Scars are occurring on the skin due to the result of the cutaneous crack healing process that leads to fibrosis and altered skin morphology. The main reasons for scars on the skin, is skin injuries or skin damages could be due to accidental trauma, burn, surgery, skin diseases which is similarly as acne, chicken pox or due to rapid growth of body that may be resulting in stretch marks. A scar is a mark which left on the skin only after an injury or crack has healed on the skin.
Scars can have significant dress, physical, and cerebral impacts on patients, creating numerous to seek treatment.
Many types of scars are there. A scar can be look as a fine line or a leveled hole on the skin, or an abnormal overgrowth of tissue. Normal fine-line scars or Linear Scars are common for everyone when following surgery or direct cuts made over the forearm. When a minor crack like a cut occur on the skin will generally heal to leave a red, raised line, which will gradually get paler and increases with a time; which generally takes one to two years and it appear as visible mark or line; in darker skin leave a brown or white mark.
A keloid scar is an overgrowth of tissue that happens when too much collagen is produced at the site of a wound. Keliod scars are larger than a hypertrophic scar and extend beyond the edges of an original wound or trauma. Keloids can occur anywhere on the body, but they occur more commonly where there is little underlying fatty tissue such as the face (low part), neck, ears, chest, shoulders, and upper arm.
Keloid scars are raised above the skin and can be pink, red, the same color or darker than surrounding skin. They’re often itchy or painful, and can restrict movement if they’re nearer to a joint
Like keloid scars, hypertrophic scars are the result of excess collagen being produced at the site of a wound. Unlike keloid scars, hypertrophic scars do not extend beyond the boundary of the original wound. They may continue to thicken for up to 6 months before gradually improving over a few years.
These are caused when underlying structures supporting the skin, such as fat or muscle and collagen; are lost and appear as pitted scars. Atrophic scars are often associated with acne, chickenpox, bacterial infection, and insect or spider bites.
Contractures are scars that restrict movement due to skin and underlying tissue (muscle and nerves) that pull together during healing. They are seen in patients who have burns and a large amount of tissue loss. Contractures usually form where a wound crosses a joint, restricting movement of the joint and called contractures.
A number of treatments available to treat scar; most of them can be made to merge with surrounding skin to an extent of 30% to 95%. Though there are plenty of options to treat scars such as silicone gels or sheets, steroids, cryotherapy , dermal fillers, micro-needling and surgery, but laser treatment has its own stand. Thanks to advanced laser technologies which have enhance ability to improve the appearance, symptoms, texture, and pliability of all scar types.
Laser scar revision utilizes photothermal energy to target intra- and extra-cellular structures within scar tissue to stimulate eventual remodeling of dermal collagen and elastin. These lasers are also used to target blood vessels in the scar tissue and reduce redness or they can also penetrate the skin’s surface to stimulate the production of new skin cells. Most recently, fractional photothermolysis with ablative and non-ablative fractionated lasers have found use as effective treatments for scars.
The procedure requires a topical anesthetic to numb the skin.
Carbon dioxide (CO2)) and erbium:YAG (Er:YAG): Resurfacing lasers removes the outer layer of skin and eliminates skin cells that have been damaged at the surface level and very effective in the treatment of atrophic acne scars. Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser for deeper scars or an erbium laser for surface scars. Fractionated ablative lasers is an advancement in both these CO2 and Erbium, the laser penetrates a deeper layer of the skin’s surface to remove dark pigmented cells and stimulates collagen production and makes scar less noticeable. These lasers are effective in surgical or traumatic scars and atrophic acne scars
The Infrared heat lasers penetrate the inner layer of the skin. This also stimulates collagen production and cell renewal to replace damaged skin cells.
Non-ablative fractional lasers such as Erbium glass most commonly used is for atrophic scars & non-ablative non-fractional lasers such as the pulsed dye laser and Nd:YAG 1064 or IPL have been shown to be effective in the treatment of hypertrophic or keliodal scars and erythematous scars. Non-ablative, non fractional lasers primarily target hemoglobin, and when combined with surface cooling allow thermal remodeling of the dermis while sparing the epidermis which is a vascular.
We at Clear Skin Centre are equipped with the entire above mentioned laser technologies. So if you are suffering from any type of scars, there is nothing to worry about. We proudly say that at present we are the first and only centre in India to provide the most advance, time-tested, USFDA approved treatment with different technologies for scars.
| DO | DON'T |
|---|---|
| Before | |
| Avoid UV exposure 7 to 15d days prior to your treatment. | Do not forget to use broad spectrum sun screen SPF30+ for 7 – 10 days, if you step outdoor work. |
| Avoid chemical peels and exfoliating skin products (retinol or glycolic acid), seven to ten days prior to laser treatment. | Don’t take aspirin, supplements, or medications that can slow the healing process. |
| Stop smoking at least two weeks before your treatment. | Do not hide the history of peri-oral or genital herpes simplex virus, as your physician may recommend prophylactic antiviral therapy. |
| After | |
| Use regular sunscreen (only 24 hours after treatment) for 4 wks to 6wks. | Do not exposure to sun or UV rays, so step out in sun after applying broad-spectrum sunscreen>30SPF. This is to reduce the risk of post-treatment hyper-pigmentation. |
| Apply a cold pack or ice cube to the area to reduce swelling. | Do not rub, scratch or pick the area after receiving laser treatment as it requires time to heal so, be delicate. |
| Keep your skin clean and moisturised (especially the treated areas). Use aloe-vera gel moisturizer, as it keeps the area moist and helps in healing by hydrating the skin. As after fractional scar treatment, the skin’s integrity is usually compromised, making it vulnerable to bacteria and dirt. | Do not let the skin feel dry or tight. Always keep it moisturized |
| Do avoid makeup for at least 24 hours following the laser scar treatment. After 3 days light makeup may be applied to but it is safer to only start your full routine after all the scabs have healed.ate treated areas to minimize risk of ingrown hairs. | Use any personal skin care products for 2wks after the procedure that cause burning or discomfort. |
| Take over-the-counter pain medication when needed | |
| Avoid smoking for at least 2 weeks post-procedure as it significantly delays healing and increases the risk of complications. |
