Unwanted mementos of an injury or surgery. They can disfigure and make you complex. Moreover, most of them are complicated to treat. We are talking about scars – how to fight them and win, explains Dr. Marek Wasiluk from the Triclinium Center for Modern Medicine in Warsaw.
- The more difficult (longer) the wound heals, the greater the risk that a scar will form in a given place. When it heals quickly and without problems (without complications), the greater the chance that a scar in a given place will not form at all or it will be minimal, because in the event of a large injury, a scar must always form
- A scar differs from normal skin in consistency (usually it is harder than healthy skin, although it can be softer), but also in the structure of the surface – it is concave, convex or mixed. The color of the scar is also a problem. It can be darker, lighter than the surrounding skin, sometimes even brown. Specific scars are keloids that require a non-standard approach
- Convex scars are the most difficult to remove. Their reduction is helped by fractional laser therapy and injecting the scar with softening or flattening preparations. It is also very important to massage and lubricate with silicone ointments. Concave scars are an exception – rubbing preparations may even be harmful
What is a scar?
A scar is a consequence of an injury, such as damage to the skin. What kind of scar we are dealing with depends on two things: the degree of skin damage (surface and depth) and the healing process. The more difficult (mainly time, but also complications) a scar heals, the greater the risk that a scar will form in a given place. When a wound heals quickly and without problems, the greater the chance that a scar will not form in a given place or it will be minimal, because in the event of a large injury, a scar must always form.
The area in which the damage is located also affects the size and type of the scar. Regions such as the chest, cleavage or the ear area definitely predispose to the formation of convex scars.
A scar is characterized by the fact that the tissue does not function properly in a given place. As a curiosity, I would like to mention the fact that if children in fetal age have an operation, their body heals without scarring. This suggests that there is a possibility of scar-free healing, unfortunately, modern medicine, unfortunately (yet!) Has not yet found a way to do it.
- Bio-Oil – oil for stretch marks and scars
The formation and formation of the final shape and form of the scar usually takes a long time, from several to several months. The process of wound healing and scar formation is of course influenced by genetic predisposition, lifestyle, addictions (especially smoking) and poor nutrition.
Scar treatment
The therapy itself depends on the scar we are dealing with. We treat convex scars differently, differently with concave scars, differently with a hard scar, differently with a soft scar. The treatment of scars of different colors is carried out differently.
For faster skin regeneration and reducing the visibility of scars on the face, it is worth regularly using 2in1 Balance T-zone FLOSLEK facial cleansing clay, which perfectly cleans and moisturizes the skin, reducing the visibility of defects.
Convex scars
Convex scars are the most difficult to treat. Here it is important to find a really good specialist who will know what to do in a given case. Fractional laser therapy certainly helps here, as well as injecting such a scar with various softening or flattening preparations.
Very important in the case of this type of scarring is also massaging, lubricating with silicone ointments. However, if someone has a concave scar, this type of preparations will not help him or her, and can sometimes even harm him. So it’s not that we do the same for every scar and use the same methods.
If the scar has a dense / hard consistency, it is very important to massage it regularly, as important as in-office therapy. Achieving an improvement effect in this way is very time-consuming (it lasts for many months), but it is possible.
Atrophic scars
This type of scarring requires a completely different treatment. In the treatment of atrophic scars, the best treatments are microneedle radiofrequency, fractional laser or platelet-rich plasma. Often people ask when to start using such treatments? As soon as possible, right after the “scabs” fall off, because at this stage we can control the healing process, thanks to which a smaller scar is formed. For example, in the case of a more serious injury, when scabs start to appear (i.e. even 3-4 days after the scar is sewn up), you can start using the biostimulating laser. However, relatively few people decide to do it, because it is only a supportive procedure, done almost every day, which costs a little. In addition, it is known that there are relatively few places with such devices.
- Scar patches – application and contraindications
– Based on my own experience, I can say that with frequent visits to an aesthetic medicine office, you can significantly improve the condition of a newly formed scar very quickly, even in 6 weeks – says Dr. Marek Wasiluk. An old scar usually takes six months to achieve a similar effect. By undergoing therapy at an early stage, you can reduce the time in which an unsightly scar is on our body (if someone decides to remove it at a later stage), for example from 8-12 months to even three months. Of course, let’s be aware that not every scar can be removed completely, the length of the therapy depends on the extent of the scar, but starting the treatments earlier gives much faster results.
How to lighten scars?
A separate problem is the color of the scar. When it comes to this, the most difficult to remove are old decolourated scars of many years. Fortunately, they are rarely created. When removing them, you have to decide on very aggressive treatments, which unfortunately require a bit of suffering from the patient, both during the procedure and after it.
It’s easier with red scars. As a rule, it goes away on its own within a few months, so the intervention of a doctor is basically unnecessary. The same is also true for brown scars, although here it takes longer to adjust to normal skin color, about up to a year. If, at that time, the whitish, brown or the aforementioned red scar does not regain its previous color of the skin, then aesthetic medicine procedures should start.
It is also worth mentioning that after any injury, the healing skin is first red for a few weeks or months, then lighter than the surrounding skin (whitish) or darker (brownish) before it returns to its normal color, and this is not a skin malfunction.
For scars, we recommend the products available on Medonet Market:
- mother-of-pearl cream for NoScar scars,
- Sikatris MAX silicone scar plaster,
- STOP Dermodex Finish Control face gel for stains, scars and discoloration.
Dr. Marek Wasiluk specialist in aesthetic medicine. The precursor of many treatment methods. As the first and only Pole, he graduated from MSC in Aesthetic Medicine (MA studies, Aesthetic Medicine) at the Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry at the prestigious Queen Mary Universal of London University. He received a place with honors. Owner of the Triclinium Center of Modern Medicine in Warsaw (www.triclinium.pl). Author of the expert blog www.marekwasiluk.pl and the book “Aesthetic medicine without secrets”.