A scar results when you damage skin tissue due to an accident, disease, or surgery. It happens as a natural result of your body's healing process, and serves as a reminder of the injury and repair. Maybe, though, you don't want any "battle scars" to remind you of the time you sliced your finger with the kitchen knife or when you slid across the pavement after tripping over your dog's leash.
Of course, the best way to avoid scars is to avoid injury to your skin. But once you're injured, how you care for the wound will have a big affect on any future scarring.
Cuts and Scrapes
Cleanse your wounded skin thoroughly with hydrogen peroxide or a similar product. It will sting a bit, but it kills germs! Then, keep the wound moist with an antibiotic ointment.
A butterfly bandage holds a wound closed, reducing scarring. They're available at most drug stores and pharmacies. If it's a large wound – or a fairly large wound on a noticeable place like your face – head to your doctor's office or nearest urgent care clinic. A few stitches can make a scar barely noticeable.
Burns
If you've ever accidentally touched a hot stove you know how painful a burn can be. The first thing you need to do is stop the burning. If it's the stove you've touched, run cold water over your skin for 15 to 30 minutes. If it's an acid or grease burn, remove any saturated clothing, wash off the acid or grease, and then soak the burn in cold water. If your clothing is stuck to your body, don't try to remove it. Head straight to your doctor's office or urgent care center.
Sunburns and contact burns from oven coils (examples of first and second degree burns) can generally be taken care of at home. If the injured area is larger than a quarter (for children) or a silver dollar (for adults), you should contact your physician. You should also see a doctor if the injured person is younger than a year old or older than age 60.
Once you stop the burning, cover the burned area with a thick gauze pad, then leave it alone for at least 24 hours. Burns heal better when left to repair themselves. After that, you can wash the injured skin gently with mild soap and water or a Betadine solution. Betadine is available from some pharmacies.
An over-the-counter antibiotic ointment will discourage infection and promote healing. Look for an ointment containing polymyxin B sulfate or bacitracin.
Two or three days after you've been burned, try rubbing some aloe vera on the burn. You can either break a stem from an aloe plant or purchase aloe cream. It's available without a prescription.
Leave any and all blisters alone. Do not try to pop them. They're your body's natural burn bandages. If one should pop, cleanse the area with mild soap and water, and then cover the area with antibiotic ointment.
Acne
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Not everyone gets scarred from acne. Unfortunately, no one can predict if you will, and how extensive the scarring will be until you've already begun scarring. The best way to prevent scarring from acne is treat acne at the onset and continue treatment until you're done "breaking out."
Once Healing Starts
When your wound starts to heal, don't pick at the scab. Don't even rub it roughly. And once the scab is healed, continue to treat the area gently. It can take as much as a year for the scar to completely bind the wound. Even then, a scarred area is not as strong as other skin areas. And a scar has a lot less protective pigment, making that area more susceptible to sunburn. Use a strong sunscreen on any scar.
Try not to be concerned at the appearance of your skin after the area has healed. A recently healed scar is rather pinkish, but will tone down after awhile. Try rubbing vitamin E on the scar. It feels soothing and may lessen the appearance of scarring.
If you want to encourage healthy healing and minimize scarring, eat your fruits and vegetables. A diet high in vitamins and minerals promotes healthy cells – and that's the stuff from which your skin is made. Of particular benefit to healing is zinc (found in foods such as seeds, nuts, cheeses, lean meat, and poultry) and vitamin C (especially high in citrus fruits).
Be sure to drink lots of water and juices – and to only drink tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages in moderation.
Watch for Infection
If a wound shows any sign of infection, make an appointment with your healthcare provider. Also, if a wound doesn't heal in ten days to two weeks, it's time to make an appointment. |
