Whether you recently had an injury or you are recovering from surgery, it is likely that you have a wound. Wound care is key to healing and avoiding infection, but proper wound care can also reduce or eliminate scarring. To learn more about how to prevent scars in wound care, continue on.
A scar is a tear in the dermis, which is the lower level of the skin. The dermis is rich in collagen, otherwise known as the elastic fibers that keep our skin springy.
“Think of our normal collagen like a basket weave, very nice and even,” said dermatologist Dr. Khetarpal. “When we get a scar or injury to our skin, it triggers a wound-healing response that can create just enough collagen, not quite enough, or a little bit extra. It’s always going to be different than the initial skin you had in that area.”
As we age, our collagen loosens. This means, as we age, we are more prone to scarring. Age plays a factor in the likeliness of scarring, but the part of the body that is injured and the amount of blood that is circulating to it also plays a part.
“Your face and scalp tend to heal the fastest because we have the most circulation there, but a cut on your foot, where circulation isn’t as good, could take weeks to heal,” Dr. Khetarpal added.
There are several types of scares, including atrophic, hypertrophic, and keloid. These scars vary from each other because of their texture and cause.
If you want to do everything you can to prevent scarring, start by keeping your wound as clean as possible. Once you clean your wound, wrap it in an appropriate bandage. However, you don’t want to dry out your wound while it is bandaged. Keeping it moist assists with the healing process. Think about using petroleum jelly on your wound to reduce or eliminate scarring.
Next, minimize movement. If a wound is on a part of the body that is moved a lot it can widen or thicken. As your wound heals, don’t touch the scars. While it can be tempting to pick or scratch at scabs, doing so can actually make your wound heal slower and darken any potential scars.
Lastly, try silicone scar sheets if you want to prevent or reduce the chance of getting new scars. Silicone scar sheets can work for some people based on their skin type, wound type, and wound care treatment.
Discover top-quality wound care products when you shop with Sarasota Medical Products, Inc. We are located at 1451 Sarasota Center Boulevard in Sarasota, Florida, and you can call us at 941-377-1451 with any questions.