Hypertrophic scars: How to remove visible traces

After an incision, a burn or when the skin is pierced, the body naturally engages in a healing process to reduce the damage and limit aesthetic impact. The healing process is divided between the regeneration and consolidation of the dermis tissues.

During this healing process, after the cells have cleaned up the lesion, they enter a phase of reconstructing the fibrous tissues. The cells provide the necessary elements to regenerate the skin: collagen and blood vessels. After that, the skin regains its integrity and the scar is gradually removed.

A hypertrophic scar is a skin anomaly that causes an abnormal increase in scar volume but unlike a keloid scar, the hypertrophic scar does not exceed the limits of the initial lesion. In addition, this anomaly fades with time, after one year of healing.

Hypertrophic scars: causes

Hypertrophic scars are caused by an overproduction of collagen in the skin. The amount of fibrous tissue in the healing process is so dense that it deforms the scar until it significantly increases in volume.

The appearance of hypertrophic scars is widely reported in Asian, mixed race and dark skinned people. People with fair skin are less likely to have these abnormalities during the healing process.

This phenomenon is also often observed in both women and men between the ages of 20 and 30.

Hypertrophic scars: treatments

There are various treatments available in aesthetic medicine that can reduce or eliminate hypertrophic scarring.

Surgical intervention provides immediate and conclusive results. The principle aims to remove the excess fibrous tissue on the scar with a scalpel using the ablation procedure. Although this method is effective in the short term, it does not eliminate the reoccurrence of this phenomenon. The patient is at risk of hypertrophy reoccurring again. In addition, a new incision will be made, which may accentuate the initial appearance of the scar.

The second treatment aims to use the laser. This treatment is common in reducing the appearance of scars in aesthetic medicine. It is particularly effective in hypertrophy. By successively projecting the laser onto the area to be treated, the light beam is transformed into energy and burns off the excess fibrous tissue. To do this, cosmetic doctors use the CO2 laser or Erbium laser. It is adaptable for all skin phototypes in order to acheive the best results. Several sessions are necessary to obtain conclusive results.