CONDITIONS
SCARS
What are scars?
When your skin is injured, your body naturally repairs the damage or injury. How your body repairs the damage depends on how deep the injury penetrates your skin. To repair skin damage that goes deeper than the first layer of your skin, your body makes a tissue that's thicker than your actual skin. This thicker tissue often becomes a scar. Scars appear after a wound has healed completely.
What causes scars?
The biological process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues results in a scar. With the exception of minor wounds, most wounds result in scarring. Scars appear after a wound has healed completely. There are different types of scars, namely:
- Keloid scars
Keloids are firm, pink to red, itchy and irritating bumps that normally grow bigger. They appear where there was skin damage due to abnormal scar formation. - Contracture scars
These are scars that tighten your skin after being burnt. They may impair your mobility as they may go deeper and affect your muscles and nerves. - Hypertrophic scars
These are raised, red scars that look similar to keloid scars, but they do not go beyond the boundary of the injury. - Acne scars
These are scars caused by severe acne. They range from deep pits to scars that are angular or wavelike in appearance.
What are the possible treatment options for scars?
Even though scars can't be removed completely, their appearance can be improved. Dr Ndongeni may recommend the following:
- Topical treatments
Topical retinoids for acne scars can be prescribed to treat scarring. - Steroid injections
Dr Ndongeni may inject steroid injections into the scar to help flatten it, reduce the size, and ease itchiness and pain. - Micro-needling
The dermatologist will make small puncture holes on your superficial skin to stimulate collagen production to reduce the appearance of scars.
With treatment, regardless of the type, the aim remains the same: to minimise the appearance of scars and improve the skin's texture.
This procedure can take up to two years to complete. You will be left with a noticeable mark or line if the scar does not fade entirely. The majority of scars will vanish over time.
As nerve endings regrow, scar tissue may become unpleasant. Scar tissue can sometimes become painful when an inside condition progresses.
Although scars cannot be entirely eliminated, they can often be rendered less apparent.
