Scar removal
The scar removal procedure is mainly carried out due to the fact that they do not disappear over time, and to one degree or another represent a cosmetic defect.
A scar is a dense connective formation that occurs as a result of tissue regeneration after inflammation or damage. For example, scars appear on the skin after wound healing, in the myocardium after a heart attack, and in the duodenum after an ulcer.
The choice of method for removing scars depends on both their type and how long ago they appeared.
Types of scars and their causes
Dermatologists and cosmetologists are constantly faced with the need to remove postoperative scars. In addition, overgrowth of connective tissue is likely after trauma or burns, and as a result of some acute and chronic skin conditions such as acne or chickenpox. At first, the scars have a reddish tint, and then they are depigmented. Scar characteristics depend on the following factors:
- Localization and depth of the wound;
- Incorrect damage treatment;
- Metabolic disorders (atherosclerosis, diabetes, hypovitaminosis);
- Age (scars in adults are less noticeable than in children and adolescents);
- Individual characteristics (abnormal scarring is more common in red-haired and dark-skinned people);
- Hereditary predisposition.
Scar formation is also influenced by X-rays and ultraviolet radiation and wound infection.
The method of scar removal may depend on the type of defect formation. Hypertrophic, or keloid, scars protrude above the skin as a result of excess collagen production and the formation of a large amount of tissue. Elastin is almost not involved in this process. In the area of the scar, darkening of the skin, itching and pain are noted. After proper treatment and restoration of the stratum corneum of the skin, the scar is smoothed and takes on a natural shade.
Removing atrophic scars also helps to get rid of a serious cosmetic deficiency. With this type of scarring, the opposite picture is observed - the defect is located below the skin level, has a pale color and reduced sensitivity. After various skin diseases, for example, cystic acne, areas appear where the dermis is thinned and subcutaneous fat is almost completely absent. It is in these places that depressions occur.
Scars in the form of craters or pits are most common in acne and chickenpox. Insufficient tissue formation under the skin layer that has been destroyed by the rash leads to the formation of "chipped" scars. The severity of the defect depends on the stage and severity of the transferred inflammatory processes.
As a result of natural wound healing, fine white scars sometimes form. They are not susceptible to traditional treatments and can grow after grinding or scraping the top layer of the dermis. With hypopigmentation, to remove scars, according to reviews, silicone plates are successfully used, with which they create oxygen starvation and thereby reduce collagen synthesis.
After minor injuries, such as minor burns or acne, the skin may turn brown or purplish. Hyperpigmentation occurs as a result of excess production of melanin and can persist over a long period.
If tissue grows without compromising the integrity of the skin, then scar atrophy is likely to occur. An example is striped skin atrophy. The formation of stretch marks, or stretch marks, usually occurs with a sharp increase in body weight, as well as during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Scar removal methods
Most often, the reason for contacting a dermatologist is precisely postoperative scars, the removal of which is the best way to get rid of pronounced traces of surgical intervention. There are the following correction methods:
- Drug treatment;
- Beech therapy;
- Mesotherapy;
- Cryodestruction;
- Surgical excision;
- Grinding.
A variety of ointments contribute to the absorption and healing of scars, which restore impaired blood circulation and accelerate tissue regeneration. Usually drugs are combined with physical therapy.
Buki therapy is used to remove postoperative hypertrophic scars. The surface layers are exposed to X-ray irradiation, as a result of which the growth and deformation of scar tissue is stopped.
The introduction of small doses of various drugs under the skin during mesotherapy affects small scars, and also allows you to get rid of age spots and small wrinkles.
Cryodestruction with liquid nitrogen freezes pathological tissues, disrupting the vital activity of cells. This method of scar removal, according to experts, has almost no contraindications and does not require anesthesia.
Surgical excision is indicated for small scars. After eliminating the excess of connective tissue, intradermal cosmetic sutures are applied. The characteristics of a new scar depends on many factors, and the final result of the operation can be assessed no earlier than after 3 months.
Dermabrasion is a mechanical method of skin resurfacing to remove scars of any complexity, including recently acquired ones. The procedure consists in removing the surface layer of the dermis using a special set of cutters. Dermabrasion should not be performed on areas with complex relief and thin skin, such as the eyelids.
The principle of laser scar removal consists in layer-by-layer resurfacing of old connective tissue and stimulation of the development of elastic and collagen fibers. The most gentle is the erbium laser, which acts locally and does not affect healthy skin.
Many specialists prefer to carry out laser scar removal due to the delicacy and high accuracy of this method, which does not allow deep tissue damage.
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