How do scars form?
Think of scars as being similar to body damage on a car. After the damage has been done to the skin, the area needs to be reconstructed. Whether the source of the damage is acne, trauma, burn, or surgery, scarring is your skin’s natural form of body repair. As your body heals from an injury, it uses collagen to build a framework upon which additional repairs can be made. Like body repair to your car, the body’s new repair materials do the job, but since they aren’t “original”, they may not match the color and texture of the surrounding “old” skin. You may see differences in skin color as well as the level of the scarred skin. Although there are all types of scars, they are really grouped into just two types – depressed scars and raised scars.
Can I get rid of my scars?
No one can completely remove a scar. It’s impossible to produce a “photoshopped-scar was never there” look. We can’t change the coloration of hypopigmented (white) scars since we can’t force your body to create “color matched” skin cells after these cells’ pigment-producing abilities were damaged from the previous trauma. However scars can be treated to improve their appearance.
Scar Treatments
While white scars can’t be completely erased, we can produce significant changes in scar texture and appearance which can greatly ameliorate the visual effects of a scar. We can sometimes improve overall appearance by evening out surrounding skin coloration so that the scar better blends with the surrounding skin color and the scar looks less obvious. The erbium resurfacing laser helps to level off the appearance of raised scars, while the fractional laser helps stimulate the body to make collagen and raise depressed scars. BBL (broad band light) is a light rather than a laser therapy that can improve the coloration of scars, especially those that are red or brown. The degree of scar improvement is highly dependent on variables like the location, direction, and size of the scar. Your age, skin type, color and heredity are also important considerations in how to best improve scar appearance. If you are interested in improving the appearance of a scar, you should schedule a consult with Dr. Mudd.
