How to care for scarred skin? What types of scars are there?
How to take care of a recent scar? Are facial scars the worst? How to care for scars after an operation? And in summer? We all know that the healing process takes time, but we can also lend a hand so that skin scars heal properly. However, do we really know how to care for scarred skin?
What is a scar?
A scar is a mechanism that our skin has to repair the damaged or lost tissues of the dermis when we suffer an injury . This is done through the healing process , in which collagen fibers are created .
What types of scars are there?
- Physiological scars: they are the marks that have healed adequately and that have the same tone as the skin , without any sinking or raising. They are the most hidden .
- Atrophic scars: in these cases, collagen is not reproduced in the way it should, so the fibers and tissues in the area do not form properly. Thus, furrows usually appear on the skin . In this way, no matter how much time passes, our skin appears to have an unhealed wound , since there is not much subcutaneous tissue left. (It is quite common in acne scars or chickenpox marks ).
- Hypertrophic scars: they occur when there is an excess of collagen in the area when the wound is closed, so the scars tend to look bulky , wide and darker in color .
- Keloid scars: these types of scars are similar to hypertrophic scars but are even more bulky and wide , in addition to the fact that they can cause itching or burning .
How to care for scarred skin?
It is important that you keep in mind that the healing process is different in each person, since it is determined by variable factors such as the type of skin , the age of the person, the area of the body where it is occurring or genetics , among many others. . For this reason, and even knowing that over time the scars end up healing , it is impossible to determine an exact duration of this process (although in principle the skin takes a year to regenerate completely).
However, what I am sure of is that there are certain tips that you must carry out if you want the healing to occur in the best way and that the scars remain as hidden as possible (although eliminating them 100% is impossible ):
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- Dry the skin well the first year so that it does not remain wet : especially if it is a scar caused by an injury or surgery. This will prevent the wound and scar from becoming infected through the stitches or staples .
- Avoid rubbing the first few months: although the ideal is to keep the scar in the air so that the skin can breathe , it is important to bear in mind that we should not rub the scar with clothing and that we should avoid exposure to UV rays .
- Use hyaluronic acid patches : once the scar scab has disappeared , hyaluronic acid patches will help you hydrate the area and protect the mark from the sun .
- Avoid ultraviolet rays and always apply SPF50 + sun protection : in this way you will prevent your scar from hyperpigmenting and acquiring a darker color than your skin.
- Perform gentle circular massages : in this way, you will ensure that the scar does not remain " stuck " to the internal tissues of the dermis , since you will break the elastic fibers that form between them. (Although we should always ask a specialist to see if it is the best option in our case).
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Hydrates the area a lot : apply a
Revitalizing Moisturizer on the skin (or argan oil or rosehip oil ) to achieve a healing effect . This occurs since this type of product provides elasticity to the skin thanks to its high content of fatty acids , so it will renew the skin.
Did you know all these tips to care for scars ? If the answer is negative, I hope you find them useful now!
