Scars

Scars are unique to the individual and circumstance in which they are formed – they are the body’s natural way of healing from an injury, and are unfortunately unavoidable. The way they develop is also unpredictable. Poor healing may contribute to scars that are obvious, unsightly or disfiguring. Even a wound that heals well can result in a scar that affects your appearance. Scars may be raised or recessed, different in color or texture from surrounding healthy tissue or particularly noticeable due to their size, shape or location.

Some people produce better scars than others, for example ‘poor scars’ such as hypertrophic or keloid scars stay visible and cause skin irritation for a number of months. When these ‘visible’ scars fade they tend to whiten and remain equally visible – unlike a ‘good scar’ which blends in well with the surrounding tissue.

Many scars fade over time but will never completely disappear and there are various types which affect different people:

Flat, pale scars are the most common form of scar, they may be red, dark and slightly raised soon after injury, but will become pale and fade naturally as the healing process progresses
Keloid scars are irregular shaped and are raised well above the surface and continue to grow beyond the wound
Hypertrophic scars are red and raised, similar to keloid scars but do not go beyond the injury
Contracture scars tighten the skin and may go deeper beneath the skin, affecting nerves and muscles. They normally pull down into the skin and have a sunken appearance.

There are a number of effective treatments are available for scar revision, especially if you have a scar that's painful, itchy or unsightly, or if it restricts your movement. Scars can't be removed completely, but they can be made less visible, either through surgery or non-surgical means.