Scars are caused by an injury to the skin. These appear as a natural part of the skin’s healing process. Many people will notice scars appear after an injury to the body, surgery or even after experiencing acne. As there are several types of scars, these can differ in their appearance, depending upon the cause of the scar, your skin tone and texture, and your body’s unique healing process. Here we have explained what scars are and exactly why they appear on your skin, also offering you information about the scar treatment we offer at The Laser Treatment Clinic.
How Do Scars Form?
Scars form on the skin when the dermis is damaged. The dermis is the deep, thick layer of skin which sits beneath the epidermis of the skin. Containing tough connective tissue, hair follicles, and sweat glands. When the dermis becomes damaged your body will react by producing new collagen fibres. Collagen is a naturally occurring protein within the body and is responsible for our skin’s elasticity. The body produces collagen to repair the damage, resulting in the appearance of a scar across the damaged area of skin. Overtime your scar may begin to appear raised and uneven. This is because collagen continues to build up in this area for several months after the damage was initially created. For the most part, scars are permanent. However, over time, you may notice a reduction in their visibility as the collagen production and blood supply to this area reduces. It is unlikely, however, that scars will ever fade completely on their own, without treatment.
How to treat scars
When discussing treatments for the appearance of scars, it is important to remember that although you can minimise their appearance, they will not always fade completely. The outcome of most treatments is a reduction in the appearance of the scars, usually reducing redness and evening the skin’s texture around the scar tissue. Various treatment methods are used to treat the appearance of scars, these include:
- Steroids – steroid injections can be administered by a healthcare professional over a period of time to reduce any raised scars or swelling, evening the texture of the skin. Reducing the appearance of the scar.
- Dermal fillers – often associated with cosmetic and aesthetic treatments used by patients to enhance their natural features. Dermal fillers can minimise the appearance of a scar. For scars which are ‘pitted’, dermal fillers can be injected into the area to fill or plump the scar’s appearance.
- Over-the-counter creams – although the results of using OTC creams and gels can vary quite dramatically from person to person. Some people claim, using creams has helped in improving the appearance of their scars. The most popular creams for this purpose contain vitamin E, silicone gel and cocoa butter.
- Laser therapy – Laser therapy works by using pulses of light to target the blood vessels in the scar tissue, ultimately reducing the redness of the scar. Other laser therapies can stimulate the production of collagen in the skin to even the appearance of pitted scars.
Other popular advanced treatment methods include dermabrasion, micro-needling, collagen induction therapy and cryosurgery.
Treatments at The Laser Treatment Clinic
At our Harley Street Clinic, our team of skin experts can offer a number of scar treatments. Using the latest in laser technology and providing after-care with our range of natural skin care products from the Zaheda skin care range, you will notice a dramatic difference in the appearance of your scar(s).
Book an initial consultation with a member of our team today to begin your tailor-made scar treatment process.
