Ultra-pulsed laser devices allow the removal of pigment layer by layer, with reduced risk of scarring.
What is and how can we fix it?
When by accident or surgery a wound is made on the skin, a repair process follows that always results in a scar, more or less visible.
Of the scars that are barely visible, either because of their location or extent, or because they are simply not apparent, we will not look into them as they do not pose any problem.
There are, however, scars resulting from an accident or even surgery, which are quite unsightly or even uncomfortable, constituting a challenge for doctors, in general, and especially for the Plastic Surgeon and the Dermatologist, as these patients often turn to these specialists to handle these situations.
We can say that a scar, even successfully treated, never disappears completely, but becoming practically invisible is no longer a problem. Often it is only possible to considerably improve the appearance of the scar and this will perhaps be quite satisfactory for the patient and consequently for the doctor.
Surgical scars, even those performed for purely aesthetic purposes, with the most accurate technique, do not always work well, depending of course on the type of surgery, the location of the same and also, to a large extent, on the ability of the skin to heal "well". When we talk about accidental scars it is clear that the problem gets worse.
We can divide unsightly scars essentially into three types: Atrophic, Hypertrophic and Keloids, and sometimes there may be a mixture of these types in the same scar.
- Atrophic Scars
may result from the loss of substance resulting from the accident or surgery, from healing "by second intention", i.e. without suturing, from the deeper layers of the skin or from the enlargement of the scar itself after the wound is closed . - Hypertrophic Scars
they are those that become thick and hard to the touch but do not go beyond the limits of the wound itself. There are anatomical locations where these scars are more frequent and often have a temporary nature during the healing process, disappearing progressively, either spontaneously or with treatment. - The Keloids
they are thick scars, in which the thickening and hardening goes beyond the wound that gave rise to it. They are largely a "trend" of the patient and are more frequent in certain ethnic groups - in blacks and in the area of skin that is between the chin and an imaginary line through the nipples.
There are multiple treatments that can be used on scars depending on the type, duration and location of the choice.
Sometimes we can resort to corrective surgery in order to obtain a less visible scar, "displace" it to a more "hidden" location or to a natural crease.
There are several products for local use that can be beneficial and compression using special silicone or other dressings may be indicated in raised scars (hypertrophic or keloids).
Chemical or laser peels can be beneficial in many situations and in raised scars we can resort to infiltrations or cold treatment (cryosurgery with liquid nitrogen).
In recent years, the use of lasers has become increasingly frequent, as in many cases we have achieved very satisfactory or even very good results.
We can use "ablative" lasers (CO2 or Erbium), promoting a resurfacing effect of a hypertrophic scar or a "peeling" effect with skin renewal and rejuvenation in an atrophic scar with texture changes.
The advent of vascular laser ("dye laser") allowed us to successfully treat many atrophic, hypertrophic and properly selected keloid scars, in a single treatment or associated with other techniques.
In patients with a tendency to develop unsightly scars after surgery or in surgeries in which the scars are generally unsightly (for example cardio-thoracic surgery or knee surgery), we can start laser treatments right after the removal of the stitches, thus preventing, in mostly that kind of scars).
Consult one of our specialists who will certainly give you an answer to this issues.