Scar Healing Treatments and Tips

Scar healing is the result of biologic wound repair and is a complex process. With the exception of minor lesions, every skin wound causes some degree of permanent scarring. Complete scar healing can take up to 2 years. Scars continue to soften, flatten and fade during this time.

Various factors influence the way scars heal:

1) Age - younger skin is more prone to abnormal and exaggerated scarring. This can lead to hypertrophic or keloid scars. Older skin takes longer to recover.

2) Skin type - scar healing is typically worse in people with darker skin types. African and Hispanic ancestry is associated with a higher risk of developing hypertrophic or keloid scars.

3) Genetics - abnormal scarring can be inherited.

4) Location - movement of scars over joints can make them wider.

5) Infection - infected wounds do not heal well. The final scar may be raised, wide, uneven and abnormally red or dark.

6) Poor nutrition - not eating healthily can deprive the body of much needed nutrients that are needed for optimal wound healing.

7) Smoking - components of cigarette smoke cause blood vessels to clamp down and decrease blood flow. Wounds that do not receive enough blood are more prone to poor wound healing and worse scarring.

8) Sun exposure - exposing fresh scars to the sun can cause permanent redness which makes the scar more obvious.

So what can you do to improve scar healing?

1) Keep fresh wounds clean. Don't be afraid to wash your wounds but use a skin-friendly soap like Dial. Also keep fresh wounds covered to prevent dirt and bacteria entering and increasing the risk of an infection.

2) Eat healthily. Make sure your diet contains enough protein, vitamins (like vitamin C) and minerals (like copper and zinc).

3) Don't smoke.

4) Protect healing scars from the sun. Cover them with clothing initially and use sunblock as soon as the scar is healed enough and the skin has closed over.

5) Scar massage - firm massage of the scar for several minutes, multiple times a day has been shown to help soften and flatten scars.

6) Use a scientifically-proven scar treatment - there are plenty of scar treatment options out there but most promise much and deliver little. Commonly recommended therapies include onion extract and vitamin E. Multiple clinical studies have shown that neither of these get rid of scars. Vitamin E actually causes contact dermatitis in up to 33% of users! Scientifically-proven treatments to look for include dimethicone silicone sheeting or gel (softens scars), topical vitamin C (encourages healthy collagen formation), and some all-natural botanicals like aloe vera (anti-inflammatory) and licorice extract (lightens dark discoloration). Whichever scar therapy you choose, start using it as soon as initial scar healing has taken place and continue using it until no further improvement in scar appearance is seen.