Effective Strategies to Attack Keloid and Hypertrophic Scars

After an injury the body has a natural way of healing any open wounds. The production of skin cells and fibroblasts are the first step in the reparation process. The fibroblasts generate a set of connections where the skin cells migrate and close the wound.

In a healthy healing process, the fibroblasts and skin cells have the same rate of production and produce a normal scar that will fade with time. However, if the fibroblasts reproduce faster than the skin cells, they will form a dense band that impedes the migration of the skin cells to the wound. The result, in this case, is a raised formation on the skin known as a keloid scar or hypertrophic scar.

What is the difference between the two? The following article will examine the differences between these types of scars as well as hypertrophic and keloid scar treatment

Keloids

Keloids exceed the area of the original wound. Their appearance is like a puckered cluster of tissue that emerges from the surface of the skin. This type of raised scars are irregular in shape and, unlike other types, they usually do not fade with time, but grow larger.

They can be pinkish or red and have a tendency to become fairly large and unattractive. They can also be tender to the touch, itchy and sometimes painful. On a histological level, keloids are composed of thick and abundant collagen bundles that form lumps deep within the skin.

Hypertrophic Scars

Hypertrophic scars are the result of the body overproducing collagen. The result of this anomaly is a raised scar like a keloid scar. However, unlike keloids, hypertrophic scars do not grow beyond the limits of the original wound.

Treating Hypertrophic and Keloid Scars

There are several treatments for raised scars. But, we will take a look at a couple of the most common ones: compression therapy and corticosteroid injections

Compression therapy involves applying pressure to the scar. Reports have stated that by applying pressure to the scar, there is a reduction in the cohiesiveness of collagen fibers. Compression treatments include ACE bandages, elastic adhesive bandages, compression wraps, spandex or Lycra bandages among others.

Corticosteroids, specifically intralesional corticosteroid injections, have been a constant form of treatment to aid hypertrophic scar healing. Intralesional corticosteroid injections help inhibit the development of scar tissue by reducing collagen synthesis, by altering glucosaminoglycan synthesis, and by inhibiting the production of fibroblast proliferation during wound healing.

Surgery, cryo treatments and laser therapy are other alternatives for the treatment of raised scars. Check with your doctor to choose the best alternative for you.

When abnormal scar healing creates raised scars, you have a large range of treatment alternatives. Deep tissue massages and skin exfoliation are also alternatives for raised scars treatments.

source: ezinearticles.com

Microdermabrasion Scar Treatment

It would be very hard to find someone that does not have at least one scar. Scars are the result of a traumatic experience that has caused inflammation and cell damage. The severity and extent of the scar is a direct result of the amount of trauma a person has experienced.

Some people have no problems accepting these marks as part of life, but other won't stop until they find a way of getting rid of them for good. Fortunately, there are several different treatment options available for this type of skin problem. Skin creams are a very common way of treating scars, especially acne scars. Laser therapy and other resurfacing techniques are also fairly widespread, however, for now we'll only focus on one common treatment for scar removal - skin microdermabrasion.

Microdermabrasion came first began in 1985 when a group of Italian doctors created the first microdermabrasion machine in response to the risks of dermabrasion. Its popularity skyrocketed in the late 1990s with the invention of more sophisticated machines. If your set on using more aggressive treatments such as dermabrasion or chemical peels, then it's because you don't know the benefits ofmicrodermabrasion.

Microdermabrasion is less aggressive and requires less downtime. As a matter of fact, most people don't need any rest after treatment and can go back to work immediately. This is also why some people have dubbed this treatmen as a "lunchtime" treatment. Another difference between dermabrasion and microdermabrasion is that microdermabrasion doesn't require anesthesia. A great benefit for people with sensitive skin is that they can use gentler crystals, instead of the usual crystals.

Some resurfacing techniques will actually cause more scars instead of eliminating them, however, microdermabrasion is so gentle that it will only work on removing scar tissue. Which also means that you will never have to worry about wound care either when undergoing this type of treatment.

Bothe aluminum oxide and sodium bicarbonate are most often used in traditional microdermabrasion. Aluminum oxide crystals, for example, are great for scar treatments while sodium bicarbonate crystals are softer and are most often used to treat hyperpigmentation and milder skin problems. Both of these ingredients are antiseptic and non-toxic. Aluminum oxide is very inexpensive, which makes it the more popular of the two types of materials. Nevertheless, sodium bicarbonate is gaining popularity due to its neutral pH and gentle nature.

Microdermabrasion can be done by using loose, abrading micro-crystals or a diamond tipped wand that offers various degrees of coarseness. Both forms of abrasion work in much the same way and offer similar results with similar prices. Many people have stated that the only reason to pick one over the other is to avoid ingesting or inhaling loose crystals.

Acne Scar Treatment Tips

One such skin problem—and a fairly common one—is acne scars. Healed acne does leave scars in some people, however, and it is not easy to predict who will have scars after acne and who will not. Most cases of acne responds to treatment and clears up without leaving scars.Severe, inflamed, cystic acne always leaves scars after healing, but in some people even superficially inflamed acne can result in scarring. it can leave a red or hyperpigmented mark on the Skin.White blood cells and inflammatory molecules may remain at the site of an active acne lesion for days or even weeks. In people who are susceptible to scarring, the result may be an acne scar

Acne scars starts with causes of scarring, prevention of scarring, types of scars, and treatments for scars. Scars may also contribute to an appearance of age as the skin loses its elasticity over the years.Acne scars two types of tissue response to the inflammation of acne: increased tissue formation, and loss of tissue. Most serious scarring is caused by the more severe forms of acne, with nodules more likely to leave permanent scars than other types of acne. There are some topical skin care products and medications that can improve mild scarring, but most acne scars are treated with a combination of surgical procedures and skin resurfacing. The redness or hyperpigmentation is seen as the skin goes through its healing and remodeling process, which takes approximately 6-12 months. If no more acne lesions develop in that area, the skin can heal normally. Any color change or skin defect still present after 1 year is considered to be a permanent defect or scar.

Treatment Tips of Acne Scar
1.Dermatologic surgery should be the one that is best for you in terms of your type of skin.
2.Fractional laser therapy. This type of treatment works at a deeper level than laser resurfacing or dermabrasion
3.Chemical peel or microdermabrasion to help improve the appearance of scarred areas. These milder treatments can be done right in the office.
4.Filler substances are best used for shallow, saucer-shaped acne scars.
5.Ice pick acne scars have hard, irregular jagged borders and often the depth is irregular as well.

Home Remedies of Acne Scar.
1.Make a paste of sandalwood and rose water. Apply this on the affected areas. Wash with warm water after drying.
2.Apply inside of papaya skin on your face and wash with water after an hour.
3.Cucumber juice also when applied on the acne spots helps to fade the marks.
4.Apply sunscreen lotion on the spots and then after an hour rub lemon juice on it. Lemon is very effective in lightening the spots.
5.Apply tea tree oil on the scars. It will help to unclog the pores and heal the scars.
6.Aloe Vera Juice or Gel is helpful in the fading of the scars and in their healing. Different brands of this gel are available in the market and the effect of each one is different.
7.Lavender oil can also be applied on the acne scars as this oil is very gentle and contains regenerative characteristics.
8.Cut the tomato in half and rub on the skin. Leave on for fifteen minutes. Wash it off with water.
9.Ice cubes can be rubbed on the acne scars for ten to fifteen minutes.
10. If your acne scars are dark, you can use lemon juice to lighten them. First, cleanse the scar with water. Dab one teaspoon of lemon juice into a cotton ball and smooth it over the acne marks. Leave for ten minutes, then rinse.
11.Rosehip seed oil is also another home remedy which reduces acne scars.

How to Prevent Scarring

There are a lot of myths and rumors out there, when it comes to preventing scars. There's also a lot of conflicting views on preventing proper scar. So how do you know if you're doing the right thing? Making the wrong things can heal the wound much more slowly than it will make your scar far worse. However, if you know how to prevent a scar in the right way, you can enjoy clear skin scar later. In many cases you can completely avoid scarring.


Limit the use of hydrogen peroxide. After the initial damage of the skin, clean the wound with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide once. That's all. Repeatedly applying hydrogen peroxide on a wound that kill cells in newly forming skin and slow the healing process. It may seem that you're doing well when it starts to boil, but it kills the cells of the skin with bacteria. This will prolong the healing process and make your scar far worse at the end. Clean the wound once with hydrogen peroxide, then apply an antibiotic ointment afterward. Neosporin will keep the wet and clean, providing the ideal environment to heal in.

Keep covered. Many people will tell you that allow a reduction of breathing. This is really bad and not do. During the initial phase of healing, you want to keep the wound covered in antibiotic ointment as often as possible. They keep the wet and clean is the optimal environment for healing. The crusts are intended to cover a wound as soon as possible, but often leave many scars. They aim to speed, not accuracy. Instead, make your own, with an antibacterial barrier and let the injury heal in a more optimal.

Sunblock. A very simple thing that many people do not realize about the fresh scars is that they are very sensitive to sunlight. The scar tissue and burns the skin cool faster than normal skin and ultimately fade and red. Leaving a scar to be in contact with the sun will turn very red and finally become hyperpigmented. This makes the scar more visible.

There are many techniques for preventing the scar that can be kept free of the scar after the damage of the skin. Early appropriate treatment of the scar may reduce healing times and make the scars less visible. If you are already beyond this point, do not despair, you can still get rid of scars, any age with proper treatment program. Natural scar removal is possible, but avoiding the first, is even better.

Fractional laser for scars

Second-generation erbium-doped 1550-nm laser is highly effective for fractional nonablative treatment of acne and surgical scars, and for moderate photoaging, data from a review of 877 cases revealed. All patients had clear photographic documentation of improvement, with most achieving 70%-80% improvement. Treatment parameters and treatment number varied based on skin type and indication. Patient charts and standardized photography were used to analyze clinical indication with efficacy, adverse effects, and skin types.

We found that the best results were achieved with scars, noting that the average improvement in his patients with acne and nonacne scars was about 80%. The next best results were seen with resurfacing on and off the face, with improvement ranging from 60% to 80%. The results were best in patients with Glogau photoaging II-III. The most variable results were seen in patients undergoing treatment for melasma and deep rhytids; these patients had 20%-40% improvement.

The most common short-term adverse events in this study were transient edema and erythema, which occurred in all patients but resolved within 48 hours, and acne flares, which occurred in 26% of patients. The most common long-term side effect was postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, which was most common in those with type V skin, and which resolved in all patients, noting that there were no permanent side effects.

Surgical scars to improve

Fractional photothermolysis is a promising treatment for surgical scars, including those that have failed to fully respond to other treatments, a small study suggests. In 13 patients with various types and ages of surgical scars, fractional resurfacing using Reliant Technologies Inc.'s 1,550-nm, erbiumdoped fiber laser (Fraxel) resulted in greater than 75% improvement in nine patients and at least 51%-75% improvement in an additional two patients.

The remaining two patients achieved between 25% and 50% improvement. The patients were treated for scars resulting from Mohs surgery, excision, trauma, or plastic surgery, and most underwent a total of three treatments (range, two to eight). Treatments were administered at energy levels of 670 mJ, with final densities of 312-2,500 microthermal zones per square centimeter. Outcomes were based on physician assessment of photographs that were taken at baseline and at 2 weeks following final treatment.

All the characteristics that we looked at improved, including atrophy, hypertrophy, hyperpigmentation, and erythema. Traditional scar treatment involves use of the pulsed dye laser, but it appears that fractional resurfacing may provide better depth of penetration. Admittedly, many of the scars were new, and were possibly still undergoing remodeling, but even older scars showed similar improvement. Scars that had failed to respond fully to prior therapies also responded to the Fraxel laser. It appears that this laser can be used as monotherapy for treating scars, or as an adjunct to other treatments.

Inflammatory hyperpigmentation

If you get redness from acne that turn brown after the active acne goes away, you have Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation, which refers to skin darkening caused by trauma to the skin such as constant friction, shaving, insect bites as well as wounds. Scarring easily from acne, insect bites, skin inflammations and wounds, the redness and brown darkened areas leftover are ugly and tough to treat, even with aggressive exfoliation. In most cases, aggressive exfoliation without proper before and after care will worsen the darkening of scars!

This is common for people with colored skin tones, which is referred to us the fitzpatrick skin type III and greater. The risk of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation is greater than those with fairer skins. Skin darkening caused by trauma is usually pretty resistant to skin lightening. This is due to active pigment cells dropping down from the epidermis into the dermis making the discoloration very difficult to get rid of. Sometimes, it's also because of abnormally tough collagen in the scar tissue formation process, combined with the pigment cells it just makes the scar matrix even harder to treat.

People with dark and colored skin tones should always treat their skins gently, use proper sun care, and avoid very aggressive skin treatments. If they choose to go for aggressive skin peels or dermabrasion, it is suggested that they begin using a skin lightening cream (with non irritating ingredients) several weeks before and after the treatment to avoid further hyperpigmentation. Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation or PIH usually responds well to a more synergistic approach than just one treatment. Combination treatment regimens for treating post inflammatory hyperpigmentation are detailed in my skin lightening reports.