Natural Scarring Treatments
October 16th, 2008Scars are an unfortunate fact of life. Their main goal is to reconnect skin that has been damaged. At first, they may be red or dark and rose after the injury has been healed but will become paler and flatter naturally over time, resulting in a flat, pale scar.
For reasons that are still not completely understood, some people form raised scars that are red and thick and may be itchy or painful. Others form scars that grow beyond the site of an injury, called keloid scars.
Keloid scars are actually engrossed, itchy, puckered scars that grow beyond the limits of an injury or incision and rarely regress. They occur when the body keeps producing tough, fibrous protein (called collagen) after an injury has healed.
Keloid scars can result from any type of damage to the skin, including bruises, tattoos, insect bites, injections or medical procedures, etc. Keloid scars can show anywhere on the body, but most commonly occur over the breastbone, on earlobes and on shoulders.
Keloids are fibrotic tumors characterized by a collection of aberrant fibroblasts with high deposition of extracellular matrix components, mainly elastin, fibronectin, collagen, and proteoglycans. Histologically, keloids have mostly acellular centers and engrossed, abundant collagen bundles that create nodules in the deep dermal section of the lesion. Keloids present a clinical challenge that must be attended as these lesions can cause great pain, pruritus (itch) and physical disfigurement, may not improve in appearance over time, and can even restrict mobility if located over a joint.
Unlike keloids, hypertropic scars are confined to the wounded site and usally flatten out over time. Hypertrophic scars can be hard to distinguish from keloid scars histologically and biochemically because both types accumulate larger amounts of collagen than normal scars. Both can be caused|the result of surgery, accidents and even acne.
Hypertrophic scars, however, will often show declining collagen synthesis after about six months. Hypertrophic scars have about twice as much glycosaminoglycans as normal scars, and this and increased synthetic and enzymatic reactions produce significant alterations in the matrix which alters the mechanical properties of the scars, including decreased extensibility that makes them feel firm.
As with hypertrophic scarring, people having one keloid scar are likely to be prone to this condition in the future and must speak with their doctor or surgeon if they are likely to need injections or to have any kind of surgery.
Atrophic scars are characterized by a thinning and reduced elasticity of the skin due to a loss of normal skin architecture. An example of an atrophic scar is striae distensae, also called stretch marks. This type of scar can also be produced by acne lesions.
A new skin care product is our latest answer to erase scars and alleviate all kind of skin ailments. Elaborated with biological ingredients, it ensures no allergic responses and no negative side effects.
- Candice Zubcic
