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Scars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin (or other tissue) after injury. A scar results from the biologic process of wound repair in the skin and other tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a natural part of the healing process. With the exception of very minor lesions, every wound (e.g. after accident, disease, or surgery) results in some degree of scarring. Look up scar in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Biological tissue is a collection of interconnected cells that perform a similar function within an organism. ...
Beyond overall skin structure, refer below to: See-also. ...
Superficial bullet wounds In medicine, a wound is a type of physical trauma wherein the skin is torn, cut or punctured (an open wound), or where blunt force trauma causes a contusion (a closed wound). ...
Beyond overall skin structure, refer below to: See-also. ...
Biological tissue is a collection of interconnected cells that perform a similar function within an organism. ...
A railing accidentally collapses at a college football game, spilling fans onto the sidelines An accident is something going wrong unexpectedly. ...
The term disease refers to an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs function. ...
“Surgeon†redirects here. ...
Scar tissue is not identical to the tissue which it replaces and is usually of inferior functional quality. For example, scars in the skin are less resistant to ultraviolet radiation, and sweat glands and hair follicles do not grow back within scar tissue. A myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, causes scar formation in the heart muscle which leads to loss of muscular power and possibly heart failure. However, there are some tissues (e.g. bone) which can heal without any structural or functional deterioration, and in fact bone tissue may be structurally stronger after a break. In humans, there are four kinds of sudoriferous or sweat glands which differ greatly in both the composition of the sweat and its purpose. ...
A hair follicle is part of the skin that grows hair by packing old cells together. ...
Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), more commonly known as a heart attack, is a disease state that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted. ...
The heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ...
Grays Anatomy illustration of a human femur. ...
A bone fracture is a medical condition in which a bone becomes cracked, splintered, or bisected as a result of physical trauma. ...
 A very minor scar from a cut to the forearm, approx. one year since wound. The word scar was derived from the Greek word eschara, meaning place of fire (fireplace). Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...
Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...
How scarring occurs *Note: Save for the last subtopic (Intentional Scarring), this entire article has been lifted from the WebMD entry for 'Scars.'
A scar is a natural part of the healing process. Skin scars occur when the deep, thick layer of skin (the dermis) is damaged. The worse the damage is, the worse the scar will be. The dermis is a layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. ...
Most skin scars are flat, pale and leave a trace of the original injury which caused them. The redness that often follows an injury to the skin is not a scar, and is generally not permanent. The time it takes for it to go away may, however, range from a few days to, in some serious and rare cases, several years. Various treatments can speed up the process in serious cases. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Scars form differently based on the location of the injury on the body and the age of the person who was injured.
To mend the damage, the body has to lay down new collagen fibres (a naturally occurring protein which is produced by the body). Tropocollagen triple helix. ...
A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ...
This process results in a fortuna scar. Because the body cannot re-build the tissue exactly as it was, the new scar tissue will have a different texture and quality than the surrounding normal tissue. An injury does not become a scar until the wound has completely healed.
Transforming Growth Factors (TGF) play a critical role in scar development and current research is investigating the manipulation of these TGFs for drug development to prevent scarring from the emergency (and rather inappropriate) adult wound healing process.
Abnormal scars Two types of scars are the result of the body overproducing collagen, which causes the scar to be raised above the surrounding skin. Hypertrophic scars take the form of a red raised lump on the skin, but do not grow beyond the boundaries of the original wound, and they often improve in appearance after a few years. Keloid scars are a more serious form of scarring, because they can carry on growing indefinitely into a large, tumorous (although benign) growth. Bodybuilder Markus Rühl has marked hypertrophy of skeletal muscle. ...
This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...
A hypertrophic scar on the ilium of the pelvis Both hypertrophic and keloid scars are more common on younger and darker-skinned people. They can occur on anyone, but some people have a genetic susceptibility to these types of scarring. They can be caused by surgery, an accident, or sometimes by acne. In some people, keloid scars form spontaneously. Image File history File linksMetadata Keloid. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Keloid. ...
DNA, the molecular basis for inheritance. ...
Although they can be a cosmetic problem, keloid scars are only inert masses of collagen and therefore completely harmless, painless, and non-contagious. They tend to be most common on the shoulders and chest. Keloid scars are most common among people of Asian or African descent. This article is about the body part. ...
Male Chest The chest is a part of the anatomy of humans and various other animals. ...
Alternately, a scar can take the form of a sunken recess in the skin, which has a pitted appearance. These are caused when underlying structures supporting the skin, such as fat or muscle, are lost. This type of scarring is commonly associated with acne, but can be caused by chickenpox, surgery or an accident. Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. ...
A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle (from Latin musculus little mouse [1]) is contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. ...
Chickenpox, also spelled chicken pox, is the common name for Varicella zoster, classically one of the childhood infectious diseases caught and survived by almost every child. ...
Scars can also take the form of stretched skin. These are caused when the skin is stretched rapidly (for instance during pregnancy, significant weight gain or adolescent growth spurts), or when skin is put under tension during the healing process, (usually near joints). This type of scar usually improves in appearance after a few years. Look up stria in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
Treatments for skin scars No scar can ever be completely removed[citation needed]. They will always leave a trace, but their appearance can be improved by a number of means, including:
Surgery
Laser surgery & resurfacing The use of lasers on scars is experimental treatment, the safety or effectiveness of which has not yet been proven. Experiment with a laser (US Military) In physics, a laser is a device that emits light through a specific mechanism for which the term laser is an acronym: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. ...
The redness of scars may be reduced by treatment with a vascular laser. It has been theorized that removing layers of skin with a carbon dioxide laser may help flatten scars, although this treatment is still highly experimental. A test target is vaporized and bursts into flame upon irradiation by a high power continuous wave carbon dioxide laser emitting tens of kilowatts of infrared light. ...
The Fraxel laser was recently FDA approved for the treatment of acne scars. There are several forms of treatment for acne scars in current usage. ...
Steroid injections A long term course of steroid injections under medical supervision, into the scar may help flatten and soften the appearance of keloid or hypertrophic scars. Steroid skeleton of lanosterol. ...
The steroid is injected into the scar itself; since very little is absorbed into the blood stream, side effects of this treatment are minor. This treatment is repeated at 4-6 week intervals.
Pressure garments Pressure garments should be used only under supervision by a medical professional. They are most often used for burn scars that cover a large area, this treatment is only effective on recent scars. This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...
Pressure garments are usually custom-made from elastic materials, and fit tightly around the scarring. They work best when they are worn 24 hours a day for six to twelve months. Look up elastic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
It is believed that they work by applying constant pressure to surface blood vessels and eventually causing scars to flatten and become softer.
Radiotherapy Low-dose, superficial radiotherapy, is used to prevent re-occurrence of severe keloid and hypertrophic scarring. It is usually effective, but only used in extreme cases due to the risk of long-term side effects. Radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) is the medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells (not to be confused with radiology, the use of radiation in medical imaging and diagnosis). ...
Dermabrasion Dermabrasion involves the removal of the surface of the skin with specialist equipment and usually involves a general anaesthetic. It is useful with raised scars, but is less effective when the scar is sunken below the surrounding skin. Dermabrasion involves the removal of the surface of the skin with specialist equipment and usually involves a general anaesthetic. ...
A general anaesthetic drug is an anaesthetic (or anesthetic AE) drug that brings about a reversible loss of consciousness. ...
Collagen injections Collagen injections can be used to raise sunken scars to the level of surrounding skin. Its effects are however temporary, and it needs to be regularly repeated. There is also a risk in some people of aan allergic reaction. Tropocollagen triple helix. ...
Pancreatitus can be caused by an Allergic Reaction to a food. ...
Other treatments There are also a number of gel sheets available which are usually made from silicone, which can help to flatten and soften raised scars if worn regularly. Silicone, pressure, occlusion, topical cortisone and vitamin E have all been shown to decrease the collagen that forms scars. Patches and pads help but are unsightly so people tend to quit. Chemical peels performed by a dermatologist using glycolic acid can be used to minimize acne scarring. A chemical peel is a body treatment technique used to improve and smooth the texture of the facial skin using a chemical solution that causes the skin to blister and eventually peel off. ...
Glycolic acid (or hydroxyacetic acid) is the smallest α-hydroxy acid (AHA). ...
Intentional scarring The permanence of scarring has led to its intentional use as a form of body art within some cultures and subcultures (see scarification). Evidence of ritual scarring practices can be found in many tribes and cultures worldwide. Complex Kadakali makeup is a form of body art Body art is art made on, with, or consisting of, the human body. ...
Scarification is a permanent body modification that uses scar tissue produced by the body to form designs, pictures, or words in the skin. ...
See also Dermatology (from Greek derma, skin) is a branch of medicine dealing with the skin and its appendages (hair, nails, sweat glands etc). ...
“Facial reconstruction†redirects here. ...
Scarification is a permanent body modification that uses scar tissue produced by the body to form designs, pictures, or words in the skin. ...
Self-harm (SH) is deliberate injury to ones own body. ...
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