Scar Removal Basics - Key Concepts
Scars are probably one of the most misunderstood skin health issues. It is a result of the natural process that happens every time the skin is injured. Hence, it is always a consequence of wounds. It is not something that happens only for a certain percentage of people because it happens all the time for every wound. Minor lesions are an exception but most wounds become scar tissues.
Scars are made up of fibrous tissue which acts as a substitute for normal skin that is destroyed when the skin is wounded. As a replacement for normal skin, it isn't stronger than the skin it replaces. Furthermore, you won't find any hair follicle, oil glands and sweat glands in a scar tissue because it can't have or retain all those from the normal tissues it replaces. Scars should be cared for because they can be more affected by elements such as the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
The underlying mechanism of scar formation involves inflammation, excessive fibroblast proliferation and over expression of collagen. When skin starts to heal, it lays down new collagen fibers which make up the fibrous connective tissue of healthy skin. In scars collagen over expresses and gives scar that distinct look from normal skin.
The severity of the wound will determine more or less the appearance of the resulting scar. In general, the Bigger the size of the injury, the worse the scar is going to look. Majority of scars will take the shape of the original wound and most will vanish after some time. But the time it requires to do this will vary from person to person. Some may take only a few days and some take longer. It all depends on how bad the wound was in the first place.
Unfortunately, for a certain percentage of scars, over production of collagen results in abnormal-looking scars that are characterized by reddish bumps on the skin that cover the area of the original skin injury and never goes beyond. These are known as hypertrophic scars.
Another type of scarring called keloid scars are probably the worst kind because they can grow beyond the boundaries of the original wound. They could grow indefinitely to form tumorous growths. although they are benign tumors and are harmless, some people may find it imperative to do something about them.
On the other hand, recessed scars are types of scars that have the sunken and pitted appearance that are the opposite of hypertrophic scars. This type of scarring is usually a result of skin disease like acne or chicken pox.
Stretched marks or striae, are scars that results from skin being stretched very rapidly which usually occur during pregnancy, significant weight gain, burst of growth (as in the adolescent stage), and muscle/body building. They usually appear as reddish or purplish lines on the skin when they are fresh but lighten as time goes by.
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