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A scar is a result of the body's healing response. Scars may be formed for many different reasons, including infections, surgery, injuries, or inflammation of tissue.
What is it?
During the wound healing process, your body generates a layer of collagen to seal the open wound. The skin around the wound then gradually grows over this collagen layer until the edges meet in the middle, sometimes resulting in a scar. At Dermatology Partners, we provides treatment for a range of scars including hypertrophic, atrophic, keloid, and contracture scars.
Hypertrophic scars are elevated from your skin due to excessive collagen. The raised area remains within the limits of the initial injury. These scars can appear red and somewhat thick. The visibility of hypertrophic scars may reduce as the scar ages.
Atrophic scars are indented rather than raised from the skin. They occur when the skin is unable to regenerate tissue. The most common cause of an atrophic scar is acne.
A keloid is a thick scar that continues to grow, becoming more noticeable than the original scar or wound. Keloid scars can occur after skin injury or damage such as a cut, burn, body piercing or even surgery. Those with darker skin are more prone to this type of scar. Unlike other scars, keloid scars do not fade naturally over time.
Contracture scars develop when a large area of skin gets damaged, like in a burn. As contracture scars mature, they tighten, restricting your mobility.
Before deciding on the most suitable treatment, our dermatology clinic assesses your scar to determine its type, how long you have had it, and to ensure there are no signs of other issues such as skin cancer.
How is it treated?
Most scars can usually be identified through a visual examination of the skin. Sometimes we see patients who appear at first glance to have a typical scar, but it is in fact a symptom of another underlying illness. To accurately diagnose your scar, we might perform a skin biopsy for microscopic examination in our laboratory. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, we can treat scars using surgical scar revision, steroid injections or creams, silicone dressings or gels, laser therapy, and cryotherapy. Arrange an appointment with one of our specialists in Avon, Sandusky, Broadview Heights, Medina, Port Clinton, or Strongsville, Ohio to receive a diagnosis and treatment.