to treat the injured area with kerosene jelly or antibiotic cream and cover it with a non-stick bandage. For smaller wounds, the application of kerosene jelly and the moisture in the wound bed prevents the development of scars, tips that nurse Rebecca Lee shared with Readers Digest.
Protecting the skin from the harsh rays of the sun reduces discoloration and promotes faster fading of scars. The application of sunscreen to the affected area is recommended at least one year from the time of injury. A fresh scar is one that is pinker than sunburn, especially for dark-skinned people.
If you are injured, clean the affected area with soap and water to get rid of bacteria and to prevent infection. If asked to do so, keep the area dry by washing it with mild soap and water.
Picking scabs during wound healing can increase the likelihood of leaving scars, says Dr John F. Romano Cover your wound with regular kerosene jelly to keep it moist and slap on a bandage. Research shows that a wound covered with a bandage can speed up healing by up to 50%.
If the incision is small and you’re worried about scars, you should use a butterfly bandage, Romano says. If you get a larger incision, you should go to the doctor and stitch it so that no facial scar is visible.
Bandages, available in most drugstores, help to close the wound for better healing and minimal scarring. Dressing keeps the wound moist and helps it heal faster, even with fewer scars. It is particularly useful for larger wounds such as abrasions, wounds, burns and wounds with persistent redness.
Scarring is a natural result of the body’s healing process, and you may wish it to disappear. However, there are ways to minimize the incidence of scars when you are at home, such as keeping the wound clean, using Kerosene jelly and keeping fresh bandages on the wound until it heals. When wounds heal there is evidence that over-the-counter scar creams can reduce the incidence of scars.
Scars can form from any kind of cuts, scratches, burns, diseases, skin diseases or operations. The dermis, the deepest layer of the skin, is damaged when new collagen fibers form.
The different types of scars are due to the amount of collagen produced by the body to heal a wound. Visible marks or scars let you know that your body is doing its job and helps to restore your skin and body.
It is generally accepted that the time to complete the wound healing is the most important factor in predicting the development of hypertrophic scars. About 78% of wounds result in severe scars, even if the wound heals within 21 days. About a third of wounds develop scars in the tissue before healing, which occur between 14 and 21 days later.
