Scarring is part of your body’s natural healing process when tissue is damaged. Of course, when scars form on visible areas of skin, like the face they can impact your overall self-confidence, and that’s where scar treatment can help.
First, it helps to understand what a scar is, and how they are formed. When you wound the skin, the tissues break causing collagen, a vital protein in overall skin health to be released. That collagen then builds up where the tissue is damaged, to help heal and strengthen the wound.
Naturally, the human body produces two types of collagen to support wound healing. Type 1 collagen supports overall moisture and elasticity, and Type 3 collagen is produced to repair wounds quickly, and effectively which can cause the texture and colour of the scar to differ from the surrounding skin.
Most wounds, except for very minor ones, will result in some degree of scarring, but certain skin conditions can also cause scar formation, including diseases, and skin conditions such as acne and surgery.
Different Types of Scars
In most cases, scars appear flat and pale. However, if the body produces too much collagen, the scar may appear raised. Raised scars are known as hypertrophic, or keloid scars, which are both very common in younger people, and those with deeper skin tones.
When scars form on visible areas of skin, like the face they can impact one’s overall self-confidence.
Now, unfortunately, scars cannot be completely removed, but there are treatments available to help improve and minimise their appearance.
Scar Treatment
When looking for scar treatment, it is advised you seek a trained professional who will be able to assess the scar and recommend an effective solution to minimise its appearance.
Depending on the scar type, and its cause, an aesthetic doctor may recommend one of or a combination of the following treatments.
Chemical Exfoliation
Also known as a chemical peel, chemical exfoliation promotes cell turnover within the skin. Using a combination of clinically, and medically proven ingredients, dead skin cells, and pigmented skin cells that reside in the upper layer of skin will be removed to expose new, healthy cells.
These healthy skin cells will then be able to receive oxygen, and benefit from any topical skincare you apply to the skin, allowing any damaged tissues to repair and rejuvenate.
Anti-Wrinkle Injectables
Most commonly known as an anti-wrinkle treatment, anti-wrinkle injectables can also be used to release tension underneath scar tissue, which in turn optimises scar treatment results.
It works by temporarily prohibiting the movement of certain muscles, which in turn lessens the strain on the scar. In turn, this can help to reduce the appearance of the scar.
Remember, this treatment is a medical procedure, and therefore should always be carried out by a trained and licensed professional. When administering anti-wrinkle injectables, your aesthetic doctor will use a topical numbing agent to relieve any discomfort during the process, you may feel slight pressure during the injection process.
Results usually take around 7-10 days to show and can last between 3-6 months.
Collagen Induction Therapy
This type of scar treatment uses a specially designed device to create tiny punctures on the surface of the skin. This triggers the body’s natural healing process and stimulates the production of collagen and elastin.
This effectively helps to reduce the overall size of the scar by rebuilding the lost or broken tissues. The tiny punctures also allow for customised skin-loving ingredients to penetrate the deeper layers of skin, and therefore improve the results.
For more information on scar treatments, or to book a consultation with our experts, contact Skin NV.
