Managing Hypertrophic and Keloid Scars With Silicone Sheets

A scar is simply where the skin has had to heal after being injured in particular way. The skin cannot heal back to its original state and therefore creates fibrous tissue in the place of the wound. As a result of this, a scar forms. Scar treatment is often called for.

There are many ways that people can get scarred. Some scarring always happens from certain surgery, such as with breast cancer surgery. Acne can cause the face and other parts of the body to be scarred. Different types of injuries can also create scarring on the skin.

When a hypertrophic scar forms, it stays within the immediate area of the wound. These scars can be treated with a variety of treatments successfully. Keloid scars on the other hand spread past the area and often have a tumor-like appearance. Keloid scars can become so severe that surgery is merited.

There are types of scar treatment available today from rubbing creams and oils on these scars to having surgery done on them. Some of the creams and oils work well and some don't do the job at all. Scars are seldom removed completely even through plastic surgery; their appearance can be minimized, though.

Laser treatments are often done on scars today. This does have certain side effects though. The skin will stay red for several days following treatment. Women can hide this redness through using makeup, but men can't so this might be an issue.

One of the best treatments today is the use of silicone sheets on the scars. Wearing a sheet of silicone over a scar stimulates the skin to heal itself, therefore the scar's appearance is not as pronounced. This usually takes several weeks to accomplish maximum results. This scar treatment can be used on scars that are old too. The older scars can be successfully minimized.

The regimen is usually to start out wearing the silicone sheets for about 30 minutes a day. Then the person should gradually increases the length the sheet is worn until they are wearing it all day. The sheets are worn until the maximum results are reached. At that time, the scar will be minimized as much as it can be. The silicone sheets produce amazing results on most scars.

The silicone sheets usually have to have some tape applied over them to allow them to be secure on the skin. They should only be worn during the day; the skin should be allowed to breathe at night. These sheets can work on hypertrophic and keloid scars both. The best results will be seen on the hypertrophic scars though.

If one suffers from scarring of any kind, they should try these silicone sheets first before other kinds of treatments. They may find that no other kind of scar treatment is necessary. It would be better than having to have surgery done on the scars. Most people are very satisfied after using the sheets of silicone to remove or minimize their scars.

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Keloid Scars Are a Type of Hypertrophic Scar Nobody Wants

Hypertrophic scars are also known as raised scars and a result of a hyper production of collagen. While they are a bit difficult to deal with, they are much less problematic than keloid scars.

Keloid scars are actually an overgrowth of fibrous tissue. Unlike hypertrophic scars, keloids extend beyond the original site of the wound and can keep growing indefinitely. These are two of the reasons that keloid scars are difficult to treat and deal with.

Keloid scars can take on a puckered appearance. The puckering gives them an irregular shape. Unfortunately, these types of raised scars will usually get worse with time instead of getting better.

Their appearance is a pinkish or red color and they have a tendency to become quite large and unattractive. They can also be tender to the touch, itchy and sometimes painful. Keloids can show-up anywhere on the body, but are usually seen on the breastbone, ear lobes and shoulders.

The biggest problem with keloids is that they have a tendency to recur and require repeated treatments. Fortunately, the predisposition to develop keloids diminishes with age.

There are several different ways of keloid scar removal for both hypertrophic and keloid scars. Two of the most common treatments are corticosteroid injections and compression therapy. Here is a short introduction to both types of treatments.

Compression therapy is about the application of pressure to the scar. Some studies have shown that when pressure is applied to the scar it reduces the cohesiveness of collagen fibers and inhibits the formation of hypertrophic scars and keloids. Some of the elements used in compression therapy include compression wraps, ACE bandages, elastic adhesive bandages, spandex or Lycra bandages.

Compression therapy has shown positive results on existing scars, however, it is generally used to prevent the formation of scar tissue, especially keloids.

Scar healing can also be achieved by using regular corticosteroid injections which can be applied before, during, and after surgery. Intralesional corticosteroid injections help treat both raised scars and keloids by deterring the production of collagen.

Surgery and microdermabrasion are two types of scar removal options that can be used to treat raised scars. Surgery for keloids is a complicated topic because keloids tend to recur, however, microdermabrasion seems to be a safer option for both keloids and hypertrophic scar removal because it works slowly by gradually wearing down the skin until it is practically gone.

Hypertrophic scars can often be treated with one of the previously mentioned alternatives, however, keloid scar removal most often relies on a combination of all of these treatments to be successful. If you want further information you should talk to your doctor about scar removal treatments for these types of scars.

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Effective Strategies to Attack Keloid and Hypertrophic Scars

After an injury the body has a natural way of healing any open wounds. The production of skin cells and fibroblasts are the first step in the reparation process. The fibroblasts generate a set of connections where the skin cells migrate and close the wound.

In a healthy healing process, the fibroblasts and skin cells have the same rate of production and produce a normal scar that will fade with time. However, if the fibroblasts reproduce faster than the skin cells, they will form a dense band that impedes the migration of the skin cells to the wound. The result, in this case, is a raised formation on the skin known as a keloid scar or hypertrophic scar.

What is the difference between the two? The following article will examine the differences between these types of scars as well as hypertrophic and keloid scar treatment

Keloids

Keloids exceed the area of the original wound. Their appearance is like a puckered cluster of tissue that emerges from the surface of the skin. This type of raised scars are irregular in shape and, unlike other types, they usually do not fade with time, but grow larger.

They can be pinkish or red and have a tendency to become fairly large and unattractive. They can also be tender to the touch, itchy and sometimes painful. On a histological level, keloids are composed of thick and abundant collagen bundles that form lumps deep within the skin.

Hypertrophic Scars

Hypertrophic scars are the result of the body overproducing collagen. The result of this anomaly is a raised scar like a keloid scar. However, unlike keloids, hypertrophic scars do not grow beyond the limits of the original wound.

Treating Hypertrophic and Keloid Scars

There are several treatments for raised scars. But, we will take a look at a couple of the most common ones: compression therapy and corticosteroid injections

Compression therapy involves applying pressure to the scar. Reports have stated that by applying pressure to the scar, there is a reduction in the cohiesiveness of collagen fibers. Compression treatments include ACE bandages, elastic adhesive bandages, compression wraps, spandex or Lycra bandages among others.

Corticosteroids, specifically intralesional corticosteroid injections, have been a constant form of treatment to aid hypertrophic scar healing. Intralesional corticosteroid injections help inhibit the development of scar tissue by reducing collagen synthesis, by altering glucosaminoglycan synthesis, and by inhibiting the production of fibroblast proliferation during wound healing.

Surgery, cryo treatments and laser therapy are other alternatives for the treatment of raised scars. Check with your doctor to choose the best alternative for you.

When abnormal scar healing creates raised scars, you have a large range of treatment alternatives. Deep tissue massages and skin exfoliation are also alternatives for raised scars treatments.

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Understanding the Cause and Treatment of Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars

Keloid scars as well as hypertrophic scars are very unique in that they can actually grow and expand. While Hypertrophic scars are able to grow, Keloids are the only type of scar that can expand beyond the boundaries of the original wound area. Both of these types of scars are caused by the excessive deposition of collagen. Unfortunately, some of those affected by these types of wounds end up with extremely large, cyst like growths on their body. Furthermore, Keloids can develop at multiple locations on the body at the same time.

The Development of Keloids

Keloids can develop following any trauma to the skin including a minor abrasion. This means that a simple cut can turn into a very large and discolored wound. However, in some instances Keloids can develop spontaneously while Hypertrophic scars always develop following an injury.

Both of these types of wounds typically occur in the ethnic groups such as from African, Polynesian, or South Pacific origin. However, any group can develop these types of wounds. One of the most common reasons for the development of Keloids is a puncture wound such as a body piercing.

Hypertrophic and Keloid Scar Treatments - Options

There are a variety of treatment options to choose from once you develop either a Hypertrophic or Keloid. While some may assume that surgery is the best overall option, consider the fact that surgically removing this type of wound is not only expensive, but it also runs the risk of another scar returning 50% of the time. These are not very good odds considering the risk and cost of surgery.

Injection therapy

Another keloid scar treatment option used to reduce the appearance of Keloids is injection therapy. This method involves multiple injections given per week. While this method has shown to have some positive results, there are some significant drawbacks such as the potential to develop multiple side effects. Additionally, these injections are very expensive.

Silicone Keloid Scar Treatments

A silicone based keloid scar treatment is considered by many skin care professionals as the best overall option for reducing the size, color, and pain associated with Keloids and Hypertrophic scars. Please click on the links provided below to compare a variety of scar products.

There are many different scar products to choose from. Please click on the following links to learn more about a variety of available Scar Treatments.

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Which Type of Scar Removal Product Works Best For Keloids?

There is a tremendous amount of research proving silicone works best as a scar treatment for keloids. Most research is done on keloid scars because they are so disfiguring. Another reason is that doctors don't know what causes them. They hope studying scar treatments will solve the mystery.

There have been at least two significant studies of silicone for scar therapy on keloids. Both proved silicone works.

Here are the results of a South Florida medical investigation. Keloid patients used silicone for only four months.

o Size decreased in 53%.
o Tissue softened in 45%.
o Itching stopped for 45%.
o Tenderness was reduced in 36%.

A second significant study involved darker skin. African-Americans and Hispanics are sixteen-times more likely to form keloids than Caucasians. Indian and Pakistani natives are also vulnerable. Again, no one knows why.

In the second study, in India, silicone was kept on serious scarring for 12 hours a day.

1. Doctors saw improvement in half of cases.
2. Improvement began within 12 weeks.
3. The researchers say immediate therapy as soon as a wound closes will help prevent keloids.
4. Of all non-invasive treatments, the doctors report silicones seem to be the only compound with no significant side effects.

Other findings: scar treatment must be applied at least twice a day. It should be used for multiple months or more to get maximum results.

Scar treatment creams are the only option for many people.

Many doctors will not even try surgery or dermabrasion on keloids. These treatments will just heal into another. It is often a bigger and uglier mark.

People prone to thick, red keloid scars are advised to avoid any elective surgery or body piercing. The outcome is a new keloid.

Keloids result when the body over-corrects after trauma or surgical incision. Keloids are heaps of spreading scar tissue.

Scar treatments work. Here are five reasons:

1. During therapy, silicone promotes healing. It helps scarred cells draw and hold moisture from surrounding healthy tissue. Moisture is essential to healing.

2. You get immediate soothing. Scars can be painful or itchy. Redness subsides when you stop rubbing or scratching. Silicone also protects the sensitive scar tissue from wind, rain and any other outside irritants.

3. It goes to work at the cellular level, encouraging healing. This results in a flatter scar which fades into surrounding skin.

4. It may "convince" damaged fibers to realign. Silicone attracts static electricity, which may encourage cells to re-form as softer, more normal tissue.

5. In fact, some doctors in Great Britain prefer to use silicone scar treatment products alongside laser medical scar removal and cortisone shots.

People with extreme scarring appreciate home scar removal creams. They can be frustrated by products that deliver the silicone on a sheet attached with tape. It might seem more protective. But they come off when skin moves. A coating of cream or gel also offers protection and is flexible. It doesn't come off.

Wearing silicone sheets for months at a time calls attention to removal therapy. Some people suffer embarrassment about their keloids. A gel is more discreet.

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Five Effective Techniques For Hypertrophic Scar Treatment

Hypertrophic scar treatment is a unique method of repairing scars. Scarring of the skin are usually of two kinds - keloid and hypertrophic. Skin marks are considered hypertrophic when the injured tissue heals and forms a reddish lump which does not extend beyond the actual wound. Though these are abnormal looking, these skin blemishes repair with time. But in some cases, they become permanent and then hypertrophic scar treatment is required for their removal.

There is a wide variety of scar treatments. You must know that whatever might be your process for removal, scars can never be actually removed. Scar removing treatments leave a trace behind. A few techniques are elaborated below:

Needling treatment - This is one of the most affordable hypertrophic scar treatments. One of its advantages is that it can be done at home with special scarring needles.
Silicone treatment - This hypertrophic treatment erases the most of the scarring traces. This method is normally used by plastic surgeons. Silicone gel sheets moisturize the scar and fade out the discoloration so that it matches the surrounding skin.
Steroid injections - Steroid injection is a very common method that is used in hypertrophic scar healing. Here, steroids are injected directly into the scar every month until the scar is suitably flattened.
Collagen injections - Just like a few cosmetic procedures, collagen injections are also used in hypertrophic scar treatment. This type of treatment pertains to those scars which sink into the skin. This method of treatment helps to maintain the scar level.
Radiotherapy - In severe cases, scars can be open to the elements of radiotherapy or can also be stitched up. However, these treatments are risky as it involves opening the wounds.
New and improved treatments methods are being developed with proper research, for the treatments of scars. Now, with such advanced technology, these scars are no more a cause of worry.

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