Traumatic scarring results from healing after significant injury to the skin. There are many potential sources of injury, such as sharp objects that penetrate the skin, thermal or chemical burns, and friction or scraping.
The Facts of Traumatic Scarring
Atrophic scars are lower and thinner than the surrounding skin. Hypertrophic scars are thickened and elevated above the skin but remain within the boundaries of the initial injury. Keloid scars are elevated and extend beyond the boundaries of the initial injury.
Hypertrophic scars that result from burn wounds are more difficult to treat. Superficial burn wounds usually heal without forming hypertrophic scars. Deep burn wounds are harder to treat. Many dermatologic and plastic surgeons treat these by removing the burned area and then using a skin graft.
For some people, scar tissue may cause pain, tightness, itching, or difficulty moving. Due to the way that scar tissue matures over time, these symptoms may occur years after an injury. Helping scar tissue mature and heal at home may improve these symptoms.
The scar will appear to become more lumpy and redder at first. This process will take between two and six weeks. Between approximately four and eight weeks the scar will look much wider and redder than it did initially. This is usually the worst the scar will look, and this is a natural part of the healing process.
Chest and Shoulders
There are similar mechanical and biological differences in the skin around the chest, or sternum, and the deltoid, or upper arm and shoulder. According to the National Institutes of Health, these two areas have the worst results on the body when it comes to significant scarring.
It is theorized that negative emotions or memories -excessive fear, anger, sorrow- which were experienced at the time of tissue trauma (from injury or surgery) can interfere with normal tissue repair, thus leading to abnormal and harmful (toxic) scar tissue formation.
Mature scars can also flatten out as they go through this aging process, but it's important to note that scars will never go away completely. Even with some scar treatments, the appearance will be improved, but they will never totally disappear because the skin composition is different from the surrounding tissues.
Wound healing is classically divided into 4 stages: (A) hemostasis, (B) inflammation, (C) proliferation, and (D) remodeling. Each stage is characterized by key molecular and cellular events and is coordinated by a host of secreted factors that are recognized and released by the cells of the wounding response.
Two of the most common types are hypertrophic and keloid scarring, both of which experience excessive stiff collagen bundled growth overextending the tissue, blocking off regeneration of tissues. Another form is atrophic scarring (sunken scarring), which also has an overexpression of collagen blocking regeneration.
Traumatic wounds are a type of sudden or unplanned injury that can occur after accidents or due to any violence. These wounds include abrasions, lacerations, skin tears, bites, burns, and penetrating trauma wounds, etc. while the acute, cut, and penetrating wounds are the three categories of traumatic wounds.
Acne scars can be sunken (depressed) due to the loss of tissue. They may look like ice pick pits. They can be rolling, creating a wavy texture in the skin or they may also be boxlike. These are sometimes called boxcar acne scars and are often on the face.
If the scar begins to throb or becomes painful at a future date, many people still tolerate it as a reminder of successful healing. They do not hold the scar to the same traumatic standard as they do the original wound. At this point, it may be safe to say that, metaphorically speaking, a scar is not a wound.
When a scar first develops on lighter skin, it's usually pink or red. Over time, the pinkish color fades, and the scar becomes slightly darker or lighter than the color of the skin. In people with dark skin, scars often appear as dark spots. Sometimes scars itch, and they may be painful or tender.
1. We look at ourselves from the eyes of the world. We look in the mirror and see what the world will see of us--not the person we are, not the good we've done, only the scarred face that has come to be associated with negative, "unsettling" emotions.
The scar tissue carcinoma is a rare disease which arises from the floor of unstable scars, chronic fistulae, ulcera and radiation injuries.
Areas such as the chest and shoulders tend to scar worse than other areas. Scars in these tension areas are often thicker and more pronounced. You'll also find thicker scars occurring on elbows and knees due to their high tension qualities.
“When we're younger, we secrete more SDF1 into the blood stream to form scars, but as we age, we lose this ability, which allows tissue to regenerate.”
Type 3 skin has a higher scarring potential than Type 1 or 2. Type 4 skin is described as olive or caramel toned, typically with hazel or brown eyes and dark hair. Type 4 skin tans very easily and may still burn with long sun exposure. Type 4 skin scars easily.
Bio-Oil helps to improve the appearance of new or old scars; whether from surgery, accidents, burns, insect bites, scratches or conditions such as acne or chickenpox. Although younger scars will have a greater chance of improvement, studies have shown that older scars also benefit from regular use of Bio-Oil.
Don't Pick at the Wound
It can worsen acne and scarring, per the AAD. In addition to picking, refrain from scratching or manipulating wounds or newly formed scabs. “Picking at wounds during the healing process leads to increased inflammation and scarring,” Salyards says.