To begin, it is important to understand that once a scar has formed this cannot be removed from the body. The various skin treatments available for scars work to treat the appearance of the skin tissue, reducing redness, irritation and allowing a greater range of motion in areas where a scar has impacted mobility. Laser treatments that can be used to treat a scar will work to minimize the appearance of the scar, helping a patient to feel confident and happy with their skin. Scars differ in their appearance depending upon how they were caused and your skin’s healing process.
The appearance of a burn scar will be determined by the amount of heat and how long this stayed in contact with your skin.
How are burn scars caused?
A burn scar will appear when you have burnt and damaged the skin. If a burn is a first-degree burn and has only affected the first outer layers of the skin, the scar tissue may fade over time on its own. However, for more severe burns where deeper layers of the skin have been damaged, permanent scarring will occur. Often a permanent burn scar will have a thicker texture to the surrounding skin with an irregular appearance. What type of burn you experience will depend upon how badly the skin was burnt, what burnt the skin and for how long the skin was in contact with the cause of the burn.
Burns can cause three different types of scars, these are:
- Hypertrophic scars
- Contracture scars
- Keloid scars
What laser treatments are available to treat scars?
When opting for laser therapy to treat the appearance of your burn scars, it is important you seek treatment from a medical professional with experience in treating scars with laser.
Light therapy
Light therapy (pulses of light), also known as IPL treatment works to reduce the redness in a scar by targeting the blood vessels in the excess scar tissue. Although this will not remove your scar, this will reduce the redness, minimising the appearance of your skin. Making it less noticeable to others. This is a particularly popular method for those with scars in areas they can not hide and suffer from a lack of confidence due to the size and appearance of their scar.
Laser Resurfacing
Laser resurfacing is an advanced skin treatment working to rejuvenate the appearance of the skin. Being available from a number of professional clinics, this treatment can be used to treat a range of skin concerns, including treating scars. Laser resurfacing works by using a laser to generate beams of thermal energy that can be penetrated deep into the skin. Working to stimulate your body’s natural healing process, encouraging the production of collagen to the damaged skin, helping to reveal renewed skin. Laser resurfacing works best for deep pitted scars, as the laser removes the top layers of skin to help flatten the raised scar.
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When will you see results from laser treatment?
A specialist in skin treatments and laser treatments will tailor your laser treatment to your specific requirements. Take into consideration your skin type and the size and type of scar you have. Therefore, the length of time between starting your laser treatment and achieving visible results will be different for each person. Most patients looking to treat their scars will require several treatment appointments and will begin to see results over a few months.
