treatyourscars Who does not like having healthy, soft and glowing skin? People do everything needed to get a perfect condition of the skin thus it looks beautiful and adorable. But sometimes, traumas can happen to your skin such as injury, burn and surgery which may leave scars on it. It is true that you can cover them with clothes yet it is undeniable that they affect your confidence especially if the scars are visible. You do not feel good wearing your hot pants, sleeveless dresses and other clothes showing your skin. The good news is this is not the end of the world as when you search for how to treat your scar, you are going to find plenty information of it.
Scar treatments nowadays are quite different from years ago that now you have a lot more options to consider depending on the type of your scars. Therefore before deciding what treatment to get, it is a good idea to gain more knowledge on types of scars you may have. Basically, there are four types of scars to know: keloid, contracture, hypertrophic, and acne scars. Keloid scars are the result of overly aggressive healing process, extending beyond the original injury. Reducing this type of scar is can be a lot more important than you think as over time, keloid scars may hamper movement. Then you also have contracture scars that you get from burn, they are easily noticed from the tighten skin which can impair the ability to move. Contracture scars can be dangerous since they may go deeper, affecting muscles and nerves. What about hypertrophic? Similar to keloid, they appear due to an aggressive healing process but hypertrophic scars do not go beyond the injury. The last type of scar comes from acne. You probably think that acne is something minor that will not disturb your look once it disappears, but you are not completely right. Some people can have severe acne and it leaves scars on the skin. Acne scars also varies from deep pits to scars that are angular in appearance. Now what type of scar do you bear on your body? Considering each type of scars has different causes and characteristics, the treatment needed to reduce the visibility of the mark will not be the same.
Here you have the answer of your question on how to treat your scar. There are several treatments, from the simplest to the most complicated one, you can try based on the type of the scar that you have:
Sunscreen
How can a sunscreen help you treating your scar? You need to know that you are not supposed to expose new scars to the sun as the ultraviolet rays can slow the healing process. Sun protection is vital to minimize a scar and prevent hyper-discoloration caused by melanocyte, the cells that produce pigment. You are suggested to use a sunscreen with zinc or titanium dioxide and SPF of 30 or higher.
Prescribed creams, ointments, or gels
Treating your scar can also be done by applying creams, ointments or gels prescribed by your doctor or dermatologist. This kind of treatment is usually done to those who have light scar from cut or wound. Acne scars can also be treated using this method but again, depending on the type of acne scar that you bear.
Silicone gel sheeting
Raised, red scars like keloid and hypertrophic can be treated by using silicone gel sheeting to flatten the scar. Putting a sheet of silicone gel on a scar everyday can help it fade or keep it from getting worse. For the best result, it is recommended for you to use the gel sheeting at least for three months.
Injectable fillers
Collagen and fat are important parts of your skin tissues and therefore they are also used as a treatment for scar. Injecting the substances can immediately raise sunken scars you have. Unfortunately, this treatment will not give a long-lasting result so it may need to be repeated after a certain period of time. Consult your doctor when you should repeat the treatment.
Steroid injections
Again, raised scars do affect your skin’s appearance but thank God, you have one more option besides silicone gel sheeting to treat them. Steroid injections are used to flatten raised scars but you cannot do it only once. A long-term course may be needed if you decide to get this treatment.
Dermabrasion
If you think silicone gel sheeting does not help you much to reduce your keloid or hypertrophic scar, you may want to consider a type of surgical treatment like dermabrasion. This procedure uses special equipment to remove the surface of the skin, reducing the look of raised scars. Does it scare you? Then microdermabrasion probably good for you because it is a less invasive process which can help superficial scars.
Skin graft
Contracture scars you get from fire or heat definitely will affect your appearance as they tighten the skin. One of the treatments you can receive to treat this type of scar is by having a surgery called skin graft. To perform a skin graft, the surgeon uses the skin from another area of your body. Suppose the contracture scar you bear impairs function, a further surgery may be done to help address the functional problems.
Surgery
Glad to hear that actually scars fade over time, you just need to be patient. However, sometimes you cannot wait for the scar to get smaller and others so surgery is the best option you take. Although it cannot remove a scar entirely, but surgery does alter the scar’s size, depth and color. Note that if you have a type of hypertrophic and keloid scar, you are not suggested to have surgery for it can make the worse.
You have a lot of treatments to treat your scar; it is your decision to choose which one you want to do. As the treatment may give a long-term effect to your skin, do consult your doctor before taking any action.
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/wound-care-10/reducing-scars?page=2
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/beauty/skin-care/best-scar-treatments/
http://www.webmd.com/beauty/skin/cosmetic-procedures-scars
