What Is A Scar Tissue?
Skin is the organ that protects your body from infections. It is more prone to physical injuries. Injuries can result in a scar tissue treatment.
When you have an injury, your body tries to repair the damaged tissue. During this, scar tissue is created. Scar tissue is nothing but a collection of cells and collagen that covers the site of an injury. Scar tissues are thick fibrous tissue that replaces the healthy ones that are damaged.
Scar tissue can be seen as a result of acne, injury, or surgery. Scar tissue can also be seen after a heart attack in the heart muscle.
During the initial stages, the scar tissue may not be very painful. But over time, as nerve endings try to regenerate, the scar tissue may turn out to be painful. The intensity of the pain can vary depending on the severity of the initial wound and the location of the wound in the body. Scars will never disappear.
What Are The Symptoms Of Scar Tissue?
The area where scar tissue is formed has a thicker texture compared to the rest of your body. Exterior scar tissue is mostly painful. The symptoms of scar tissue pain are as follows.
Skin itchiness, Credits: pixabay
Swelling
Redness
Itchiness
Throbbing
Sensitivity (to the touch)
Limited range of motion
“Creaky” sounds or sensations
Sometimes scar tissue can be due to internal wounds, surgeries, or any underlying diseases. If the scar tissue is affecting the joints, there may be pain and stiffness. This especially happens following surgeries on the face, or as a result of medical procedures like hysterectomies.
Treatment of Scar Tissue
The treatment of scar tissue is as follows.
Over The Counter Medications
Surgery
Injections
Compression Techniques
Massage
OverThe Counter Medications
Medicines, Credits: pixabay
Over-the-counter prescription creams, ointments, and gels can help reduce the scars that are caused by surgical incisions (cuts) or other injuries or wounds. Corticosteroids and anti-histamine creams are usually prescribed. Sometimes intralesional steroid injections are prescribed to reduce inflammation and pain. To help prevent acne scars a silicone gel sheet can be used. To treat minor scars, topical creams that are rich in vitamin C are used.
Surgery
The surgical options include skin grafts, removal of scars, or laser surgery. If you recently underwent a plastic like Nose job, cosmetic, or other surgery, it is ideal to wait for one year before opting for a scar removal treatment. Some types of scars may fade or become unnoticeable over time.
If you are planning to opt for a scar revision surgery, remember the area should be moist, so that the sutures can come off easily. Petroleum jelly, silicone scar creams, gels, or sheets can help to keep the area moist.
Injections
Injections, Credits: pixabay
Steroid injections can help to treat protruding scars like keloids or hypertrophic scars. This can be a stand-alone treatment or combined with other treatments.
Commonly used injections are botulinum toxin (Botox) injections. They decrease pain and discomfort by relaxing muscles in the targeted area. These injections may help in reducing the pain that happens due to scar tissue, but the appearance of the scar may remain the same.
Laser Surgery
Vascular specific lasers are available to treat raised scars that are pink to purple. A carbon dioxide ablative laser can also be used to treat different types of scars.
Compression Techniques
To help manage the pain and inflammation that results from scar tissue, doctors recommend compression treatment. Compression wraps are available that can help relieve the pain and the size of the scar tissue can also subside over time.
Massage
Massage therapy, Credits: pixabay
Massage therapy for scar tissue includes a series of deep tissue mobilization and myofascial release techniques. This reduces inflammation and encourages movement in the affected area.