What are the scars?
Scars are a dermal alteration that represents the repair of connective tissue by fibroblasts.
In this case we are talking about the scars we see, which are those that form on the skin, but scars can develop anywhere on the body.
Although the skin is capable of repairing itself, the scars show a different color and texture from the original, due to the fact that it is made with young fibroblasts. Therefore, the alteration is permanent.
This alteration is shown as a patch on the area of the body where the wound has occurred.
The healing process
Any scratch ends up forming a scar. But they also appear after surgical interventions, acne or infections such as chickenpox.
The healing process consists of three phases. After the skin is damaged, a wound appears and:
- The body reacts by initiating the inflammatory phase. Vascularization increases and the scab forms.
- Next, the cell proliferation phase begins. More collagen is generated to initiate regeneration and wound closure.
- The last phase of the healing process may extend up to a year or more. Collagen resorption and the appearance of new tissue occurs.
The appearance of each scar depends on factors such as the depth of the wound, the area of the body where it appears, the healing time, the treatment of the wound during healing, the age of the affected person and genetics.
With the passage of time, the scars usually fade, but do not disappear. They usually have a thick, pinkish color.
Types of scars
Depending on the shape, we can differentiate between three types of scars:
- Atrophic: are common in skin infections, such as chickenpox or acne. They are characterized by being sunken into the skin, due to the lack of collagen, which prevents the new connective tissue from covering the entire wound.
When caused by acne, they can be classified into three types:- Rolling They are superficial and smooth.
- Boxcar They are deeper, with wide and defined edges.
- Icepick They are very deep and pointed.
- Hypertrophic: in this case, the opposite occurs than in atrophic ones, since there is an overproduction of connective tissue. The scar is raised above the level of healthy skin. They are disfiguring scars.
- Keloids: are painful, brightly colored and extensive scars, usually exceeding the wound boundary. They are common in people with dark skin color and also after surgery. For painful scars, drug infiltrations, laser, radiotherapy and surgery are often used.
Many people may feel affected aesthetically by the presence of a scar on their skin, sometimes with emotional consequences that affect their daily life.
Aesthetic care of scars
Scars cannot be removed in any way. Neither with aesthetic treatments, but they can be attenuated by the use of certain products.
In addition, beyond the properties of each product, the type of skin, the scar and its location also play a role. It is important not to expose the wound to the sun during the first days of scar formation.
The best way to care for a scar is to start caring for it at birth, once the wound has closed.
There are treatments available for everyone, from special dressings with sunscreen, compressive bandages, rosehip oil and healing creams applied by gentle massage. All these resources help to improve the texture and tone of the scar.
In addition, other aesthetic treatments can be used for which the help of professionals is needed.
Laser is one of the most demanded resources and is used to repair the area and unify the skin tone. Injected hyaluronic acid is often used to improve the appearance of atrophic scars.
Radiofrequency is effective, for example with Revicell Pro, as it tightens the skin and firms the scar contour. The Skin Volumizer product for electroporation also helps, as it stimulates collagen and reduces fatty tissue.
