“Atrophic scars form when the skin lacks enough collagen during the healing process. Preventing them starts with proper wound care and skin health.”
Atrophic scars can result from a variety of causes, including acne, burns, surgeries, and trauma. While these scars can be difficult to treat, the International Keloid & Scar Treatment Center in Orlando, FL, offers advanced treatment options to help reduce their appearance and restore the skin's natural smoothness.
Atrophic scars rarely go away completely, but with the help of a dermatology provider, you may be able to successfully reduce their appearance. While some at-home treatments may be marginally effective, to truly address these scars, you'll need in-office treatment from a dermatology provider.
High-dose vitamins B6 and B12 have also been linked to rosacea fulminans, a condition that looks like acne. Rosacea is marked by large red bumps and pustules that typically appear on the nose, chin, and/or cheeks.
The findings also show that a vitamin C intake that averages to 65 mg/d over a mean follow-up of 6.5 mo failed to restore the normal wound-healing capacity of vitamin C–depleted tissues; such tissues had a 49% weaker scar strength when compared with nondepleted tissues (P < 0.05).
A1: While treatments can significantly improve the appearance of atrophic scars, they may not be able to completely erase the scar. The goal is to reduce the scar's prominence and improve the overall skin texture. Achieving complete clearance of the scar, although possible, is usually unlikely.
TO SUM IT UP. It's clear that the role of collagen in scar formation is important and is also the reason why some scars appear different than others. Too little collagen will result in a sunken atrophic scar and too much collagen will result in a raised keloid or hypertrophic scar.
Depressed (atrophic): These sunken scars often result from chickenpox or acne. They look like rounded pits or small indentations in the skin. Also called ice pick scars, they develop most often on the face. Acne scars may become more noticeable as you age because the skin loses collagen and elasticity over time.
Moisturize Atrophic Scars
This will help to keep your skin hydrated making it appear less dry and rough around the scar. Try using a non-comedogenic moisturizer, like Vaseline® Jelly – it won't clog your pores and is appropriate for use on sensitive areas, like the face.
Topical retinoids such as trifarotene and fixed combinations of adapalene and benzoyl peroxide may be able to decrease atrophic scars in patients with active acne, according to Linda Stein Gold, MD.
Massaging your scars is important. It keeps the tissue around the incision loose so it doesn't “stick” to the tissue underneath. Wait until after your skin has healed before you start massaging your scar. Your skin will be healed when the edges of the scar are well closed with no gaps, and have no drainage.
What causes a retinal hole or atrophic hole? The exact cause is not known, but thought to occur from an abnormal blood supply from under the retina and possibly changes from the overlying vitreous gel.
Vitamin C: Topical vitamin C is well-known for its anti-inflammatory and skin-brightening effects. Additionally, it can support collagen synthesis, which is good for atrophic scar healing. In serums or creams, look for stable forms of vitamin C like ascorbic acid or sodium ascorbyl phosphate.
Many lay people use vitamin E on a regular basis to improve the outcome of scars and several physicians recommend topical vitamin E after skin surgery or resurfacing.
“Scarring is a natural part of our body's healing process. There are some people that are predisposed to forming thicker scars based on genetics, immune status, medications, and other factors.”
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.
Cutaneous injuries as small as 0.5mm can trigger excess fibrotic tissue deposition or destruction of the natural tissue scaffold. 1 Scar appearance can further visibly change over time, worsened by factors such as high-tension.
Mederma PM Cream can be used on atrophic scars such as acne and chicken pox scars. Mederma® PM Cream may help to smooth and soften the edges of the pox mark but it will not cause the indented area to fill in. By smoothing the edges, the mark may become less noticeable.
An atrophic scar develops when the skin cannot regenerate tissue correctly. Unlike keloids and hypertrophic scars, atrophic scars are indented in appearance due to healing that occurs below the expected layer of skin.
Vitamin Deficiency
Vitamin C is an antioxidant and boosts healing. It is also needed for the body to make Collagen (protein that forms scar tissue) eat high C foods such as broccoli, tomatoes, cabbage and oranges. Foods rich in Vitamin D improve your immune system and help stave off infections.
Sunflower seeds, almonds, salmon, and avocado are all sources of Vitamin E. Overall a well balanced diet is the best course of action of wound healing and scar tissue formation and management.