Scar Tissue Removal

The body's healing response is quite remarkable. The cause of scar tissue then is any wound or lesion to the skin, forming a break that must be repaired and sealed shut. The skin tissue that is made by the body in response does not have the same exact properties. Consisting of fibers, this barrier is not much more useful than as a protective layer. When this barrier is completely healed, it is known as a scar.



What is scar tissue? Scar tissue is the fibrous connective tissue which forms a scar; it can be found on any tissue on the body, including skin and internal organs. Scar tissue in the skin is inferior to healthy, normal skin for several reasons: sweat glands are damaged or destroyed, hair does not grow back and there is less resistance to ultraviolet radiation.



Scar tissue is thicker than surrounding skin and often paler in color, due to its limited supply of blood. Even though it has a pertinent role, it is limited in function. Scar tissue symptoms include restrictions in movement, circulation and sensation.



Hypertrophic scars refer to those scars that are red, raised lumps that do not grow beyond the original borders of the lesion. Raised scars occur more commonly in young people than old as well as dark complexions versus pale. In rare cases, keloid scars (hypertrophic scars that grow) form without warning or injury.



Scars can also take the form of stretched skin. Not surprisingly, these are known as stretch marks and most often occur when the skin stretches rapidly, e.g. pregnancy, growth spurts, etc. You will also find out that scar tissue formation after surgery is inevitable. A skilled surgeon, however, will know how to make incisions that will leave the least amount of scar tissue.



Scar Tissue Treatments



Softening and minimizing scar tissue is a task that many people engage in at one time or another in their lives. If you are considering a therapy in removing scar tissue, you should be aware that, although promising in how they heal scar tissue, 100% removal of all scar tissue is impossible. Still, there are a variety of very promising methods to treat different types of scarring.



If scarring is extensive, a professional treatment plan might be recommended.



Laser resurfacing is a fairly new way of trying to remove scars. In the majority of these procedures, a laser is used to vaporize skin cells, stimulating new cell growth. Theoretically, if all scarred tissue is vaporized, the scar should vanish. Laser technology is still being developed but has a promising future in removing scars without a trace.



Massage is sometimes helpful when the scar tissue involves muscles, tendons, ligaments, or joints that are damaged in some type of accident. A soothing motion is applied to relax the muscle groups involved and help to restore function to any nerves that may also have sustained injury.



Deep tissue therapy is the type of massage therapy that focuses on deeper structures. Deep tissue massage uses many of the same movements and techniques as Swedish massage but the pressure will generally be more intense.



Surgeries are an option but will also leave a scar. The former scar may be less obvious but it will not go away completely. Surgery is not recommended for hypertrophic or keloid scarring, as there is the risk of recurrence and worse scarring.



Doctors typically recommend some sort of healing cream to be used in conjunction with these methods.