In time, some collagen breaks down at the site of the wound and the blood supply reduces. The scar gradually becomes smoother and softer. Although scars are permanent, they can fade over a period of up to 2 years. It's unlikely they'll fade any more after this time.
The cells in the superficial or upper layers of skin, known as the epidermis, are constantly replacing themselves. This process of renewal is basically exfoliation (shedding) of the epidermis. But the deeper layers of skin, called the dermis, do not go through this cellular turnover and so do not replace themselves.
After a scar is first formed, the body continues to touch up its work where it can - which is why scars fade slightly over the years when left alone. But scar tissue does not get replaced by this process2, which means that most scars, when left to heal naturally, will never fully disappear.
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.
Scars cannot be removed completely, but they can often be made less visible.
Keloid scars
The scar keeps growing, even after the wound has healed. Keloid scars are raised above the skin and can be pink, red, the same colour or darker than surrounding skin. They're often itchy or painful, and can restrict movement if they're tight and near a joint.
Another homemade remedy to clear scars is by the use of baking soda, which is a natural exfoliator and aids in gently scraping the scar tissue layer by layer. Make a light paste using two parts of water and one part of baking soda. Scrub this gently on the scars for about a minute after which you can rinse it off.
Your scar may be reddened at first and then settle down to become smoother and paler in colour. It can take up to 12-18 months after your injury or operation for a scar to heal. A normal scar will become darker initially and after a period of time this will start to fade.
When you age, wound healing slows down because the skin is thinner. However, age isn't the only factor that can affect wound healing and recovery. Some of the other factors can include: Nutrition: An essential component of healing, proper nutrition can prevent optimal healing or encourage it.
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.
When do scars look their worst? For the first couple of weeks after surgery, a scar can appear red, angry and lumpy. Between approximately four and eight weeks, it can look wider and redder and, at times, worse than it looked initially.
Chemical Peel or Dermabrasion
These procedures can reduce the look of severe scars. They remove the top layers of skin to get rid of surface scars and bring deeper scars closer to the surface. When the skin peels off, the new skin may temporarily be reddish, sore, or swollen.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND the question is complex. And the answer to whether a wound will leave a scar is dependent on a combination of biological processes that include the characteristics of the original wound and how it healed, and the way the skin cells regenerate.
As long as some of the layers of skin are still in place, new skin will form in the bottom of the wound and along the wound edges.
As a result, your skin type has a profound effect on the type and prominence of your scars. Your ethnicity plays a role in how scars appear in relation to your skin's natural pigmentation. As a result, scars are more prominent in people with darker skin types.
Children who encounter cuts or scrapes will recover much faster and with less signs of injury than older people. The latest studies suggest that although the same bodily healing processes occur in older people as in children, there may be some impact of aging and the healing process.
Pathogenic scarring is more likely to occur in areas of high wound tension, such as the chest or back, or occur after wounds with secondary infection. Children are particularly susceptible to pathogenic scarring, including hypertrophic scars and keloids, from age 2 years through adolescence.
During these processes, a person will begin to experience the physical effects of inflammation, such as swelling and a red or reddish-purple appearance to their scar. Most of the time red or reddish-purple scars will fade in color as the wound heals, which typically takes around 12 months.
Most dark spots will then fade on their own over time, but it may take a long time. Skin injury: As the wound heals, you may see a dark spot or patch. In time, the hyperpigmentation will fade if you don't re-injure your skin.
As your skin continues to heal, the scar will flatten and change color. In time, many flat scars are nearly the same color as your skin. A flat scar may also be paler or slightly darker than your surrounding skin. Proper wound care may increase the likelihood that you'll see a flat scar instead of a raised scar.
Gels or sheets made of silicone are available over the counter to help with healing and fading fresh scars and are the most suggested and effective at-home scar healing product, Dr. Rogers suggests. “Use these on a daily basis for 90 days after a scarring event, and they're likely to make your scar less red,” she says.