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A scar is the
body's natural
way of healing
and replacing
lost or damaged
skin. A scar is
usually
composed of
fibrous tissue.
Scars may be
formed for many
different
reasons,
including as a
result of
infections,
surgery,
injuries, or
inflammation of
tissue. Scars
may appear
anywhere on the
body, and the
composition of
a scar may vary
- appearing
flat, lumpy,
sunken,
colored,
painful, or
itchy. The
final look of a
scar depends of
many factors,
including the
skin type and
location on the
body, the
direction of
the wound, the
type of injury,
age of the
person with the
scar, and
his/her
nutritional
status.
A scar revision
is a procedure
performed on a
scar to alter
the appearance
of the scar.
The revision
may improve the
appearance of
the scar or
restore
function to a
part of the
body that may
have been
restricted by
the scar. It is
important to
remember that
scars cannot be
completely
removed.
Laser Scar
Removal
Refined since
the
introduction of
lasers in the
1980s, the
laser scar
removal
technique today
can reduce the
appearance of
keloid scars,
hypertrophic
scars, and
atrophic scars,
which have the
following
characteristics:
-
Keloid
Scarring:
Firm,
raised,
and
reddish-purple
scars that
extend
beyond the
initial
wound area
and builds
over time.
-
Hypertrophic
Scarring:
Firm,
raised,
and pink
scars that
remain
within the
initial
wound area
and
possibly
naturally
regress
over time.
-
Atrophic
Scarring:
Depressed
pin-like
pockets in
the skin
that can
result
from skin
conditions
or
diseases
such as
acne.
Today, several
new laser
techniques are
available to
treat a wide
variety of
scars and
stretch marks.
The laser's
energy
stimulates the
skin under the
scar and causes
the fibroblasts
in the skin to
begin to divide
again. It also
stimulates the
production of
collagen. This
thickens the
skin under the
scar until it
closely
resembles the
surrounding
normal skin.
Most patients
do not require
anesthetic.
Some patients
have indicated
that they feel
a slight
tingling when
the laser
pulses, or that
the laser pulse
feels like the
snap of a
rubber band
against the
skin.
Until laser
therapy, there
have been few
treatments that
effectively
diminish the
appearance and
accompanying
symptoms of
scars. Not only
does laser
treatment
significantly
reduce the
height and
redness of
scars, it
actually
improves the
pliability of
the scar and
alleviates
painful
symptoms.
Dr. Rokhsar is
a pioneer in
the science of
Fraxel laser
treatments
and presented
the first
report on
correcting
scars with the
Fraxel laser.
If you
need more
information
or would
like to
schedule
an
appointment
for a
consultation,
please
click here
to contact
us or
call one
of our
offices
at:
(212) 285-1110
New York
(516)
512-7616
Long
Island |
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