Scars form when the dermis is injured, and the body produces collagen fibers to repair it. Scars can be raised, indented, or stretched, and are less resistant to UV radiation and unable to regrow hair follicles or sweat glands. Treatments can improve the appearance of scars, but complete removal is not possible.
Scars are formed as a result of injury to the dermis. The dermis is a layer of skin that is both deep and sensitive. When damage occurs to this layer of skin, the body makes new collagen fibers to repair the injury. When the wound has finished healing, a scar forms.
Scar tissue looks and feels different than normal body tissue. Usually, scars are flat and lightly colored. Sometimes, however, the body won’t make collagen, either making too much or too little. When this occurs, the scars that form can look and feel different
When the body produces too much collagen, raised scars form. Hypertrophic and keloid scars are both raised scars. Scars of this type are more common among people who have darker skin. They are also more common among younger individuals.
Scars form due to scrapes, cuts and punctures. They can also result from surgery, infection, or disease. Even acne can cause scarring. Most skin lesions cause some level of scarring, even when the damage is minor. In some cases, however, the scars can be so slight that they are barely noticeable.
Some scars form with an indented or sunken appearance. These scars often develop from surgical incisions, chicken pox, or acne. Called atrophic scars, these scars form when subcutaneous fat and muscle are lost, failing to support the overlying skin.
Sometimes, scars form due to stretching of the skin. This type of scarring occurs when the skin is stretched quickly, rather than slowly and gradually. For example, skin stretching commonly occurs due to weight gain during pregnancy. Also, some scars form when the skin is subjected to stress as it heals from an injury. This type of skin stretching is more likely to lead to scarring when it occurs near a joint.
Although scars form as the body works to repair itself, the tissue that forms is not of the same quality as unscarred skin. Generally, scar tissue is less able to resist ultraviolet radiation. Hair follicles are unable to regrow once the skin forms scar tissue. Also, scar tissue does not support sweat gland regrowth.
There are many treatments designed to improve the appearance of scars. They include topical treatments, radiation therapy, surgical procedures, and steroid injections. Dermabrasion, laser resurfacing and collagen injections can also be used. While treatments may be successful in minimizing the cosmetic impact of scars, there is no way to completely remove them at this time.
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