Scar Treatment - Skin cuts

Our skin is a seamless organ, like a fine piece of cloth cloaking valuable assets. Any burn, injury, surgery or other trauma to it can cause the formation of scar tissue that can be downright ugly. A scar isn't so bad if it's small or in a location that's easy to conceal. But often you want a way to treat those scars other than hiding them under clothing. The truth is this: The scar will never completely go away, but there are some plastic surgery methods that can help reduce its size and appearance.

These are several different types of scars including:

Keloid scars. These scars are the result of an overly aggressive healing process. These scars extend beyond the original injury. Over time, a keloid scar may affect mobility. Possible treatments include surgical removal, or injections with steroids. Smaller keloids can be treated using cryotherapy (freezing therapy using liquid nitrogen). You can also prevent keloid formation by using pressure treatment or gel pads with silicone when you sustain an injury. 

Keloid scars most often occur in Blacks.

Contracture scars. If your skin has been burned, you may have a contracture scar, which causes tightening of skin that can impair your ability to move; additionally, this type of scar may go deeper to affect muscles and nerves.

Hypertrophic scars. Raised and red scars that are similar to keloids, but do not breach the boundaries of the injury site. Possible treatments can include injections of steroids to reduce inflammation.

Acne scars. If you've had severe acne, you probably have the scars to prove it. There are many types of acne scars, ranging from deep pits to scars that are angular or wavelike in appearance. Possible acne scar treatments will depend on the types of acne scars you have.

There are many options to treat deeper wounds and scars depending on your particular case: skin grafts, excision, dermabrasion or laser surgery. You can receive a skin graft, where the plastic surgeon removes skin from another area of your body. This is often used in the case of burn victims. If you've got scarring that impairs function, surgery can help address those problems. Like other surgeries, you and your plastic surgeon will determine together if you will have local anesthesia with an oral sedative or general anesthesia that will put you to sleep. If you've recently undergone plastic, cosmetic or other surgery that has caused your scars, it is best that you wait at least one year before making a decision about scar treatment. Many scars fade and become less noticeable over time.

Laceration repair mends a tear in the skin or other tissue. The four goals of laceration repair are to stop bleeding, prevent infection, preserve function, and restore appearance.

The laceration is cleaned by removing any foreign material or debris. Removing foreign objects from penetrating wounds can sometimes cause bleeding, so this type of wound must be cleaned very carefully. The wound is then irrigated with saline solution and a disinfectant. 

Once the wound has been cleansed, the plastic surgeon anesthetizes the area of the repair. Most lacerations are anesthetized by local injection of lidocaine, into the wound edges. 

The plastic surgeon may trim edges or remove tissue that is too damaged to prevent infection. If the laceration is deep, several absorbable stitches (sutures) are placed in the tissue under the skin to help bring the tissue layers together. Suturing also helps eliminate any pockets where tissue fluid or blood can accumulate. The skin wound is closed with sutures. Suture material used on the surface of a wound is usually non-absorbable and will have to be removed later. 

The face has several unique properties that dictate the choice of treatment after injury. Although most people do not want an unsightly scar anywhere on the body, they are especially concerned about scars on their face. Thus, primary closure, which usually results in the least noticeable scar, is the preferred treatment for most face cuts. Using special plastic surgery techniques and fine sutures is the most likely way to provide the optimum aesthetic and functional outcome. Under some circumstances special glues or tissue adhesives can be used for closing facial cuts, but there are no differences in aesthetic outcome compared with suture closure.