GROWING up, we all had our fair share of nicks and cuts and scrapped our hands and knees along the way. Unfortunately, some of us are more of a klutz than others and tend to tumble more often!
Most of the time, we think nothing of it and when the wound heals, all is forgotten, leaving only a faint scar as a reminder of the incident. Scars could be caused by an accident, acne, surgery or even a skin condition. They are not a big deal as it is just part of the body’s healing process and how our skin repairs itself.
Scars are part of the body’s healing process and how our skin repairs itself.
Scars form when the dermis – the middle layer of skin - is damaged and the body works to protect itself by producing new fibrous collagen tissue to cover the gaps caused by the injury. After the wound is sealed, the remaining scar may still initially look red and raw, but in time, this will look slightly darker or lighter than the colour of the surrounding skin area as the renewal process continues.
How the shape and size of a scar turn out depends on various factors such as age, genes, severity and kind of injury, location of the wound and treatment, among others. A lot also depends on how we care for the wound so that the appearance of a scar can be reduced.
Some scars are more visible than others, for instance, keloid or hypertrophic scars, which are overgrowth of tissue due to over production of collagen covering the wound area. Keloids are raised scars that tend to extend beyond the original wound and may even be itchy or painful, and possibly restrict movement if they are over a joint while hypertrophic scars usually do not extend past the boundaries of the original wound.
A small cut usually hardly leaves a mark as it eventually fades and flattens out into a small thin line. Pitted or sunken scars form after acne or chicken pox, when underlying fat supporting the skin is lost. It may also occur due to muscle loss after surgery. Scar contractures usually happen after burns when the skin shrinks and tightens.
Stretch marks after pregnancy are also a type of scar due to the skin being stretched and the connective tissue damaged. Scarring may also occur after a caesarean section and these are usually small, below the bikini line. Initially, it looks red but this will eventually fade into a flat, thin line although in some women, it might be thicker and more raised. It is important to eat well so that the body has the right nutrients to heal well, and the wound kept clean to prevent infection so that the scar is not irritated.
While accidents and injuries are out of our control, it is possible to try and reduce the risk of a scar forming by using doctor endorsed scar treatment products such as Dermatix Ultra that is readily available at pharmacies nationwide.
Even after the wound has healed, the healing process is still ongoing, working beneath the surface to restore the body. You may not have to live with a scar that bothers you as careful management can make it less noticeable. If you feel that your scar is not healing as well as it should or there is pain, seek advice from healthcare professionals to ensure that there are no serious medical problems and scarring is minimised.
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