No more scars!

The one thing that bothers celebrities and lay man alike are scars. Actors including Kendall Jenner and Emma Stone have been troubled by scars and opted for treatments to get rid of them.

Here is an expert’s opinion on how you can permanently get rid of those adamant scars.

Scars result from aberrant response to wound healing after injury to normal skin. Scarring can cause significant psychological trauma, general insecurity and feelings of inferiority and even lead to social withdrawal in some individuals.

The treatment of scars is a multimodality approach. Each modality has its advantages and disadvantages. The right procedures have to be combined in the right sequence to achieve the best result. Treatment recommendations vary according to scar severity, available recovery time, and affordability for the patient.

Punch excision, subcision, chemical peeling, microdermabrasion, dermal fillers, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy and fractional laser technologies are the methods available for scar revision or resurfacing. Lasers, particularly fractional lasers CO2 laser treatment are an integral part of the management of scars and are perhaps the most efficacious in causing scar amelioration.

Micro-needling Radiofrequency (MNRF) system is a novel fractional resurfacing technique that augments skin tightening and scar remodelling through high-frequency alternating electrical currents that heat dermal tissue. The advantages of this MNRF technology include less skin damage than fractional lasers, faster healing process, lesser incidence of pigmentation and minimal downtime after the procedure. Use of combination of CO2 with MNRF technology with Fraxis Duo laser gives superior results with higher patient satisfaction.

Before starting the treatment, the patient’s skin is cleansed with 70 per cent alcohol and a local anaesthetic cream is then applied for about one hour to avoid discomfort during treatment. The procedure is started under proper antiseptic conditions and an attempt is made to cover the base and sides of each scar present. It usually takes 5 minutes to 20 minutes to complete the procedure depending upon the treatment area.

For post-procedure care, antibiotic creams and moisturisers are applied for a period of 3-5 days. It is very important to avoid any post-treatment sun exposure and to use sunscreens properly. It is advisable to avoid any harsh chemicals on the face and also to withhold any cosmetic treatments for at least two weeks after the procedure. There can be slight redness, flakiness and mild crusting of the skin for a few days after the procedure. To avoid any interference with the daily routine, the patient can use any camouflage creams to tide over this period.

It is important to understand that the management of scars is time consuming and any improvement seen occurs gradually. The scar revision process may require more than one treatment session for maximum results i.e 50-70 per cent improvement of scar. Where needed, several sessions usually four to 10 depending on scar severity are performed four to six weeks apart.

Perfect treatment for scars has to be tailored for each individual according to their type of scars. In today’s world, with ever evolving research better technologies for scar revision with greater safety profile are becoming available and there is no need to let the scars hamper one’s self esteem.

– The writer is a dermatologist.

Disclaimer: Always check with a specialist before going ahead with this procedure.