Scars

Scars

Like broken hearts and taxes, scars are an inevitable part of living. Some see them as unsightly marks on otherwise beautiful skin, while others view them as symbols of a life fully lived. Either way, they’re with you for keeps, though they will tend to fade like the memories they represent.

A scar results when the skin repairs itself after being injured from an accident, illness, or surgery. Scarring is just a natural part of your body’s healing process.

One of the little blessings of growing older is that when you get new scars, they’re apt to be thinner and smaller than those that younger people get. Researchers says that young skin repairs itself rapidly and tends to overheal, producing thicker, larger, more unsightly scars.

In general, wounds on tighter skin produce more prominent scars. If you get nicked along your jawline, for instance, the scar may be easy to see. Scars on looser skin tend to be more difficult to make out.

The worst scars arise from wounds that penetrate below the surface layer of the skin and into the deeper layer called the dermis. Picking at a pimple or scratching at an itchy chicken pox lesion can lead to scarring of the dermis, which is why so many of these scars last a lifetime.

Depending on the severity of the wound, it usually takes a scar at least three months to dim. On the other hand, no scar fully disappears. The scar’s color, or pigmentation, usually remains somewhat different from the surrounding tissue, though the difference in color can be hidden with makeup.

There are two ways to approach a scar. The first is to do all you can to minimize it in the wound-healing phase, and the second, to shrink it after it arises.

Try This First

Keep it clean. An infected wound is more likely to form a scar, says Frederic Haberman, M.D., assistant clinical professor of medicine (dermatology) at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and director of the Haberman Dermatology Institute in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Clean the wound thoroughly each day with soap and water and then apply some form of antibiotic ointment, recommends Dr. Haberman.

Other Wise Ways

Keep it moist. “A wound heals more effectively if it is kept moist, as opposed to keeping it exposed to the air and allowing it to dry,” says Larry Millikan, M.D., chairman of the department of dermatology at Tulane University Medical College in New Orleans. “If the skin is moist, you’re optimizing the environment for healing and for promoting healthy skin to grow over the wound. You can also cut the healing time in half.”

Any of a variety of topical ointments, some of which contain mild antibiotics, are excellent for keeping the skin moist and promoting healing, Dr. Millikan says.

But if your medicine chest is out, apply petroleum jelly and even cooking fat, such as vegetable shortening, to the wound, says Dr. Haberman. Both will keep the wound moist and promote healing.

Keep it still. As much as possible, keep the injured skin immobilized because moving or rubbing increases the chances that the scar will become large and prominent, suggests Dr. Millikan. “The more you stretch or pull at tissue that’s been injured, the more you interfere with the healing process, which increases the likelihood of a scar forming,” he says. “The same goes for any friction you expose the wound to. Try to protect the cut from any type of trauma that would reinjure the wound.”

Apply a moisturizer. Once a scar arises, you can still shrink the amount of scar tissue and its appearance by moisturizing the scar, says Dr. Haberman. “There are over-the-counter dressings that contain silicone or a silicone derivative that can be applied directly over the scar,” he says. “These can be worn overnight and are effective at reducing the size of the scar. They literally can shrink the scar tissue.”

Give it a good massage. After you have moisturized the scar, gently massage the tissue in circles, first clockwise, then counterclockwise, and then across, Dr. Haberman recommends. This will promote blood flow to the area and help to soften and break down the old scar tissue, promoting the growth of new and healthy tissue in its place.

Try Mederma. For decades, Europeans have used a product called Mederma, which is a combination of herbs that you apply directly over the scar. “We have seen improvements in patients with elevated scar tissue who have used this product,” says Dr. Millikan. “It’s a plant-based formula and you can get it over the counter. It promotes healing and reduces scar tissue.” If your pharmacy doesn’t keep Mederma in stock, ask your pharmacist to order it for you. Follow package directions for usage.

Reach for a multi. The antioxidants vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, and the mineral zinc all boost the immune system and promote healing, Dr. Haberman says. Use a multivitamin that contains 500 to 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C, 200 to 400 international units (IU) of vitamin E, and up to 2,000 IU of beta-carotene, Dr. Haberman recommends. As for zinc, take 15 milligrams, which is a safe and immune-boosting dose. Although vitamin E is generally sold in doses of 400 IU, one small study showed a possible risk of stroke in dosages higher than 200 IU. Consult with your doctor if you are at high risk for stroke.

Block those rays. Scars have very few pigmentation cells, says Dr. Millikan, which means they do not change color as much as normal skin does when exposed to the sun. This, of course, makes them more visible every time you get sunburned. Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15 to block sun and reduce the differences in color between your normal skin and scar tissue.