Introduction
Did it ever happen to you during your childhood that you were riding your bike down a hill, you skipped identifying the pothole in front of you, and before you hit the brakes, your bike flew in the air? If it did not happen to you, you are lucky because most children during their early days of bike learning meat such accidents. While some got hurt too severely, others remained left with nasty cuts on their knees that eventually became scars.
There are many reasons for scars to accumulate. A scar is common in most humans from a surgical procedure, after an injury, and even when an infection goes away. All the parts of our body can have scars.
While scars are widespread, and many people, after an unfortunate incident, have them, scars are also the reason for massive insecurity among some. Those people feel self-conscious about their scars, depending on their scar type and position on their body. This is why it is essential to make them know that scar removal is possible.
Since there are various types of scars, different types of scar removal treatments also prevail that can help you remove the type of scar you have regardless of the body part on which it occurred.
This article will discuss what a scar is, the different types of scars and how to treat them with suitable modalities. Remember having a scar is ok, but it must not be a source of insecurity in your life.
Therefore, if you have one that you want to get rid of, learn how to take care of it properly, read this article till the end, and know how to identify and treat the scar you have.
What Is A Scar?
It is said that one must wear their scars with pride since scars are nothing but marks of life experiences. Technically, scars are the body’s way of healing and replacing damaged or lost skin. For example, if you happen to lose your skin during the healing process of an injury or surgery, you are likely to have a scar.
After an injury or surgery, when our skin starts growing new tissues to pull together the wound and fill the gaps, it results in a scar. And scars are generally made of fibrous tissues named collagen.
As mentioned earlier, scars can appear on any part of the body. On the one hand, where you can get a scar on your face, you can also get one on your toe. The scar’s location ultimately depends upon where the wound took place, and these scars can look different for everyone depending on their type of scar.
Furthermore, where some scars are flat and painless, others can be raised and cause itchiness. Some scars are colored and painful too. It all depends upon how you accumulated the scar.
Different types of scars can occur because of different kinds of injuries, infections, and surgical procedures. As we were talking about the differentiation in the appearance of scars, it is like darker-skinned people are more likely to develop keloid scars, which we will know about when we further read this article. Many factors contribute to the appearance of scars, such as skin type, type of injury, age, etc.
However, in many cases, scars fade on their own. But that is not the case for all scars. Depending on your scar type, it can be painful and sometimes cause insecurities.
Read more about How to Remove Blackheads from Nose?
Finding the proper scar treatment is the best solution if you are currently dealing with any scar you want to get rid of. We will now gradually shift to discussing types of scars and various treatment options to minimize the appearance of scars.
Types Of Scars
Any human being with a scar on their skin might not know what type of scar it is. They probably don’t know that there are many types of scars. However, to get the proper treatment, you must understand what kind of scar you have. Scars are not as superficial as you may think.
This article will discuss 6 common types of scars and their leading causes.
Acne Scars
Acne scars are the most common on the face, chest, and back. More than 80% of people between the age of 11 and 30 get acne, and 1/5 of people develop acne scars.
Acne is a skin condition that occurs when bacteria, dead skin cells, and oils pile up and inflame a pore through which oil and sweat are secreted.
Though around 40,000 cells fall off our skin daily, sometimes they clog the pores and result in white and blackheads. And when those pores are inflamed, they lead to acne.
There are four different types of acne, including:
- Papules
- Pustules
- Nodules
- Cysts
No matter the type of acne you accumulate, you can face acne scars since scarring is a general response to its repair.
Acne scars generally are of two forms: either a scar will develop when there is a loss of tissue resulting in a dent on the surface of the skin, or a scar will develop, which is raised on the surface of the skin.
But remember that if you have acne on your face, it does not mean you will have scars. But if you do, they are called acne scars. There are three types of acne scars: icepick, rolling, and boxcar.
Keloid Scars
Keloid scars are also formed to protect injured skin, such as acne scars and burns. When your skin is injured, fibrous tissue forms over the wound to protect and repair the injury over time. And in some cases, when those extra scarred tissues grow and create a smooth and hard growth, it is called keloids.
In many people, keloid scars are much bigger than the original wound, and the most common places of keloid scars are the chest, earlobes, cheeks, and shoulders. However, keloids can also affect other body parts apart from these body parts.
Keloids are not harmful to the health of a human, but most of the time, they create cosmetic concerns.
Identifying keloid scars is easy since keloids come from the overgrowth of scar tissues. But some of the symptoms of keloid scars might include
- A lumpy ridged area on the skin that is usually raised
- A flesh-colored or pink-colored area that continues to grow more extensive than the original wound over time
- An itchy patch of skin
Though keloid scars are itchy at times, they are not harmful to the health. But for someone with keloid scars, experiencing a little tenderness and discomfort alongside possible irritation from any friction is common. Keloid scars are generally visible in large body areas but are usually rare. And if it happens, the tight scar tissue may restrict movement.
Apart from acne scars, the other causes of keloid scars include burns, ear piercing, scratches, vaccination, burns, etcetera. And around 10% of people with at least one reason for keloid scar experience this type of scarring.
Flat Scars
Flat scars are precisely the opposite of keloid scars. For a while, keloid scars are raised, and flat scars are flattened. However, at the beginning of flat scar occurrence, it might appear to be slightly raised that flatten out when it heals.
Flat scars are also pink or red; with time, the color may vary slightly and become lighter or darker than the surrounding skin.
In general, 90% of the scars are flat and thin. And though those cars remain flat, they can become widened with time. Flat scars are common in areas constantly in motion, such as the shoulder and knee.
Though flat scars are often easy to camouflage with makeup, sometimes they are very prominent on a body part and cause significant distress emotionally, physically, or psychologically for a person.
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Atrophic Scars
The atrophic scar may occur when the skin cannot regenerate tissue correctly after an injury. Unlike keloid scars, atrophic scars are depressed in appearance, which means the healing occurs below the skin’s surface.
After acne or chicken pox, atrophic scars are pretty standard, although, in many people, these scars occur after having a mole removed or after reconstruction surgery. The three common types of atrophic scars are icepick scars, flat-bottomed scars, and rolling scars.
Icepick scars appear like deep pores, flat-bottomed scars resemble chicken pox scars, and rolling scars are identified by the lack of distinct edges and their location of occurrence around the cheeks.
Hypertrophic Scars
Hypertrophic scars are the ones that are raised. They are similar to keloids by appearance but are not characteristically identical. When excessive collagen grows at the wound site, hypertrophic scars occur.
Hypertrophic scars, unlike keloid scars, don’t grow beyond the border of the wound, but those scars can become thicker and more prominent over time.
The most common cause of a hypertrophic scar is cosmetic surgery like a tummy tuck. After an incision is made to perform cosmetic surgery, hypertrophic scars occur in those areas where the skin is taut such as the chest, upper arms, back, and shoulders.
It takes up to a few weeks for a hypertrophic scar to develop after the wound has occurred. Though it can go on its own, the process might take years. Therefore, finding the right treatment option is always a good idea to treat a hypertrophic scar, especially if a person is insecure about it.
Stretch Marks
When our skin expands or shrinks quickly, stretch marks are common. When the connective tissues under the skin become damaged, it results in a scar. Stretch marks are commonly found in pregnant women and humans during puberty. You can also develop stretch marks after losing or gaining weight.
Stretch marks can occur on any part of your body, but the most common areas are your stomach, breasts, and arms. Stretch marks appear like lines across the body that can be red, brown, or pink, depending on your skin tone.
Stretch marks start dark and noticeable and gradually fade over time. Fortunately, there are many treatment options to treat stretch marks at home and professionally, using over-the-counter medications, prescription medications, and cosmetic treatments.
Contracture Scars
A contracture scar is a result of the contractile wound healing process. It typically happens after a burn and results in tightening the skin and restricting the movement of the skin. In contracture scars, the underlying tissues are pulled together during the healing process. Therefore, a contractor scar can impact the joints, muscles, and tendons and result in decreased movement.
Depending upon the location of this type of scar on your body, the lack of movement can be frustrating. Fortunately, there are different types of treatments available to treat contracture scars.
What Are The Best Possible Scar Removal Methods?
Scars are relatively common, but that does not mean you don’t need to be careful about treating them. In fact, in most people, scars are the reason behind significant insecurity. Depending upon the scar’s type, size, and location, people feel self-conscious, so it is crucial to find the proper treatment for it.
But before you self-diagnose your scar, it is always better to visit a doctor to learn about the specific type of scar. And dermatologist is the right person to tell you what kind of scar you have, if the scar will fade on its own or if you need treatment.
There are various scar removal treatments that your dermatologist might recommend, such as:
Corticosteroid Injections:
Corticosteroid injections are recommended for people with raised scars. In most cases, keloid and the hypertrophic scar can be reversed with corticosteroid injections. Over the period, the treatment method has helped many people; hence, it is one of the dermatologists’ favorites.
The clinical name of corticosteroid injections used in intralesional is triamcinolone. Triamcinolone comes under corticosteroids, which generally contain gels and creams prescribed by dermatologists for various skin conditions, in this case, treating scars.
Corticosteroids are found as biologically occurring hormones in mammals and some vertebrates. Dermatologists administer those injections directly on the scar to stop the scar tissue overgrowth and to reverse the condition.
In some cases, corticosteroid injections are injected into the scar tissue to prevent scar tissue formation and decrease the proliferation response involved in repairing wounds by slowing collagen production. Corticosteroid injections have shown benefits in softening and flattening scars and helping them to blend with the surrounding tissues.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy is another most trusted magical treatment that can disappear any scar. In dermatology, laser therapy is one of the safest treatments for getting impressive results while avoiding severe side effects.
Laser therapy is suggested to individuals after surgery to prevent scar formation alongside reducing the appearance of a scar, pain, and itchiness. Though the result highly depends on how the individual’s skin reacts to laser therapy, laser treatment is used to safely treat many types of scars.
In most cases, more than one laser session is involved in getting the best results, and often dermatologists combine laser therapy with other treatment modalities in case the patient has deep scars.
In laser therapy, a handheld device is used to emit laser radiation and to damage the scar from the root, and it is necessary to know that the type of laser used in scar treatment is a non-ablative laser.
Injury scars, acne scars, age spots, dark spots, hyperpigmentation, burn marks, everything can be reduced with laser therapy. However, dermatologists might not encourage laser treatments if you have active acne, darker skin, and skin sores.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is mainly used to treat raised scars like keloid scars. Mostly superficial radiation is used in such treatment. Superficial radiation therapy is a tissue-preserving technology in which high-energy rays and particles kill cells. The procedure is as painless and can be compared to getting an X-ray done.
Keloid scars are malignant tumors that can be raised or, at some point, engorged. With superficial radiation therapy, keloid scars can be treated by penetrating radiation below the skin’s surface. But before that, dermatologists remove the keloid with surgical excision, and then radiation therapy is done.
In superficial radiation therapy, a series of treatments are administered, and the patient might return for the brief treatment for one to three days.
Cryosurgery
Cryosurgery is one of the therapeutic regimens used in keloids and hypertrophic scars. In the last few years, cryosurgery has yielded satisfactory final results. This surgery can be beneficial since it produces less scarring after treating skin tumors than other procedures.
In cryosurgery, a freezing liquid or an instrument cryoprobe is used to freeze and damage abnormal tissues. The device is cooled with liquid nitrogen, compressed argon gas, or liquid nitrous oxide; this treatment applies to certain types of scars.
Cryosurgery is also called cryotherapy. The doctor, during the treatment, places liquid nitrogen on the skin using a cotton swab or spray. In some cases, numbing solutions are used to prevent pain or discomfort. Liquid nitrogen is applied to the targeted cells to freeze them and let them die, and then the body gradually absorbs those cells.
Scar Surgery
There are many options to treat scars, including scar surgery. In scar surgery, dermatologists physically cut the scar out; in most cases, scar surgery is the most effective treatment method. But this treatment is only prescribed to people whose treatment options have failed. This is because a scar has all the scope to return even after being surgically removed.
Scar surgery is generally done to reduce the size of a scar, especially a keloid scar, and to increase the range of movement if the movement is restricted due to a scar.
The Cost Of Scar Removal Treatments In India
Various scar removal treatment costs differ depending upon multiple factors such as the procedure, the time it will take for the treatment to complete, etc. However, in different parts of India, the cost of the same treatment for scar removal might also vary depending on certain things like the doctor’s experience, the clinic’s location, and more.
Though it is hard to tell the specific amount or cost to treat a particular type of scar, it is possible to let you know the cost of the various treatments we mentioned above.
The below chart will help you know the cost of various scar removal treatments in India.
| Name Of Treatment | Scar Removal Cost In India |
| Corticosteroid Injections | 8000/- per injection |
| Laser Therapy | 5000-20000/- per session |
| Radiation Therapy | 8000-8500/- per session |
| Cryosurgery | 17500-50000/- per scar |
| Scar Surgery | 10000-30000/- per scar |
Some FAQs Regarding Scar Removal Treatments
How to remove a scar permanently?
There are different treatment options available to treat different types of scars. However, in some cases, surgical procedures are used to remove a scar entirely or to reduce the size of a scar. And for others, there are laser therapy, corticosteroid injections, skin grafting, radiation therapy, chemical peels, Dermabrasion, and some over-the-counter medications to remove a scar permanently. It is always best to consult a dermatologist to know the suitable treatment modality to get the best results.
Can scar marks be removed?
There are treatments, including corticosteroid injections, silicone sheets, laser therapy, radiation therapy, skin grafting, etc., to flatten and remove a scar. Keloid scars and other types of raised scars can be treated using cryotherapy. However, using pressure treatment or gel pads after healing from an injury can also prevent keloid scar formation.
Can a dark scar be removed?
Dermatologists suggest using chemical peel treatment to remove dark scars and reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation. Though chemical peels are available in the market, it is always recommended to go for a medically approved chemical peel treatment to treat a scar. In many cases, chemical peels have helped patients treat atrophic scars, mainly when the therapy is used regularly.
Do scars go away?
In many cases, scars go away on their own without needing any particular medication or treatment. However, it is always better to see a doctor soon after you notice a prominent scar on your body to know whether the spot can go on its own or if you will need a specific treatment. When the wound heals, it is common for most people to accumulate scars. Sometimes those scars appear like hyperpigmentation and fade without reinjuring the skin, but they might need specific treatments to go away in some cases.
How long does it take for a scar to fade?
It can take up to 18 months after an injury or operation for a scar to heal. A typical scar becomes darker initially, and after some time, it starts fading. However, dark spots can remain for years, and sometimes, they might need specific treatment to fade.
Conclusion
By now, you are well aware of all the types of scars that may occur in your lifetime, alongside the best possible treatment options to get rid of them. However, not every treatment works uniformly for every patient, so you must talk to a dermatologist to choose a suitable treatment. I hope this article helped you gather enough information about scar removal. Keep following us for many search informative articles. Stay informed, stay safe, and stay happy.
