How to remove scars

Where do scars come from

All scars start out the same. I cut myself, hit a nail, hit a sharp edge, burned myself badly - in general, one way or another severely injured my skin. In response, the body launched an emergency regeneration process called Cutaneous Scarring: Basic Science, Current Treatments, and Future Directions. In general terms, it looks like this.

First, blood flows from the wound (with a burn - ichor). Then the blood thickens. Its upper part becomes hard - this is how a crust forms, which protects the wound from infections.

Under the crust, fibroblast cells begin to actively develop. Their task is to quickly replace damaged skin with new, so-called scar tissue.

Scar tissue is not much different from normal skin. Like the epidermis, it is composed almost entirely of collagen protein. And in theory, it should completely repeat the usual skin. But in practice, everything is not quite so: the resulting scar has a different color and a different, denser structure than the surrounding skin.

The reason for this was explained back in 1998 by mathematicians from the University of Warwick (UK). Scientists have discovered A mathematical model of wound healing and subsequent scarring, that in normal skin collagen fibers are intertwined in a criss-cross pattern, which creates the structure of the epidermis as in the photo below.

How to remove scars: in normal skin, collagen fibers are intertwined in a crisscross pattern

But in scar tissue, collagen fibers are always parallel to each other. This gives the scar a completely different structure, unlike the usual epidermis.

How to remove scars: in scar tissue, collagen fibers are always parallel to each other

Why wounds heal in this way is also understandable. It takes time to create a weave of collagen fibers. But, since the risk of infection is high with an open wound, this time is not. The body fills the damaged area with “rectilinear” scar tissue as quickly as possible.

The larger the damage, the more scar tissue will form and the more visible the scar will be. That is why doctors try to put stitches on large incisions: the smaller the distance between the edges of the wound, the smaller the crust will be, and therefore the scar formed under it.

By itself, the scar tissue will not change its structure and will not turn into normal skin.

How to remove scars at home

It all comes down to removing (at least partially) the scar tissue, replacing it with normal skin. How to do this is best decided in conjunction with a dermatologist. A specialist will assess the age, scale, depth, location of your scar and suggest the most effective option.

However, if the scar is small and shallow, you can try to fight it with home methods. To do this, there are various over-the-counter creams, ointments and gels. They contain substances that soften or "dissolve" the damaged upper layer of the epidermis and partially smoothen the skin surface, making the scar less visible.

1. Silicone gels and creams against scars

The beauty of these products is that you can buy them at any pharmacy. Multiple Studies How can home remedies get rid of my old scar? conducted in the last 20 years have confirmed that silicone-based ointments and lotions reduce scars.

2. Means based on onion extract

Ordinary onion juice will work as well. So, one of the studies proved The ability of onion extract gel to improve the cosmetic appearance of postsurgical scars: the use of a gel based on onion extract for 4 weeks promotes skin renewal and makes scars less pronounced.

Sometimes it is recommended to wipe scars with honey, olive oil, aloe juice. However, there is no scientific evidence that these agents can reduce scarring.

3. Home chemical peels

In particular, we are talking about products with glycolic Biweekly serial glycolic acid peels vs. long-term daily use of topical low-strength glycolic acid in the treatment of atrophic acne scars or a combination of Glycolic Acid Peels Versus Salicylic – Mandelic Acid Peels in Active Acne Vulgaris and Post-Acne Scarring and Hyperpigmentation: A Comparative Study of Salicylic and Mandelic Acids.

You can also wipe the scar with a pharmacy lotion based on salicylic acid - the same way that it is often prescribed in the fight against juvenile acne.

How to remove scars when home remedies aren't working

There are no options here: if you want to return the skin smoothness - contact a dermatologist or cosmetologist. Depending on the scale of the problem, the physician will offer you one of the hardware or even surgical methods of Cosmetic Procedures: Scars of treatment. Here are the most popular ones.

1. Professional chemical peels

We are talking about products with a high concentration of acids that dissolve the damaged upper layer of the epidermis. In order to form not a new scar at the site of the removed scar, but normal young skin, certain care and adherence to the rules of the recovery period will be required.

Please note: only a specialist can prescribe and apply professional acid peels!

2. Dermabrasion

This is the name of mechanical skin resurfacing with a special device with a rotating circular nozzle (cutter). This helps to even out superficial scars and make them less visible.

The procedure is quite traumatic, and the skin from which the top layer was removed will need rehabilitation. But after this intervention, a young and delicate epidermis of normal structure will appear at the site of the scar.

3. Injections

Depending on whether your scar looks like hypertrophic (convex) or atrophic (concave), a doctor may prescribe injections.

In the case of atrophic scars, fillers are injected under the skin - preparations based on collagen, hyaluronic acid, fat or other substances selected specifically for you. Fillers fill in depressed scars, smoothing the surface of the skin. Their main disadvantage is that they are removed after 6-18 months, so the procedure will have to be repeated.

If the scar, on the other hand, is convex, the doctor will prescribe injections of products with an absorbable effect. The most commonly used drugs for these purposes are corticosteroids, chemotherapy drugs fluorouracil (5-FU), and interferons. Such injections are carried out in courses, and the beautician prescribes the number of sessions and the interval between them.

4. Surgical removal of the scar

This is an extreme method. They resort to it if none of the above methods worked, and the scars poison their owner's life (for example, being a serious cosmetic defect).

The surgeon will remove the damaged area of the skin and, if the scar was not wide, will apply a cosmetic suture. After the resorption of the threads, a scar will also remain, but much thinner and almost invisible.

For scars of large sizes, plastic is required: the doctor will transplant a skin flap from another part of the patient's body to the place of the remote area of the epidermis.