ScarsTreatmentBlog
Scar removal after injury
Injury scars differ from other scars in terms of the more coarse mechanism of the injury itself, the often uneven edges of the wound and the possible presence of foreign objects or pigment in the wound.
What types of injuries are there?
There are four main* trauma mechanisms that I see most often in my daily work:
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Mechanical injury
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Chemical injury
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Thermal injury
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Combined injury
* — In this article, I will not discuss radiation, mine explosives, decompression or other exotic mechanisms of injury and scarring.
Any kind of severe skin damage can cause scarring. Scars from exposure to different traumatic factors are treated differently
Let's have a look at some photos and videos:
Fresh scars can be treated faster than old ones
After the last procedure, there is still some skin redness, but this will soon subside
First, I removed the pigment from the scar, and now we're going to treat the scar itself
Scars caused by self-harm
The category of traumatic scars also includes self-inflicted scars. These are my favourite and most difficult to treat scars, as they are usually found on very delicate skin in young patients.
This is not the final result, but only intermediate dynamics and we still have to smooth out the skin completely. But it is already noticeable how much the skin has changed and how much less noticeable the scars from cuts on the hands have become
Close-up. The scar is already flat, but still red
The video shows the patient's intermediate outcome after a short course of fairly aggressive laser procedures with medical support. The redness is still visible, but the surface of the skin is practically smooth. On the video below, you can see the same patient at the follow-up visit three months later.
Very beautiful dynamics, 7 procedures according to Dr. Uskov's protocols.
PS: Psychological support...
It is important to keep in mind that psychological support also plays an important role in scar treatment. Affected individuals may experience depression and low self-esteem due to their changed appearance. Sometimes it's not even patients themselves who need psychological help, but their loved ones.
Before and After
At the follow-up visit. Dr Uskov's course of treatment for traumatic scars has ended, the skin has fully recovered. I think this is really cool. In addition to the texture and surface, the structure of the scars has also changed. Now, they tan almost like normal skin.
Pigmented scars
Pigmented scars are always a mystery to me. A wide range of pigments can be present in a traumatic wound, from gunpowder to paint or even asphalt particles. I usually try to remove the pigment at the first stage of treatment, so then I can take on a clean scar. To remove the pigment, I use nanosecond and picosecond non-ablative lasers with wavelengths ranging from 532 to 1064 nm.
How to remove a traumatic scar
Treatment methods for traumatic scars are generally similar to those used to treat surgical scars. However, surgical scars are generally sterile and carefully sutured, incisions are made with minimal tissue damage, and the surgeon of course does not leave any foreign objects in the wound. But post-traumatic scars are much more severe. We might have to deal with the consequences of extensive bite wounds, burns and tissue liquefaction. Pieces of glass, asphalt, gunpowder, wood fragments or metal particles are often found in traumatic scars.
It is clear that such characteristics have a significant impact on the selection of the combination of treatment methods. Furthermore, the prognosis for the treatment of post-traumatic scars is usually more conservative.
