Corticosteroid injections: This is a main treatment for hypertrophic scars. Injections are made into the scar tissue. They flatten and soften scar tissue and ease pain and itch. Several shots may be needed, each given a few weeks apart.
Larger keloids can be flattened by pulsed-dye laser sessions. This method has also been useful in easing itchiness and causing keloids to fade. Pulsed-dye laser therapy is delivered over several sessions with 4 to 8 weeks between sessions. Your doctor might recommend combining laser therapy with cortisone injections.
If the skin creates excessive amounts of collagen while it heals, the result is a thick, widened, and sometime raised scar that remains within the boundary of the injury. This is called a hypertrophic scar.
Treatments may include: steroid injections or cream. silicone dressings or gels. cryotherapy (a treatment to freeze the keloid scar)
Scar tissue may become hard and raised. Massage is a way of softening and flattening scars and reducing the adhesions between the different layers of the tissue, making the scar tissue more flexible. It can also help alleviate any itching and over-sensitivity of the scar.
The most common treatment options for hypertrophic scars include: Corticosteroid injections: This is a main treatment for hypertrophic scars. Injections are made into the scar tissue. They flatten and soften scar tissue and ease pain and itch.
For best results, you should perform scar massage for at least 10 minutes, twice a day, for six months. You should only stop sooner than that if the scar starts showing signs of infection or you experience intolerable discomfort.
Hypertrophic scars are benign and not harmful to a person's general health. They do not develop into skin cancer. A hypertrophic scar will often regress completely between 6 months and 3 years after it first appears.
Raised, Hypertrophic Scars
Playing with concealer colors is just as beneficial in obscuring the look of scars that sit above the skin's surface—just in an opposite order. “Apply the skin tone shade along the edges and then the darker shade on the raised area,” Quynh says.
Raised scars, known as keloid or hypertrophic scars, can form when the body produces too much collagen during healing. Pitted scars can result from the loss of muscle tissue or fat below the skin due to injury. With the normal shedding and regrowth of the dermis, superficial scars often disappear on their own.
Keloid scar treatment is possible. If you don't like how a keloid looks or feels, talk with a doctor about how to flatten or remove it. Even with treatment, a keloid can last for years or recur.
Surface Treatments: Procedures such as microdermabrasion, chemical peels, and skin bleaching can help reduce hypertrophic scarring by gently removing outer skin layers. These treatments rejuvenate the layers underneath, restoring a smoother, clearer appearance.
Scar massage is a way of softening and flattening scars. It can stop scar tissue build up and help make scars less noticeable. Your scar or scars will continue to grow and change for about twelve to eighteen months, so the earlier and more regularly you massage your scar, the less the chance of long-term problems.
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.
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.
Another option is cryotherapy to freeze scar tissue to flatten hypertrophic scars. The type of treatment recommended depends on the size and age of the scar and the skin type of the patient. With the right treatment or combination of treatments, hypertrophic scars can be flattened and made less noticeable.
Increased temperature is a common physiological effect that helps to break down scar tissue. Increased temperature involves both superficial and deep tissues increasing in temperature. Increasing temperature of tissues within the body helps to loosen scar tissue.
Keloids are a type of raised scar. They occur where the skin has healed after an injury. They can grow to be much larger than the original injury that caused the scar. They are not at all common, but are more likely for people who have dark skin.
The timing of silicone scar sheet use can affect its efficacy, but it is generally never too late to start using them. While the best results are often seen when treatment begins shortly after wound closure or the formation of a scar, established scars can also show improvement.
After several weeks, the scar that forms may feel hard, tight, raised, or bumpy. Over time, the scar will become softer, smoother, and less red. Your scar will continue to heal for 12 to 18 months after your surgery.
Vitamin E. Massaging with vitamin E oils could help reduce collagen build-up, which can help flatten out raised scars. Try massaging for four to five minutes, three or four times a day and see if it works for you.