Scar on actor Joaquin Phoenix’s face
Some people are firmly convinced that scars adorn men. The representatives of the stronger sex are indeed sometimes proud of the scars on the face and other parts of the body, but what should women do? For some people, scars are the cause of the development of serious complexes, and sometimes scars become life-threatening – for example, if they formed on the heart muscle after a myocardial infarction. Today, there are many ways to get rid of scars, but most of them are for cosmetic purposes only and do not give 100% results. But progress does not stand still, and recently scientists have developed a new, most modern way to remove scars. Let’s find out what scars are, how doctors remove them, and what the essence of the new technology is.
What are the scars
Scars, also known as welts, are hard skin growths that usually occur after cuts, burns, and other injuries. Scar tissue differs from normal skin in that it contains almost no living cells and is predominantly composed of collagen. It is denser and less elastic, and there are no sweat glands, hair follicles and pigment cells that provide a tan. For a number of these reasons, scars always stand out strongly on dark skin and do not grow hair.
Scar tissue is different from normal skin, so scars are highly visible on the body
Scars are different. Some scars go flush with the skin, other scars are convex or, conversely, sunken.
Based on this, the following types of scars can be distinguished:
- normotrophic – running flush with the skin;
- atrophic – sinking, below the level of the skin;
- keloid – convex, above the level of the skin.
Three types of scars from left to right: normotrophic, atrophic and keloid
Why are scars dangerous?
Normotrophic scars are considered relatively harmless, but the other two types of scars can be hazardous to health. For example, if they form on internal organs, scar tissue can interfere with their work. After a myocardial infarction, scarring can occur on the heart muscle – this can lead to heart failure.
Scars can adversely affect the functioning of internal organs.
What scars remain forever
As a rule, scar tissue forms at the site of wide wounds. When closing the edges of the skin is impossible, the human body tries to close the wound as quickly as possible so that the infection does not get inside. Consequently, the regenerative system does not spend a lot of time recreating the complex structure of the skin – it quickly makes a “patch” from a scar tissue that is simple in structure.
As a rule, scars remain after deep cuts.
In general, if a person is slightly cut with a knife or an edge of paper, there will be no scar – the affected area will be covered with ordinary skin. But if the wound is open or the person is severely burned, the scar will remain for life and will be noticeable.
How to remove a scar and how much does it cost
Modern medicine already knows many ways to get rid of scars. Doctors who deal with scar removal are surgeons, dermatocosmetologists and laser therapists. Each patient needs an individual approach – it is possible to say how best to remove scar tissue only after visiting a doctor. After studying the history of the disease and the structure of the scar, the specialist selects the appropriate technology for its removal.
There are many ways to remove the scar, but the marks still remain.
Here are the most common ways to remove scars:
- cryotherapy – the surface of the scar is frozen with nitrogen for smoothing, after which it is painted to match the skin tone. To get the best result, you need to go for 2-3 months for the procedure;
- laser resurfacing – the surface of the scar is destroyed by laser beams, after which the body begins to build new cells in the damaged area. The procedure is performed under an anesthetic, but gives the fastest effect – one session is enough;
- dermabrasion – the surface of the scar is polished using a special apparatus. Usually people need several sessions and healing takes up to 3 months;
- chemical peeling – The top layer of the scar is removed with the help of chemicals. Usually this method is used only to get rid of small scars.
The cost of scar removal depends on its type, size and technology used. Offhand, we can say that in 2023, laser correction of a scar up to 3 centimeters long costs about 1,500 rubles. The exact prices need to be clarified in the clinics, but it is important to understand that the procedure can cost 10,000 rubles or more.
Некоторые люди перекрывают шрамы при помощи татуировок. О том, почему татуировки остаются на всю жизнь, вы можете почитать в этом материале.
The best way to remove scars
Recently, bioengineers from the UK and Spain experimentally proved that hair transplantation helps to get rid of scars. To participate in the study, they invited three volunteers with normotrophic, even scars on their heads. Scientists transplanted hair follicles into the scar tissue of people and began to monitor the changes – skin samples were taken two, four and six months after hair transplantation to the scar area.
Participants of the experiment were transplanted hair on the head
It turned out that hair follicles can safely grow hair on scars. In addition to this, they cause changes in scar tissue both at the genetic and structural levels. For example, it activated the genes that are responsible for the growth of blood vessels. Thanks to this, four months after the hair transplant, the scar tissue of the scars turned into almost healthy skin. A scheduled examination six months after the operation showed that the skin at the site of the scar became softer and more elastic.
New cells and blood vessels appeared in the treated scars
It seems that scientists have made a breakthrough in the field of scar removal. In the future, they want to study in more detail how hair follicles revitalize scar tissue and experiment on other areas of the skin. The only disadvantage of the created technology is, perhaps, the impossibility of carrying out such operations on internal organs. However, in the future, scientists intend to use the results of the new scientific work to remove scars without actually transplanting hair follicles.
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If you want to know more about hair transplantation, we have a separate article on this topic. Here’s a link.