Why don't scars disappear?
Thanks for asking. When our skin is cut or damaged, the body immediately starts its healing process to close the wound and limit any risk of infection.
It's a wonderful and fascinating process, but nevertheless scars still remain on the skin afterwards.
They're often unsightly and can be pretty visible too depending on their location, all of which leads to self -consciousness.
How does the healing process work?
There are several stages, with the first being hemostasis.
Immediately after we get a cut, blood platelets come together to form a clot in order to stop the bleeding.
Our blood vessels also contract to limit blood loss.
Once the wound has closed, inflammation starts.
Immune cells and white blood cells come together to eliminate bacteria and damaged cells.
The skin becomes red and swollen.
The healing wound may feel warm too.
Immune cells release growth factors that stimulate tissue repair.
Then comes growth and rebuilding.
New skin cells begin to form to replace damaged cells.
Connective tissue cells called fibroblasts produce collagen, a protein that gives strength and elasticity to the skin that's repairing itself.
Blood vessels start bringing oxygen and nutrients to the new cells.
Finally comes the strengthening phase.
Collagen continues to strengthen the new tissue.
Generally this is when the scar becomes less red and begins to fade.
Normally the full healing process takes 21 days, but this phase can sometimes last much longer.
We're talking a year or even two.
While scars tend to become less and less visible with time, they never fully disappear, because that's just how the healing process works.
How they appear in the long term depends a lot on the severity of the initial wound.
What's more, factors like age and ethnicity also come into play according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Sometimes too much collagen is produced at the site of a wound, leading to an overgrowth of tissue.
This can result in hypertrophic scars, which are raised and can be felt when running your finger over them.
When the raised scar grows beyond the initially wounded area, it's known as a keloid scar.
Is there anything we can do to make the skin heal better?
Yes. First of all, clean the wound regularly with warm water and soap to avoid infections.
Don't scratch or touch it, as that may slow down healing.
Make sure you're getting plenty of vitamins, iron and zinc in your diet, as that will help your body to heal better.
You should also avoid tobacco and heavy drinking.
The NHS says that treatment options include silicone gel, pressure dressings, steroids and skin camouflage.
Your GP may refer you to a dermatologist to recommend the best treatment option.
Laser treatment can also be used to treat scars resulting from acne, surgery, burns or injuries.
It helps reduce the visibility of scars by stimulating collagen production in the skin, eliminating damaged cells and promoting the growth of new, healthy skin cells.
It can take away the scar's colour or smoothen it out.
Bear in mind that laser treatment and steroid injections aren't generally available on the NHS, so you'll most likely have to pay for them out of your own pocket.
There you have it. Now you know why scars don't disappear.
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