What Are Scars?
Scar tissue is the body’s natural way of healing after an injury to the skin. Scars form when the skin heals after an injury, acne, surgery, or inflammation. The body produces collagen during healing, but sometimes this collagen builds up unevenly or excessively, leading to different types of scars:
Hypertrophic- Raised but covering only the original injury site or wound
Keloid– Raised and extends beyond original injury site or wound and may continue to grow.
Contracture– Tight scars over joints that can restrict movement.
Atrophic– Depressed, sunken, pitted, or indented scars including ice pick, boxcar, and rolling.
What Are Some Causes of Scars?
All scars form from unique events and will present differently based on the cause.
Surgical Scars– Scars that form after planned incisions made during a surgery, usually straight, linear, and flat. The appearance of the scar will be largely influenced by type of closure that is used post-operatively (ex- sutures, staples, or adhesive). Surgical scars may become hypertrophic
Burn Scars– Scars that form after Injury from heat, chemicals, electricity, or radiation. Lasers, which operate using non-ionizing radiation, can unfortunately cause burns if a provider has a lack of clinical reasoning or experience. Burn scars may appear hypertrophic or cause contractures.
Traumatic Scars– Scars that form after injury from physical trauma to the skin, such as cuts, abrasions, or accidents. These scars are often irregular in shape, texture, and pigmentation and may be raised, indented, or discolored.
Acne Scars– Scars that form after inflammation and tissue damage from acne lesions. Atrophic, hypertrophic, and keloid scars can form as a result of mild to severe breakouts.
Are Scars Treatable?
While scars are permanent, there are several treatments that can improve their appearance, including steroid injections, surgical intervention, and cosmetic procedures.
Does Amazing Skin Offer Treatment for Scars?
Yes! We offer laser and microneedling treatments, which can significantly improve the appearance of scars by improving their texture, color, and help to blend it in with the surrounding, unaffected skin. What we have available:
Laser resurfacing uses focused beams of light to remove damaged skin and stimulate new collagen production. Lasers can help to smooth out texture and reduce hyperpigmentation. Amazing Skin has both of the the two main types of resurfacing lasers:
- Ablative laser (Tetra CO2/CoolPeel): Removes outer layers of skin, including scar tissue. Downtime will depend on the intensity of treatment selected for your specific needs.
- Non-ablative laser (Lutronic LaseMD Ultra): Works beneath the skin to stimulate healing with minimal downtime.
Microneedling uses tiny needles to create micro-injuries in the skin, triggering your body’s natural healing response and collagen production to significantly improve skin texture and scar appearance by remodeling the collagen. This treatment has minimal downtime.
How Do I know Which Treatment is Right for Me?
Every scar is different. Factors including size, depth, location, and how your body heals all play a role in determining the best treatment. That’s why a personalized consultation is key. In many cases, a combination of microneedling and laser treatments will provide the best results.
Schedule a complimentary aesthetic consultation with Heather LaBelle today!
