Use makeup or a scar-camouflaging kit to hide scars. Or, wear longer clothes and jewelry to cover up scars. For a more permanent option, apply a scar-reducing cream, get a tattoo, or consult your dermatologist.
Laser therapy is often a go-to treatment option for all types of scars, including raised scars, depressed scars from acne scars, and keloids. Laser therapy can reduce the appearance of scars as well as the pain, itchiness, or limited range of motion associated with the scar.
Freezing the scar.
Small keloids might be reduced or removed by freezing them with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy). Repeat treatments might be needed. Possible side effects of cryotherapy are blistering, pain and loss of skin color (hypopigmentation).
While some scars may undergo some level of fading, atrophic scars are particularly stubborn and don't resolve over time.
Scar massage is used to improve the appearance and/or long-term healing prospects of scar tissue after cancer treatment. This therapeutic technique's main goals are to: improve the appearance of scars. improve blood circulation to the scarred areas for faster healing.
Hypertrophic scars that result from burn wounds are more difficult to treat. Superficial burn wounds usually heal without forming hypertrophic scars. Deep burn wounds are harder to treat. Many dermatologic and plastic surgeons treat these by removing the burned area and then using a skin graft.
Caring for Scars
One tip for taking care of scars is to use a topical ointment. Cocoa butter cream and Vaseline are most often used to help reduce the appearance of scars. Applying the ointment daily will help heal scars but will not make them invisible. Another tip for caring for your scars includes surgery.
A keloid scar is a thick raised scar. It can occur wherever you have a skin injury but usually forms on earlobes, shoulders, cheeks or the chest. If you're prone to developing keloids, you might get them in more than one place.
Soft tissue fillers.
Injecting collagen, fat or other substances under the skin can plump the skin over indented scars. The goal is to make the scars less noticeable. Results are temporary, so repeat treatments are needed to retain the effect.
Gently squeeze the new packing material until it's just a little wet. Using your fingers or a cotton swab, gently fill the wound with the material. Pack the whole wound until the material is snug but not too tight. After the wound is packed, take a new, clean dressing from the package, and tape it down over the wound.
Depressed scar
What it looks like: These scars sit below the surface of your skin, giving the skin a sunken or pitted look. Most depressed scars form on the face. Sunken scars can become more noticeable as you age. This happens when the skin relaxes and sags, causing the depressions to become more noticeable.
Several clinical trials have demonstrated that silicone scar tape effectively reduces the appearance of hypertrophic and keloid scars. When applied for prolonged periods, silicone scar tape is particularly effective in reducing scar thickness, redness, and pain.
For depressed scars: Both makeup artists we spoke with recommend using a filling primer to help fill in pitted, atrophic scars (often the result of deeper acne blemishes). “These are thicker and can actually fill up the hole,” says Adivi.
Massaging the scar with Vitamin E Oil, Mederma™, or other lotions can help soften the scar. For some scars that are tending to thicken, your doctor may suggest an injection of a medication such as Kenalog™ into the scar.
Atrophic scars are the opposite of hypertrophic scars. They are depressed, sunken and often have a pitted appearance.
You cannot get rid of a scar, but most scars fade over time without any treatment. If a scar is more severe or bothering you, a GP may be able to recommend treatments or refer you to a specialist. The aim of treatment is to help improve how the scar looks.
For larger, deeper scars that limit your movement or cause other problems, surgery might be the best way to treat them. Types of surgical treatments include: Skin grafts. In a skin graft, your surgeon takes healthy skin from one part of your body and uses it to cover or replace damaged skin.
Mederma gel is designed to tackle a range of scar types including acne scars, burn scars, injury and surgical scars, old scars and more. It contains Cepalin® botanical extract, for old and new scars.