Scar correction may be desired if there are scars on visible parts of the body, if the scarring does not meet your own aesthetic expectations or if scars even restrict important functions.
However, it should be noted that every surgical scar correction leaves behind fresh scars. An alternative to this is laser scar treatment, which can make the scar flatter and paler. This is not a surgical procedure and is considered to be gentle on the tissue.
Many people have suffered scars as a result of burns, accidents or operations. Scarring always occurs at the end of the wound healing process.
During the normal healing process, the scar initially overlays the healthy skin and has a slightly reddish color. As the scar matures, the scar tissue then sinks slightly and fades. The collagen fibers formed in the scar tissue are less elastic than in healthy skin, so the scar tissue tends to harden.
If the healing process after an injury is delayed or the scar formation process itself is disturbed, hypertrophic scars or keloid scarring can occur.
A keloid scar is
reddish or dark scar tissue that grows beyond the scar line.
Hypertrophic scars resemble keloids in appearance, but do not grow beyond the scar line.
Keloid resulting from a surgical wound (approx. 1 year after the operation); by Michael Rodger - Own work, CC BY 3.0, Link
If scars are located on visible parts of the body or if the scarring does not meet aesthetic expectations, scars are perceived as disturbing and stressful.
Apart from these aesthetic limitations, scars can also restrict important functions, such as the elasticity of the skin over the joints, which is referred to as scar contractures.
If scar contractures lead to restrictions in joint mobility with a feeling of tension and cord-like distortions, good reconstruction results and functional improvements can be achieved through special plastic surgery operations. For scar correction
may be necessary.
Hypertrophic scars can initially be treated with adapted compression garments, possibly with silicone film overlays, in order to achieve maturation of the scar through several months of follow-up treatment.
Under certain circumstances, this treatment can be combined with a local corticosteroid injection.
Hypertrophic scar (4 months after the injury); by User:Cgomez447 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
The initial aim of keloid treatment is to reduce the size of the scar area and prevent scarring symptoms.
Injection treatments and/or laser irradiation are used for this purpose. Adapted compression garments are also used here. Surgical removal is often associated with the recurrence of excessive scarring.
Laser treatment removes the raised scar tissue and causes it to fade by breaking down the red blood pigment haemoglobin.
The videos show how the principle of laser treatment for scars works:
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