Skip to content

Scar therapy

Treatment of acne scars, surgical scars, burn scars and keloids

Behandlung von Aknenarben und OP-Narben

What are scars and why do they occur?

In principle, scarring is a naturally important and sensible reaction of our body to injuries of any kind.

This means that the healing of wounds after operations, inflammations, injuries and burns can only take place through the formation of scar tissue – a vital process in our body!

But what if the scar leaves a retracted area of skin, as is typically the case after acne on the face? Or is it itchy – as a reaction to the suture material after an operation, for example?
Or is it painful because the scar itself is thick and hardened? Sometimes even restricting function, as scar tissue is basically inferior tissue and does not stretch well – for example, if localized on the knee or elbow – where great skin mobility is desired? Or is it ultimately psychologically stressful as it is visually distracting?

Classification of scars

Basically, a distinction is made between sunken “atrophic” scars according to acne or operations, where you can clearly see that the tissue is deeper than the skin level – these forms of scars are often localized on the face.

The so-called “hypertrophic” scars include scars that are higher than the level of our skin, usually thickened and often painful, typically localized in the shoulder and chest area. Mostly as a result of severe forms of acne or injuries.

Then there is – fortunately less common – the particularly severe form of scarring: the keloid.

Not only does this lead to enlarged and thickened scarring, the scar itself actively and uncontrollably grows beyond the original site into the surrounding healthy tissue – and in some cases without any underlying injury!

Scarring and its characteristics

As a result, such scars can not only be cosmetically unpleasant, but can also lead to functional impairment of a nearby joint! Genetic predisposition and a dark skin type play a major role here. The influence of hormones is also important here.

However, one of the main reasons for scarring is skin tension: the greater the tension on the scar tissue, the larger the scar later on! This means that the more tension on the wound edges is prevented – especially after surgery – the better the result and the smaller the scar. In addition to two-layer suturing of a surgical wound (each layer of skin is sutured separately to reduce traction on the dermis, the site of scar formation), a special plaster should also be applied to “cushion” the traction on the wound edges.

What can you do yourself to prevent unsightly scarring?

In the case of known “bad” scarring or an existing scar, a visit to a specialist is recommended (it is worth taking a close look here, as not every dermatologist specializes in scars), whereby the scar tissue can be flattened by injecting, and the redness is also significantly reduced.

In addition, state-of-the-art laser therapy (fractional CO2 laser) is ideal for smoothing acne scars on the face – in the form of several sessions and thus achieving a truly miraculous effect!