Keloid Scars

What Are Keloid Scars?

Keloid scars occur when collagen builds up from too much production of fibrous tissue at the site of an injury. This can be caused by burns, cuts, scrapes, surgery, and superficial body piercings. These types of scars are very pronounced, appearing bumpy and red or pink in color. They can also move outside the wound boundaries and cause pain and itching.

Keloid Or Hypertrophic Scars?

Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between keloid and hypertrophic scars. It is important to understand the difference because the treatment for each is very different. Knowing exactly whether a scar is hypertrophic or keloid will help you find the best treatment to help clear up your scars. Most injuries leave just a flat scar that is very light in color. When a scar is hypertrophic, it appears very red and thickened. These scars can take up to a year to heal. Because this healing process takes so long, doctors can inject steroids into the scar to help reduce the inflammation that causes them to grow and appear redder. Hypertrophic scars, unlike keloids, usually remain within the boundaries of the original wound.

Keloid scars tend to form after the normal scar at the site and time of injury and continue to grow larger. Keloids can be caused by piercings, injuries, burns and surgery. Picking at pimples can also cause keloid scars. They tend to be ugly in appearance and take on a reddish-pink color. They rise above the skin and feel like rubber. They can also grow beyond the borders of the original wound. People with keloids often complain of itching and pain. You will usually see keloids on the earlobes, shoulders, chest and back.

Tendencies to Develop Keloid Scars

The reasons behind the tendency to develop keloid scars are not completely known. Several studies show there may be a defect in the immune system response that causes it to overreact to wounds.

Anyone can develop keloid scars, but they tend to occur in higher numbers among those with dark skin. Women are also more prone to keloid scars.

How to Prevent Keloid Scars

Preventing the occurrence of keloid scars begins with trying to prevent skin injury. If you have a tendency to develop keloid scarring, avoid surgeries of cosmetic nature or unnecessary body piercings. Also try to prevent injuring the skin as much as possible.

If the skin does receive an injury, place pressure on the wound right away to stop any bleeding. When a wound bleeds, the body will immediately begin sending collagen to the wound to help it close. Applying pressure will help that process along faster. Then flush the wound with cool water and wash it with gentle soap to get rid of any dirt. The wound must be kept clean, dry, and bandaged to prevent bacteria from getting in and causing infection. The most effective wound covering is a silicone gel that forms a moisture barrier on the skin and keeps moisture in and bacteria out.

Acne Scar Treatment

Does Acne Scar Treatment Work?

People who suffer from acne scars often feel self-conscious about their appearance. Even though acne scars are an embarrassing reality, acne scar treatment can help reduce their appearance and make you feel more confident. It just takes a little time and understanding in order to find what will work for you.

It is important to know that medical treatments for scar removal do not completely remove scars, can be costly and are not usually covered by insurance when they are for cosmetic reasons only. Most acne scar treatments only diminish the appearance of scars, while other treatments out there are very effective for fading scars and at helping regenerate healthy new skin . Before beginning treatment of acne scars, know what type of scar you are working with.

Types of Acne Scars

Acne scars are almost always permanent, although most may fade with time and good skin care. The different types of acne scars are usually:

Macules – These are flat, reddened spots that previously were acne lesions. They last for a few weeks after a breakout and tend to disappear on their own.

Dark Pigmentation – After healing, an acne scar can appear as a dark spot on the skin. This is a type of over-pigmentation caused by the inflammation during breakouts. These spots can take months to fade after the breakout is over.

Tissue Scarring – These acne scars grow large and appear raised on the skin after an acne lesion heals. They are known as either keloids or hypertrophic scars and are caused by too much collagen production during the healing process.

Pitting – This is the most common type of acne scarring. Caused by loss of tissue at the spots where there were acne lesions, these scars appear as pitted areas on the skin.

Finding Acne Scar Treatment

Finding an acne scar treatment that suits your needs depends on what you want. Medical treatment is not necessary if scarring is minor to moderate. If scars are severe, you may need professional help with them. People usually look for treatment and help when scars cause issues with self-esteem, and they are unable to fade them on their own at home.

Acne scar treatment is usually performed by a dermatologist or even a cosmetic surgeon. They can evaluate your scars and help you decide on a course of treatment depending on the severity and type of scars. They can also give you skin care ideas to help prevent scars in the future.

Common Acne Scar Treatments include:

Dermabrasion – This uses an instrument to take off the top layer of skin along with scar tissue to flatten and smooth the skin surface. This treatment requires recovery time and good skin care to prevent complications.
Microdermabrasion – The dermatologist uses a small abrasive material to scrub the top layer of skin off. This is a type of facial and can even be done by an aesthetician. There is no recovery time, but a few treatments over time may be required to effectively fade scars.
Chemical Peels – Chemical peels use a chemical that removes the top layer of skin. A chemical peel can fade the acne scars that are shallower, dark spots, and post-inflammatory lesions. Side effects include red skin, peeling, and irritation for a short time after the treatment.
Retinoic Acid – Certain acne scars do not respond to typical treatments. This is especially true with keloid acne scars. Retinoic acid cream can be applied to acne scars to help fade and diminish their appearance.
Laser Treatments – Laser treatments can smooth and lighten acne scars by removing the top layer of the skin. The type of laser used and the length of treatment depend on the type of scar tissue and how bad the damage is to the skin. It may take from a few to a number of treatments. There is a recovery period of a few days after treatments, and the cost can run over $1,000.
Filler Treatments – Pitted areas in the skin from acne scars can be filled with hyaluronic acid, fat, or collagen injections to even out the skin.

They are absorbed by the body, so repetitive treatments are needed over time.

Punch Excisions – This is a type of surgery that can take out the acne scar. A punch biopsy tool is used to “punch” out the area, and then the surgeon can suture the area closed. This is mainly used on pitting acne scars.
Skin Grafting – When there are large areas of acne scars, the tissue can be replaced with healthy normal skin. The skin is usually taken from a hidden place, such as behind the ears. Skin grafting can be used after other invasive acne treatments to repair any damage.

Acne can severely dampen self-esteem, and looking into acne treatments can help you feel better about yourself. Understand the different methods of treatment, the costs and the recovery time involved in order to make the best decision.

Preventive Care

Preventive Care to Keep Nasty Scars away

Skin is your body’s main form of protection from invaders and damage. When you get a scar, your body is sealing up to protect your insides. Scars are the natural buildup of fibrous tissue formed from collagen. Collagen is released as soon as an injury occurs and the body works to close up the open area. Scars are unsightly and can be uncomfortable. The best way to prevent scars is to take action as soon as possible after an injury. Preventive care only takes a little time, and the benefits are worth it!

Taking care of wounds properly is the first and most important part of preventive care. Keep the wound clean and dry. Flush new wounds with water, and make sure all dirt is removed from the wound bed. Clean daily with mild soap and water. Keep a sterile bandage over the wound to keep it clean.

You can use an antibacterial cream to prevent infection. After the wound closes, begin to apply a silicone-based gel to lock in moisture and encourage healthy tissue regeneration. Your body will send a constant stream of white blood cells to the area for quite some time. This causes the first fibrous tissue in the wound bed and shows up as a scab. They don’t look very good and can be itchy. Make sure you don’t pick at scabs, as this will cause more fibrous tissue to form and make the scar appear worse. This can also cause an infection in the skin.

Preventive Care For Different Types Of Scars

Scars are a natural part of healing even with small injuries. Every scar is different in size and the way they look. How you scar depends on your ethnic background, genetics, age, and health and where the injury is. Whatever the type of scar, it is important to start treatment right away to prevent it from getting out of control and to help the skin heal properly.

Some scars are very small, flat, and light in color. These can be covered, and treatment is very effective in reducing these minor scars. Other scars can be very red, raised, and possibly larger than the wound bed. These are known as either hypertrophic or keloid scars. They can be itchy and painful. Preventive care for these types of scars includes protecting the skin from any injury. Avoid piercings, and if you need surgery, let your surgeon know that you are at risk for keloid scars. If you do receive an injury, avoid any heavy lifting, exercise and strain on the skin areas.

No matter what type of injury you sustain, there is never a guarantee that you won’t receive a lasting scar. The best preventive care is to protect your skin and begin wound care immediately after an injury.

Scar Reduction

Scar reduction aims at preventing scars from becoming worse. Use a good sunscreen when going out in the sun to prevent discoloration to the scar tissue. Since scar tissue is a different color than the skin, tanning will make it stand out. Sunburns can also make scars look worse and increase the scar tissue when the sunburn heals.

You will also want to look into the numerous scar creams available that contain nutrients that can nourish scarred skin. Look for ingredients like cocoa butter, vitamin E, and aloe vera. Make sure scar creams do not contain a lot of water that dilutes the important ingredients. You can also try to cover the scar with a silicone gel sheet to lock in moisture during the healing process. Silicone products can reduce the redness, appearance and size of a scar.

During treatment, try a good concealer with a shade of green to balance out the redness. Yellow can help, but may not be good for darker skin tones. People with darker skin tones can try coloring their skin around the scar to help it blend in naturally. This procedure can be costly and is permanent, so liquid concealers are sometimes a better option.

Acne scars, pitted scars or chicken pox marks can be filled in with collagen injections. More than one treatment is required, and they are quite costly. Doctors can also inject steroids to reduce inflammation, fade redness, and help smooth and flatten the scar areas. These are quite costly and require multiple treatments.

To smooth the skin, also try microdermabrasion or dermabrasion. These treatments exfoliate the top layer of skin and flatten scar tissue. They can be done with a machine or a scrub with small granules a few times a week. There are kits that can be used at home, or the treatment can be done in a spa or dermatologist’s office.

Lastly, scar reduction can be done by surgery or laser treatments. These are very invasive and require some downtime. For these reasons, preventive care is very important at the beginning of an injury.

A Cure for Your Acne

Finding the Right Cure for your Acne

There are many causes of acne and the unattractive scars it leaves your skin with. Acne can be caused by stress, poor skin care, and certain foods. Some acne is caused by genetics, age, and health conditions. It is most important to take good care of your skin to promote healing of acne and prevent acne scars. It is possible to heal acne lesions and overcome scarring, leaving your skin fresh and rejuvenated. It just takes finding the right cure for your acne and sticking to your treatment plan.

How to Get Started

Looking for acne treatment can be overwhelming. There are so many over-the-counter washes, creams ,and gels dedicated to acne. A good number of drugstore formulas are safe and do not go into the body, so there are no chances of drug interactions. Over-the-counter acne treatments help by taking care of bacteria on the skin, keeping the skin clean and preventing pores from clogging through exfoliation.

Microdermabrasion is very helpful for exfoliation and can restore healthy skin, which helps to prevent scars. This leaves skin smooth and feeling like silk. It is important after using any acne washes, creams, or microdermabrasion that you apply an oil-free moisturizer to help restore the balance of moisture to the skin. Many times, the skin will overproduce natural oils when it is too dry, and lack of moisture can actually lead to acne.

If you have deep, severe, pitted acne, see a dermatologist to help you with medical treatment of your acne. A physician can help you find an aggressive treatment if needed for acne and acne scars. Medical treatments include laser therapy, surgical lancing, and chemical peels. These things can be costly, and some may have side effects. Trying home therapy first is always best for your skin and your budget.

Acne is More than Just Skin Deep

The causes of acne may lie well beneath your skin. Those who suffer from depression and emotional stress can suffer from acne even beyond their teenage years. One reason for this is the inability to regulate hormones and chemicals associated with stress, and this can cause severe outbreaks. Many times, older acne sufferers may need to seek professional counseling to help learn techniques to deal with stress and depression. This may help with self-esteem issues and also help calm down acne breakouts.

Eating Right with Acne

Diet really doesn’t have a whole lot of influence on acne, and there are very few things in the diet that can affect or cause acne. But not eating healthily affects the entire body and how it fights off acne breakouts. When your body doesn’t obtain the proper nutrients and vitamins, it cannot heal itself. When you suffer from acne scars, you need proper nutrition to regenerate healthy skin cells. A dietitian can help you plan a good diet to help your body get what it needs. Each body has its own individual needs, and meal plans can be developed to optimize your skin’s healing capacity. While diet may not be the cure for your acne, it may help with the skin healing.
The situation at hand is that stress can make acne worse, and worsened acne can lead to more stress. Getting help for stress, eating right, and finding the right cure for your acne helps in the long run. There are so many choices for treatment to make you look and feel your best!

Advanced Scar Removal

The Removal of Advanced Scars

Most scars can be treated and their appearance reduced with simple home treatments that include exfoliation, nourishment, and moisture. Some scars such as keloids and hypertrophic scars may need advanced scar removal. Keloid and hypertrophic scars happen when the body overproduces healing substances that cause excess tissue to form at the site of an injury. They can be treated with long-term home treatment, but certain situations may require a doctor’s care.

Preventing the Need for Advanced Scar Removal

If you are prone to severe scarring, the first way to prevent the need for advanced scar removal is to protect your skin from injury. Try to avoid excess piercings as they are a major culprit in developing keloid scarring. Keep your arms and legs covered when hiking or riding a bike. Use a good moisturizer and take care of any injuries right away.

As soon as you receive an injury to the skin, wash the area thoroughly to remove dirt and debris. Cover the area with a clean bandage or pressure dressing. Keep the area clean and dry until the wound is closed. You can even apply a dab of antibiotic cream, as these are known to help minimize scarring. After wound closure, begin using a silicone-based wound gel or bandage.

The best provide nourishment and moisture and keep healing skin protected. This minimizes scars from the beginning of the injury. Often, there are scar conditions that require further treatment, such as keloids or large wounds. Here are some advanced scar removal techniques that can be used as a last resort:

Cortisone Injections

Doctors can treat severe scars with cortisone injections. These help reduce inflammation, slow scar tissue formation, and lighten redness. They are effective but can have side effects. There may be pain at the site of injections, allergic reactions, or color changes in the skin tissue. They are usually given monthly for 3 months with an out-of-pocket cost of about $60 each, since insurance may not cover them if they are merely for cosmetic reasons.

Cryosurgery

Doctors can freeze scar tissue with cryosurgery to help flatten thickened or overgrown scar tissue. This type of treatment can help with very large scars. This treatment is said to be painful and can cause itching and irritated skin. There are also home cryosurgery kits that cost around $200.

Laser Treatment

These treatments are between $1,000 and $5,000 and are very complicated. The doctor needs to find just the right laser that will be most effective on the scar tissue. After laser treatments, doctors will also bleach the skin to further lighten the scar. The one side effect of laser treatments is that keloid scarring may worsen or come back. This is due to burns to the skin caused by the laser further damaging the tissue.

Surgical Removal

When scar tissue is very thick, large, and resistant to any other treatment, the last option is surgical removal of scar tissue. A surgeon can cut out the scar tissue and sew the skin back together to create only a line of scar tissue. This can cost between $500 and $3,000 depending on the size of the scar. Since this is surgery, there is a risk of infection and no guarantee that the treatment will be effective.

Taking care of injuries before they become out of control can help to prevent the need for advanced scar removal. This avoids damage to the skin and the increased costs of fading the scar in the long run.