Scars

A scar follows a break in the skin. The natural process of healing allows the production of a second skin. This scar tissue is likely to differ from healthy skin , resulting in a potentially uneven appearance.

Indeed, you should know that this scar tissue is devoid of hair, sebaceous glands and sweat glands. The cells providing skin pigmentation, called melanocytes , are also absent from scar tissue. This results in a fibrous, remodeled and lighter appearance than the adjacent skin.

If superficial and small lesions do not leave visible scars, deeper skin break-ins heal visibly.

The larger the scar and the more irregular in appearance, the greater the aesthetic discomfort .

Any damage to the integrity of the skin results in a repair response that takes place in four phases. This scarring phenomenon depends on a number of factors that are specific to each individual:

• Age: the healing process is faster during extreme ages.
• Hormones: situations of hormonal variation such as puberty or pregnancy are more prone to hypertrophic or keloid scars.
• Genetics: keloid scars generally result from a genetic predisposition.
• Skin type : darker skins are more susceptible to the formation of keloid scars (phototypes IV to VI of black skins )
• Scar maintenance: taking good care of the initial skin lesion is essential to avoid infections and reduce scarring.
• The location of the scar: certain areas of the body would favor the formation of unsightly scars (the V of the neckline , the lobe of the ear or the chin).
• The depth of the wound: deep skin lesions leave visible and more or less irregular scars.

Among the possible causes of scarring:

• Dermatosis: particularly acne and chickenpox
• A surgical intervention
• Traumatic injury, burn, accident

It is possible to distinguish different types of scars:

• White scars : these are the most common and follow normal healing. Flat, they are most often discreet and can even become almost invisible over time.
• Keloid scars : this type of scar poses a real aesthetic concern. It is an anomaly of the healing process. They are more frequently found on the head and neck , which explains the aesthetic damage they can cause. A keloid scar appears as a more or less extensive, fibrous and hard reddish blister. For example, C-section scars can progress to keloid or hypertrophic scars.
• Atrophic scars : they form a hollow or a small hole in the skin and are favored by thin skin. On the face, acne scars can be atrophic in nature and are also one of the most common patterns found in dermatology and aesthetic medicine consultations.
• Hypertrophic scars : bulging, a hypertrophic scar is well defined and similar in color to the adjacent skin. It follows an anomaly that occurred during healing, which causes an increase in the volume of the scar. Areas with thick skin ( thorax , ears, back) are more affected by hypertrophic scars.

The type of the scar determines its treatment. Depending on the nature, dimensions and location of each scar, different types of methods can be considered. For this, we mobilize the expertise of our dermatologists who work in close collaboration with our cosmetic surgeons.

During your first consultation at the Skin Marceau Clinic , a targeted questioning as well as a meticulous examination allows us to determine together the type of scar concerned as well as the appropriate treatments.

For acne scars, for example, an ablative fractional laser treatment stimulates cell renewal and deeply regenerates the skin.

Treatment of scars with laser

At Skin Marceau, we use the lumenis ultrapulse alpha CO2 laser for scar recovery . A pioneer in CO2 lasers, this is an innovative technology that can be applied to acne scars as well as chickenpox or post-traumatic scars. The laser will generate heat which intensely activates the renewal of the skin.

SmartXide Punto has 4 pulse shapes designed to adapt to any skin type and any treatment area (even the neck and eyelids ) .

This act is almost painless and the recovery is extremely short.

The details and modalities of this treatment are explained to you during your initial consultation.

The results depend on the specificities of each scar as well as the number of sessions required.

It is important to know that depending on each case, the scars can significantly diminish or even disappear completely. During your laser treatment and during the weeks that follow, it will be crucial to follow the precautions that will be communicated to you by your doctor in order to optimize the results and guarantee the safety of the procedure.

Skin texture is smoother, more even, skin quality improves due to cell regeneration.

The results can be appreciated optimally over the sessions.