Articles

You might be overwhelmed with the cosmetic advances available for treating your skin ailments. Don't let the vast scar treatment options keep you from treating them so you can start looking your best. If you want to reduce the visibility of your scars, take a look into the below opportunities.

Cosmetic Scar Treatments

Dermabrasion describes the method of freezing the skin and then exfoliating the skin away with a rotary instrument. This quick removal of skin signals the body to replace it with new and healthy skin cells. This procedure was originally intended to target pock marks and acne and other scars.

Pros: One treatment works to regenerate new skin and soften the sharpness of scars.

Cons: Dermabrasion requires the administration of either local or even general anesthesia. Recovery time includes 7-10 days of healing, plus an additional 5-6 weeks for the complete disappearance of pinkness. Dermabrasion has little effect with burn scars.

Microdermabrasion is a procedure that combines abrasion and suction to exfoliate away dead skin cells and the superficial layer of skin of the epidermis. The body's healing response to this exfoliation is to speed up the production of new skin.

Pros: Quick duration and short recovery. The skin is irritated to a lesser degree.

Cons: For best results, you should complete 4-8 initial treatments with breaks of 1-2 weeks. It is not a permanent solution and requires follow-up treatments.

Steroid Injections, injected straight into the scar tissue, eliminate color and inflammation as well as slow the production of collagen. Extra collagen forms the protrusion and often causes itchiness.

Pros: Effective in minimizing appearance of hypertrophic and keloid scars.

Cons: Use in excess can lead to thin and weak skin. This type of injection does not work for atrophic scars. Collagen injections works to remove atrophic scars, however, results are not long lasting.

Laser Treatment is available for the different types of scars. The laser is used to cut along the scar and burn away a layer of skin, uncovering the healthy skin below. This works well as a hypertrophic acne scar treatment. When treating atrophic scars, the lasers used stimulate the production of collagen.

Pros: Laser treatment is valuable for the treating of both atrophic and hypertrophic scars. It couples well with other facials or skin treatments, allowing you to combine both facility and anesthesia costs.

Cons: Hyperpigmentation or hypopigmentation are common side effects. Those with skin disorders such as psoriasis, cystic acne and dermatitis should seek other treatment first.

Scar Revision encompasses the types of surgical procedures that improve the appearance of scars by matching it with similar looking skin. Hypertrophic treatment scar revision surgery specifically describes the process of taking scar tissue and changing the incision line to create a less obvious scar.

Pros: Scar revision can be used on scars anywhere over the body. Popular for areas of the body that are difficult to hide. One procedure, one result.

Cons: Time involved can be hours and include anesthesia.

Over the Counter Scar Treatments

Onion Extract can be applied directly to scars to curb inflammation and manufacture of collagen. Regular use over a period of several months is required to achieve desired effects.

Silicone, available as a gel or in sheets, removes extra scar tissue and lightens darkened scars. The reasons for why silicone works are still not fully known.

Mucin, produced by the Helix Aspersa Muller, acts much like the cosmetic procedures discussed above. This secretion has natural anti-inflammatory and exfoliating properties, together stimulating the new production of healthy skin. This product is becoming a new trend in the beauty market.