Scar /skär/ noun

a mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not healed completely and fibrous connective tissue has developed.

How Does Scarring Happen?Our bodies have an incredible capacity to heal themselves. Scarring is one of the ways in which our body natural heals itself after an injury.

Types of Scars1. Contracture Scar: This type of scar typically results from skin that has been burned. These scars tighten the skin and may also affect muscles and nerves that are deep beneath the surface of your skin.

2. Atrophic Scar: Typically caused by acne, chicken pox, surgery or accidents, these scars are characterized by an indentation in the skin, which occurs as the result of of damage to collagen, fat or other tissues beneath the surface of the skin.

3. Hypertrophic Scar: Raised red scars that are similar to a keloid, but do not extend beyond the original injury.

4. Keloid scar: Dense, raised scars that form when too many new cells are produced during the healing process. These scars extend beyond the original injury, typically covering the wound as well as the surrounding area. Keloid scars are most commonly found in people with darker skin.

5. Acne Scars: If you’ve struggled with acne, you most likely have some scars to prove it. These scars can range from deep pits to small, deep holes to scars that are angular in appearance.

How to Remove Scars Scar removal cream: Scar cream can work wonders to help fade scars. Look for a high preforming cream formulated without toxic ingredients, synthetics or chemicals.   Key ingredients to look for are Helychrysum, which is known for it’s powerful wound-healing properties, Tamanu, which has been clinically proven to reduce the appearance of scars and Aloe vera, which has been shown to significantly reduce inflammation.

Microdermabrasion: Typically a treatment administered at a Medi-spa, Microdermabrasion removes the outermost layer of skin using a spray of microcrystals resulting in younger, healthier looking skin. While Microdermabrasion has been shown to help reduce the appearance of both sunken (atrophic) and raised (hypertrophic) scars, it tends to work better on raised scars.

Laser Treatment: There are two types of laser treatments that are effective in treating mild to moderate scarring.   Ablative laser treatment is used to remove a small area of skin around the scar, which results in a new, smooth-looking area of skin. The other type of laser treatment, Non-ablative, helps to stimulate the production of collagen, a protein naturally found in skin which helps repair and regenerate damaged skin tissue.