A scar is a mark left on the skin after a wound or injury has healed. Scars are a natural part of the healing process and most of them will fade and become paler over time, however they may never disappear completely.
Scarring occurs due to areas of fibrosis resulting from wound repair in the skin. Scar tissue is composed of collagen fibres, however, the fibre composition of the collagen in the scare tissue is different compared to the collagen found in the normal tissue.
Types of scarring include: Macular scars (flat hyperpigmented or hypopigmented marks), hypertrophic or raised scars (scar raised above the surrounding skin), keloid scars (the scar grows beyond the wound and onto the healthy skin), atrophic scars (sunken and pitted scar), and stretch marks.
At Bedford Skin Clinic, we use several treatment modalities for the treatment of scarring, these include: chemical peels, microdermabrasion, Obagi products and peels for flat scars. Steroid injections for hypertrophic and keloid scars and microneedling, Platelet Rich Plasma (Dracula therapy), Sculptra, dermal fillers and fat injections for pitted scars. In some individuals we advise subcision, a procedure that involves breaking up connective tissue bands with the use of a needle. Subcision is usually combined with microneedling and Platelet Rich Plasma treatment for optimal results.