scars - How We Can Help

So, you’ve had and operation or an accident which has left you with a wound. Your wound seems to be healing well but you are concerned about the scar and how it is going to affect your life, moving forward.

A scar on your face or arms can be particularly noticeable, but scars can also cause issues in other places. Will that continue?

You may be wondering: how can I best care for my scar? And how can my scar heal as optimally as possible? Read on. Hopefully you’ll find reassurance and guidance in the pages of this site.

Take care of your scar

When the skin heals, after an accident or surgery, a scar remains. Most scars look red and swollen at first, but these symptoms can disappear over time. A normal scar becomes flatter after 6 to 9 months. The tissue also becomes softer and the colour lighter. In order to understand how treatments work it is best to look at the reasons and processes involved in scar creation.

What is happening when scars are formed?

A shallow wound generally does not develop a significant scar. In these cases the underlying tissues are able to re-create much of the skin structure and so the scab will detach, leaving behind normal healthy skin.

Any deeper skin wound however, will always result in scar formation. This is because the injury has gone deeper than the layers of the skin needed for normal skin repair and the skin begins to lose large amounts of moisture through the wound.

This loss of water is recognised by the body which reacts by producing something to quickly and effectively block the wound and prevent this loss of moisture. It needs to act quickly so it produces more connective tissue made from collagen. (Think of it a bit like plugging the hull of a small boat if it sprung a leak. Anything will do to fill the hole and stop the boat sinking!)

This connective tissue is not the same as healthy skin, but under normal circumstances the production of this tissue slows down and the wound is left to close naturally leaving a flat, pale , flexible line of connective tissue where the injury took place.

Problem Scars

In problem scars the production of connective tissue continues after the wound has fully sealed. Its almost s though the body doesn’t get the message from the skin that the loss of moisture has stopped, so it produces far more collagen than is necessary. This results in Hypertrophic and Keloid scars.

Some people are, unfortunately, more likely to develop a so called “problem scar”. If any one or more of the following factors are present.

Hereditary tendency – abnormal scars can run in families.
Young age – children’s scars are affected by their faster metabolism as they are constantly growing.
Dark skin colour or very pale skin. Both extremes of the skin colour spectrum can experience a greater propensity for problem scars.
Wounds that are still not closed after 2 weeks.
Scars on joints or breastbone – tissue that is constantly moving tends to be more prone to problem scarring than skin which remains relatively still.

Reduce scars on your hand and fingers

Perhaps the most difficult place to properly care for wounds and scars is on your hands and fingers.

You use your hands every day, so accidental damage is common. Depending on the severity of the injury to your finger or hand, any deep wound will produce a scar.

Sometimes surgery is needed to correct a problem with a hand or finger, resulting in a surgical scar .

In short: scars on hands and fingers are common.

Your body will try to repair the skin on your hand. If all goes well, it will become a normal scar. Unfortunately, there is a chance that the wound will develop into an abnormal scar. This can cause complaints, such as:

Redness, itching and pain
A 'pulling' feeling, as if the skin is too tight
Excessive growth of scar tissue

All of these complaints can interfere with the dexterity of your hand and this can sometimes seriously affect your ability to pick up and hold objects or perform simple tasks such as fastening buttons or writing. Had scars can seriously affect you quality of life.

Proper care of the scar helps to prevent the above complaints. That is why we developed the Scarban Hand & Finger Range. With these special silicone devices it is a lot easier to properly care for scars in those places.

For additional hydration and to assist in the application of the gloves and finger caps, consider combining the Scarban products with Alhydran cream. You can also use Alhydran when you are resting the skin from the Scarban.

Reduce the effects of scars following breast surgery

If you have had breast surgery, for example, a breast reduction or enlargement, or have undergone a mastectomy or lumpectomy for cancer treatment you will be all too aware of the wounds that these interventions can produce.

Like all scars, those on or near the breast can take between 12 and 18 months to fully mature following surgery so the use of scar recovery treatments is not just a cosmetic process. Excessive build-up of connective tissue, caused by abnormal scar development can leave the scars feeling hard and thickened as well as being raised and reddened. A wound on your chest has a high risk of developing abnormal scars. This is because there is quite a lot of tension on the skin here. 50% of surgical scars become hypertrophic . It is therefore important to start treatment as soon as possible after wound closure.

How do you care for a scar after breast surgery?

Treatment will help to make the scar less itchy and less prone to remaining red and raised, but it will also help to accelerate the maturation of the scar, making it more settled, quicker than if left alone.

The secret lies in treating the scars as soon as possible after the wounds have healed and sealed. Once all the scabs have detached from the wound itself and the suture points you should take immediate steps to keep the scars well moisturised and prevent moisture loss. Silicone therapy is an effective method for treating scars. This relieves scar symptoms such as thickening, pain, redness and itching, and helps prevent abnormal scar formation. In addition, treatment with a moisture retention cream such as Alhydran will improve the softness and suppleness of the scar, making it soft to the touch and flexible.

The effect has been scientifically proven.

Scarban Elastic – specially designed to be used on breast scars

We have developed various pre-formed silicone dressings especially for the treatment of scars associated with breast surgery. They are easy to use and care for and, like all Scarban products are designed to reduce and prevent scar complaints, such as itching and raised, red scars as well as helping to accelerate the maturation process of the wound. It is important that you start the treatment as soon as possible after the wounds have closed.