Can You Make Scars Disappear Completely? You’re Not Going To Like The Answer

Can You Make Scars Disappear Completely? You’re Not Going To Like The Answer -Scraping your knee in a childhood fall; burning your hand on the stove; having your appendix removed. Events like these can leave scars that are visible for the rest of your life – and they are not always pretty.

Scars form when the dermis, the middle of the three main layers of skin, is damaged. The dermis contains hair follicles, sweat glands and most of the skin’s sensory receptors.

Injuries that only damage the epidermis, the uppermost skin layer, heal without leaving a scar.

Scars are areas of fibrous tissue that replace normal skin after an injury. They have neither hair follicles nor sweat glands and consist of more connective tissue than does normal skin. Why?

“After an injury, the body tries to form a barrier against pathogens as quickly as possible,” explains Dr Ulrich Mrowietz, a senior physician in the Department of Dermatology, Allergology and Venerology at Schleswig-Holstein University Medical Centre in Kiel, Germany, where he heads the scar clinic.

Connective tissue cells fill in spaces where the original tissue is missing. Some then transform into smooth, muscle-like cells that quickly shrink the open wound by drawing the ends together.

“This kind of tissue repair is highly effective and time-saving,” Mrowietz says.

For the body, safety takes precedence over appearance – it’s vital for a wound to close quickly. Nicely pigmented skin with hair follicles and sweat glands, on the other hand, isn’t vital.

How scars develop over time

Reddish at first, a scar eventually fades and even becomes lighter than the rest of the skin.

“After the wound has healed, the scar matures for up to three years before it reaches its final form and colour,” notes Dr Torsten Kantelhardt, president of the German Society for Cosmetic-Plastic Surgery.

A scar’s final appearance depends not only on the nature of the injury, but also on its location and how it’s treated.

More conspicuous scars may form on parts of the body with a high degree of skin tension, for example the chest or shoulders.

What you can do during the healing process 

“During the healing process, you should leave the scar alone and not constantly pull off the adhesive bandage,” advises dermatologist Ulrich Klein.

Kantelhardt adds: “Apply sunblock during the first six months. Too much sunlight can cause a scar to become hyperpigmented, making it appear darker later.”

Abnormal scars can sometimes form, particularly on body parts with high skin tension.

Experts call them hypertrophic scars or keloids.

The scar tissue forms a reddish lump that can grow beyond the boundaries of the original wound. These types of scars are thought to have a genetic component.

But even scars that aren’t abnormal may be seen as quite unsightly.

Won’t go away completely

Though there are special creams and scar-reducer plasters said to improve their appearance, “a scar’s final appearance can’t be controlled by creams or plasters,” Mrowietz remarks.

It is possible, however, to improve the appearance of scars by applying ultrasound, for better penetration into the skin.

But it’s impossible to make a scar disappear completely, even with laser therapy, says Kantelhardt, who points out: “Cosmetic plastic surgery, too, always leaves a scar.”