There are many different ways that we can obtain a scar and the type of injury can influence the way our scar looks. While it is true that scars always follow the same wound healing process, not all scars appear the same. Some common injuries that lead to scars include surgical incisions, burns, abrasions, lacerations, and acne. The difference in the way these wounds heal typically has to do with the size of the wound and how well it’s cared for. However, even under ideal circumstances, scarring is still a possibility. While some scarring is unavoidable, there are clinical-proven methods for reducing their size and appearance.
Continue reading to learn about how different wounds influence scar appearance and what you can do to treat old and new scars.
Burn scars – extreme heat causes skin cells to die, causing a first, second, or third degree burn. A first degree burn usually won’t leave behind a scar, but the other two will. Burns can cover large areas of the body and lead to contracture scars. Contracture scars tighten the skin and muscles and can appear rigid and fixed. Sometimes these scars contribute to functional issues, such as restricted motion in affected areas of the body.
Puncture scars – puncture wounds are characteristically small and round but can become deep if enough force is applied. These wound types are formed by sharp, pointed objects like pencils or nails. Such wounds can cause moderate bleeding as well as infection if not treated early on. Puncture wounds can cause hypertrophic and keloid scars to develop, and they will usually have a round shape.
Acne scars – severe forms of acne, such as cystic acne, can result in scarring later in life if the boils are repeated broken or popped. Even with normal acne, if you are constantly picking at your face, you can damage the skin. Most acne scars become atrophic, or sunken. This is due to a loss of collagen in the damaged area.
Abrasion scars - are marked by the scraping away of the skin, commonly caused by road rash or rug burns. More often than not, abrasions only cause superficial damage to the epidermis (top layer) of the skin followed by little to no bleeding. However, in the case of serious motorcycle or car accidents, road rash can lead to significant bleeding and scarring. Much like burn scars, scars caused by abrasions can cover large areas of the body.
Laceration scars – laceration wounds are marked by a jagged, irregular tearing of the skin that can be caused by a number of sharp or blunt objects like knives and other tools. Lacerations are similar in size and appearance to incisions made in the operating room but often cause greater bleeding and scarring. The scar formed by a laceration will usually be in the shape of a jagged line
Continue reading to learn about how different wounds influence scar appearance and what you can do to treat old and new scars.
Types of injuries and scars
In a well-controlled environment, such as with surgical procedures, wounds can be treated effectively, sometimes with minimal scarring. With most surgical incisions, the patient will be left with a scar that resembles a straight line. Scars that are straight lines are sometimes easier to treat because the scar site is contained to a single area of the body. When it comes to injuries outside of surgery, however, there is no controlled environment and scars can develop into a variety of different shapes and sizes. Oftentimes, when a sporadic injury occurs and the wound isn’t tended to in the best way, abnormal scar types such as hypertrophic scars and keloids can develop.Burn scars – extreme heat causes skin cells to die, causing a first, second, or third degree burn. A first degree burn usually won’t leave behind a scar, but the other two will. Burns can cover large areas of the body and lead to contracture scars. Contracture scars tighten the skin and muscles and can appear rigid and fixed. Sometimes these scars contribute to functional issues, such as restricted motion in affected areas of the body.
Puncture scars – puncture wounds are characteristically small and round but can become deep if enough force is applied. These wound types are formed by sharp, pointed objects like pencils or nails. Such wounds can cause moderate bleeding as well as infection if not treated early on. Puncture wounds can cause hypertrophic and keloid scars to develop, and they will usually have a round shape.
Acne scars – severe forms of acne, such as cystic acne, can result in scarring later in life if the boils are repeated broken or popped. Even with normal acne, if you are constantly picking at your face, you can damage the skin. Most acne scars become atrophic, or sunken. This is due to a loss of collagen in the damaged area.
Abrasion scars - are marked by the scraping away of the skin, commonly caused by road rash or rug burns. More often than not, abrasions only cause superficial damage to the epidermis (top layer) of the skin followed by little to no bleeding. However, in the case of serious motorcycle or car accidents, road rash can lead to significant bleeding and scarring. Much like burn scars, scars caused by abrasions can cover large areas of the body.
Laceration scars – laceration wounds are marked by a jagged, irregular tearing of the skin that can be caused by a number of sharp or blunt objects like knives and other tools. Lacerations are similar in size and appearance to incisions made in the operating room but often cause greater bleeding and scarring. The scar formed by a laceration will usually be in the shape of a jagged line
Clinically-proven scar care
Most scars caused by the wound types mentioned above can be safely and effectively treated using medical-grade silicone. Topical silicone is clinically-proven to prevent and reduce the size and discoloration of keloids and hypertrophic scar formations. Abnormal scars are characterized by the buildup of collagen on the surface of the skin. Medical silicone works through the mechanisms of oxygen and hydration to reduce the collagen buildup, allowing the scar bed to blend in with the surrounding tissue. Silicone is often used soon after a wound has fully healed. However, even fully-matured scars can be reduced using topical silicone. Silicone gel can be purchased through your physician or online at biodermis.com.Biodermis is an innovative market leader with 30 years of expertise in the medical silicone industry. Visit Biodermis.com today to explore a complete range of scar management and post-operative care solutions.
PHYSICIANS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS: REFER OR RESELL?
Biodermis offers custom tailored referral programs designed to simplify and reduce the cost of your patients' post-op care. Additionally, we offer professional pricing if you opt to retail our products. Give us a call at 800.322.3729, and we will be happy to provide additional details on these programs.
