Scars can form in many tissue types, but visible scars appear on the skin. A scar can form when the skin is damaged through disease, injury or surgery. Its development is a product of your physiology, genetics and the method of injury. This latter point is crucial because scars from sharp injuries, where the skin can be closely reapproximated tend to form far cleaner scars than those resulting from blunt force or inflammatory (disease) damage. Surgery can help with many types of scars, but those from injury, disease or trauma are often good candidates for review.

In addition to surgery, many methods exist to address scars, including steroid injections, silicone gel, pressure dressings, light therapy and even tattoos.

Keloid Scarring

These scars form when the body's repair mechanisms go into overdrive. The result is an ever-evolving scar that raises above the skin, often producing a bulge of connective tissue. These scars can be pink or red; they can also be painful. Predisposition to keloid scarring is often genetic, and having darker skin can increase the risks of developing one following injury. Keloids have a high reoccurrence rate, but options are available to treat them; some are non-surgical, reducing the risk of reoccurrence.

Hypertrophic Scarring

Much like keloid scars, hypertrophic scars result from an overproduction of collagen; however, their formation does not extend beyond the boundary of the wound. These types of scars are typically bright in appearance and can form in areas where the skin is under tension or following burns. They present less of a challenge than keloid scars to treat, and numerous options exist to address them.

Sunken Scars

Sunken, pitted, and ice-pick are all names to describe the scars that form following injury whereby a depression in the skin is left. They're typical of severe acne breakouts and certain viruses such as chicken pox. They result from a loss of fat cells at the site of the injury.

Contracture Scaring

Contracture scars are a serious complication of a previously healed scar; they are sometimes seen following burn injuries or where wide areas of skin are lost or damaged. They result in the ends of the scar coming together, often bringing underlying soft tissue structures with it. This can profoundly impact the mobility of the structures beneath the skin, such as muscle. These scars should be evaluated to understand options for cosmetic and functional improvements of the affected regions.