RYL Forums

RYL Forums (https://www.recoveryourlife.com/forum/index.php)
-   First Aid Advice (https://www.recoveryourlife.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=57)
-   -   Why are some scars raised and how do you fix them? (https://www.recoveryourlife.com/forum/showthread.php?t=100028)

Heather 02-06-2009 07:53 PM

Why are some scars raised and how do you fix them?
 
I have quite a few old scars that are raised and real embaressing.
I haven't cut for a couple months and those scars have been there for ages.


How do you get rid of real raised scars besides getting plastic surgery?
And what causes them to be dark red, or white, or raised, or whatever?


Sorry if I am posting this in the wrong place.
I just want to get rid of them and figure out why they are like this.

shadow-light 02-06-2009 08:02 PM

raised scars can be either hypertropic scars or keloids,both of these are caused by the body overproducing collagen. hypertropic scars appear as raised lump on the skin, but do not grow beyond the boundaries of the original wound, these will in time become "normal" scars and fade. Keloids, howver, are more serious form of scarring, because they can carry on growing indefinitely into a large benign growth.
A keloid is a result of over production of type I and some type III collagen, I'm not sure which collagen hypertropics are caused by... although both can occur to anyone, keloids are more common in people of afro-carabean descent. People can have a genetic suitability to keloids (as I do) and they are more likely on the upper body, maily the arms, face and chest. Keloids will ofter have sharp pin and needle types pains too, and hurt in changing tempurature

there are a LOT of treatments... if they are keloids though you'll probably rquire medical help to get rid of them... with hypertropics though they will go in time and such things as moisterising and bio-oil may speed this up

I-Feel-Infinite 02-06-2009 08:12 PM

hey, me too I have raised scars and I don't find much that helps - I guess not itching them (as mine are very itchy?) would speed up the healing process.? maybe?

shadow-light 02-06-2009 08:18 PM

not iching ould be good...

however, massaging them can help... it sort of helps to breakdown the collagen

Heather 02-06-2009 08:43 PM

My scars tend to hurt or itch a lot. Some are raised, some are indented too, and some range from being white to a dark redish purple. If there something out there that I can change the color too. And how long does it take for them to go away because it has been about a year or two.

Solstice 02-06-2009 08:48 PM

Unfortunately most scars never go completely away. The white ones are probably older and have just had time to fade, the red/purple ones will eventually turn white like the others but depending on the severity, it can take years for this effect to full take place. You can try things like vitamin E cream to reduce the visibility but nothing will fade them 100%. Staying out of the sun will help reduce the appearance to an extent because remember, scar tissue does not tan.

Aidee 02-06-2009 08:58 PM

Information about Scars

There are a couple of different types of scars that can form after an injury. A variety of uncontrollable factors, such as age, gender, or skin color can affect how a scar forms. Although good wound care practices can help reduce the severity of scaring.

How a scar is formed
Scars are formed during the healing process after an injury to the skin. Collagen fibers fill the area that was damaged in order to knit the layers of the skin back together. When the collagen first forms it is very disorganized, (like this #&%@:*$) but over time the collagen fibers become organized (like this =======) causing the scar to shrink and fade.

Factors affecting scars
Scaring is an unavoidable part of the healing process. There are no 100% sure methods to avoid getting scars, except for preventing the injury from happening in the first place. There are a number of factors involved in how bad a scar will be. Some are uncontrollable, such as skin color, age, and gender. Some factors can be controlled, such as general health, and how the wound is looked after. The best way to reduce scaring after a wound is to practice proper wound care, including dressing wounds, preventing infection and having wounds evaluated for stitches. Wounds that become infected will almost always scar worse than non-infected wounds. Interfering with healing wounds will also cause an increase in how sever a scar is.

Types of scars

Normal Scaring
It is normal for a scar to form after any injury that affects the skin. And because the type of scar depends on the severity of the original wound and the person with the wound, normal has a lot of meanings. Some scars may be raised above the surface, while others, especially acne scars, may be sunken. Some scars are darker than the skin, and some are lighter. Generally scars start off dark and lighten the older they are.

Hypertrophic Scaring
A hypertrophic scar is a scar that forms when the body over produces collagen around the wound site, but stops producing collagen after the wound is healed. This produces a large, raised scar that can take many years to fade. Hypertrophic scars will eventually fade as the collagen is restructured, but they may always be raised above the level of the skin. Some hypertrophic scars are also very dark in addition to being raised.

Keloid Scaring
A keloid scar is a scar that forms when the body keeps producing collagen around the wound site even after the wound is healed. Keloid scars and hypertrophic scars can be very similar in appearance, but they have a few key differences. Keloid scars are more common on people with dark skin and they can form spontaneously on people who are prone to them. A keloid scar will also keep growing, and will eventually grow to be larger than the original wound.

Treatment for scars

For many people an important part of recovery is the reduction of scaring. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can remove a scar completely but with time and proper care many scars can fade so they will hardly be noticeable. There are a variety of options available for reducing a scar once it has formed. Creams/oils and some silicone sheets are the only scar treatments that are available over the counter. The rest are only available through a doctor, usually a dermatologist.
Many doctors and insurance companies require that someone who self harms has gone at least 1 year without self harming before they will perform certain procedures like revision surgery or laser surgery.

Using sunscreen and protecting the scars from UV (the sun and tanning beds) can also help. Scars can burn more quickly than If a scar becomes sunburned the color may never fade, or it may take longer to fade than normal skin.

Creams/Oils
There are a variety of creams/oils available over the counter that can be used to reduce scaring with a range of success. Some products work well, while others don’t seem to have any affect at all. The best thing you can do is experiment with different products until you find something that works for you. Some common products are Mederma, Bio- Oil, Vitamin E Oil or Pharmaclinix.

Silicone Sheets
Silicone sheets can be purchased over the counter, although there are also versions that are available by prescription only. They are applied to the scar for long periods of time, and have shown some success in flattening upraised scars.

Pressure Dressings
Pressure dressings are most often used on burn scars that cover a large area of the skin on the arms and legs. A specially fitted dressing is worn nearly constantly for months to apply pressure to the area causing the scaring to flatten out.

Revision surgery
Revision surgery is generally used for hypertrophic or keloid scars that are wide and upraised. The existing scar is removed via surgery and the wound is then stitched up. The goal of this is to replace the large scar with a narrow flat scar.

Laser Surgery
This is a relatively new method for treating scars, and it has shown some success in fading, but not flattening scars. It isn’t widely available, and is still considered experimental.

Dermabrasion/resurfacing
Dermabrasion or resurfacing scars is where an abrasive medium is used to shave layers of the skin off the top of an upraised scar. This type of treatment is usually done over several weeks or months in a dermatologist’s office with specialized equipment.

Heather 03-06-2009 12:00 AM

Thanks I may try some of those. I appreciate it.


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 05:56 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.