How To Safely And Effectively Deal With Body And Facial Scars

June 17, 2021

  

Scars are a result of the healing processes after a bodily injury. The injury could be from an accident, disease, or acne that damages the thick part of the skin, the dermis. Scars do not hurt but are a permanent deformity that affects the physical appearance of a person. They affect the self-esteem of the person and his life, especially when the scar is conspicuous.

There are different methods to deal with scars, and it is wise to consult a professional dermatologist to assess the scarred skin to be advised which option would be best for treatment. Some scar treatment methods are chemical peeling, laser treatment, silicone scar gel or silicone gel sheet, and dermabrasion.

1. Chemical Peeling

In this treatment, a chemical solution is applied on the scar for the top layer of the skin to peel off, and then the smooth skin replaces it. To get good results, a client might have to go through the procedure more than once. This treatment treats uneven skin tones, fine wrinkles, burn scars, dark pigmentation, and precancerous growth.

The treatment is in three depths. Light chemical peeling, also known as superficial chemical treatment, is for surface scars on the epidermis, the skin surface. Medium chemical peeling treats scars that have affected the dermis, the layer after the epidermis. Deep chemical peeling treats skin scars that are deep into the skin like precancerous growth.

Chemical peeling treatment improves the texture of the skin and the appearance of the scar. However, this treatment is not permanent, as the skin scars recur with aging, when the wrinkles appear, and the skin gets discolored again.

2. Use of Silicone Gel Sheeting and Silicone Scar Gel

Medical professionals highly recommend silicone gel sheeting and silicone scar gels for scar treatment as it is very effective for scar management. The therapy uses silicone medical adhesive tape products for scar therapy. Silicone adhesives are gentle, breathable, and are effective in scar reduction. The scar is covered with silicone adhesive tape that hydrates the suppressed cells to normalize their performance and reduce the spot.

The silicone gel therapy is used to treat scars caused by surgery, burn accidents, and other skin injuries. The silicone scar adhesives are used two weeks after the wound closes for 12 hours a day for two months. However, the silicone scar gel and adhesive tapes shouldn’t be used to treat atrophic scars. Atrophic scars are deep in the skin and are caused by skin diseases and acne. Silicone gel therapy is very effective for scar management, hence its popularity with medical practitioners.

3. Laser Treatment

Laser treatment uses intense beams of light focused on the scar to treat it. The therapy is for scars caused by acne, burns, skin disease, and injury. A client must have a medical consultation first before using laser treatment as it is a sensitive procedure.

The doctor moves a wand of laser on the scar to remove and reduce its size. This improves the skin's appearance. The retreatment is done in three methods, ablative laser resurfacing, fractionated laser resurfacing, or non-ablative laser resurfacing.

Ablative laser resurfacing treats scars, warts, and wrinkles by improving their appearance. Fractionated laser resurfacing removes dark pigmentation and stimulates collagen production, enabling the growth of new skin. The new skin reduces the size of the scar. Non-ablative laser resurfacing penetrates the deep skins to stimulate collagen and cause skin renewal to replace scarred skin.

4. Dermabrasion

Dermabrasion treatment procedure removes the skin surface using special equipment to blend the scar with the skin. This form of scar treatment is popular for facial scars caused by acne, burns, skin diseases, or tissue irregularity. The dermatologist uses high-speed equipment with an abrasive wheel to exfoliate the scarred skin. A smoother skin grows back as dermabrasion improves the appearance of the skin as it removes fine facial lines, skin flaws.

This procedure is used with other cosmetic procedures for better results. This treatment can be permanent or temporary, depending on the scars. The permanent treatment removes tattoos, scars, or growth on the skin. When used to treat wrinkles, facial texture, and coloring, the process is temporary as aging and sun exposure scars the skin again.

There are many more treatments for body and facial scars treatment. What influences the choice of a client is the scar type, treatment effectiveness, and cost. It is prudent to consult a professional dermatologist to make an informed choice of treatment. Since scars are permanent, they can be difficult to remove. Some treatment methods can only improve the appearance of the scar and reduce its size. However, it does not hurt to try the treatment, so long as it will enhance the appearance of the skin.

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