Scars are a part of being human and most everybody likely has more than one somewhere on their body. Unfortunately, some scars can be unsightly given their size or location, which is why scar treatment is so important. There are a number of ways to minimize the appearance of scars, but the kind of treatment can depend on the type and severity of the scar. Jupiter Medical Aesthetics and Wellness offers microneedling in Sylvan Lake which can help lessen scar appearances, but it is important to understand about scars themselves.
What Causes Scars?
Whenever the dermis (deep, thick layer of skin) is damaged, the body starts to form collagen fibers in order to mend the wound. Collagen, which is a protein that naturally occurs in the body, heals the damage by creating scar tissue. Scar tissue will look different than the skin surrounding it due to texture and color. Scars are only visible once the wound is finished healing completely.
Scars come in different types and there are a number of varying reasons for this. Most minor scars will appear pale and flat. However, sometimes the body produces excess collagen, which leads to raised scars (also known as hypertrophic or keloid scars). Raised scars are most prevalent in people that are young and dark-skinned.
Scars that have a pitted or recessed appearance are the result of the tissue beneath (either fat or muscle) being lost. Surgical scars tend to have this type of appearance, as do scars left over from skin conditions such as acne.
Stretch marks are also a type of scar, and they occur when skin is stretched out rapidly, such as what happens during pregnancy or medical weight loss programs. Stretched skin scars can also happen when skin is under a lot of tension, typically around joints, while it is healing.
What Type of Treatment is There for Scars?
While scars can’t be removed entirely, there are ways to alter the severity of their appearance. There are numerous methods of scar treatment, including:
- Surgery – While surgery wouldn’t remove a scar entirely, it can be used to diminish the shape and appearance. This method of treatment is not advised for keloid or hypertrophic scars, however, because there is a risk of scarring that is more severe or recurring.
- Steroid Injections – Steroid injections into the scar can help to flatten it out, making it less noticeable. In addition, steroid injections used to treat hyerptrophic or keloid scars can smooth out the appearance.
- Topical treatments – Some skin care products such as cocoa butter cream and vitamin E can be effective in reducing the appearance of scar tissue.
- Dermaplaning – Dermaplaning is a technique that uses a scalpel to gently scrape the skin. This process removes the vellus hair, exfoliates the skin and improves the overall texture of the skin by minimizing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and acne scars. You can get this type of service at most higher end nail salons.
- Laser Resurfacing – Similar in practice to dermabrasian, this method uses lasers to remove the skin surface layers. It requires less recovery downtime than dermabrasian.
- Microneedling – By puncturing the superficial skin with many small needles, microneedling stimulates collagen production in order to lessen scar appearance.
- Dermal Filler Injections – Filler injections are used to raise recessed scars to match the level of surrounding skin.
Soft tissue filler injections are among the most successful type of treatment for sunken scars. They temporarily alter the appearance of sunken scars, either for short-term or long-term, and repeated treatments may be necessary. Dermal filler injections are one of the safest forms of treatment for scars left behind by acne as well, which is why they’ve also become one of the most popular. Anyone with acne scars or other types of sunken scars looking for effective treatment should consider the benefits of soft tissue filler injections over other methods of treatment.
