Here we answer your most frequently asked questions about stretch marks and scars for skin care. From why they appear, where they are most common, or who is more likely to get them, to how to care for a scar or protect it from the sun.
We know that every skin is different and that many questions can arise along the way. That’s why we’ve gathered clear, useful answers here to support you in caring for your skin.
As long as there is an open wound, the most important thing is asepsis and keeping the wound clean so that it does not become infected. You must apply an antiseptic every 12 hours and practise extreme hygiene. If the wound looks bad, oozes, appears sweaty, you feel heat or palpitations, you should go to the doctor to assess the need to apply an antibiotic ointment. If the wound becomes infected, the healing gets complicated.
Yes. It is very important to protect them from the sun from thec first instance. Scar tissue, in addition to having a different texture and appearance to the surrounding tissue (due to the proliferation of fibroblasts and keratinocytes), is usually accompanied by a loss of pigment or the ability to produce melanin, making it much more sensitive to the action of UV rays. Without the necessary sun protection, scars are at high risk of fading, in which case they will be more noticeable. The scar can suffer loss of pigmentation temporarily or permanently. When this happens, the affected area has a lighter colour than the rest of the body, which also becomes an aesthetic problem.
Not exposing it, covering it with clothing and in case of being in areas exposed to the sun, such as the face or hands, applying and reapplying UV protection with a high protection index. There are treatments such as Trofolastin scar reducing patches that, in addition to treating the scar, offer total sun protection.
From the first minute. During the inflammatory phase and the epithelialisation phase, asepsis should be increased. If the wound becomes infected, the healing gets complicated. Protecting it from the sun at all times and in the Remodeling phase, applying a reducing treatment such as scar reducing patches. Massaging is important, both in new scars and in old scars, as it avoids the formation of adhesions. Massage should be circular, pressing on the area where the wound was (already closed). Ideally, and only when the wound is closed, you should perform a massage every 24 hours.
Hand work or massage of the scar should be performed by a physiotherapist specialised in scar rehabilitation. The physio will teach you to do the massage that helps to mold the tissue and prevent or eliminate adhesions if they have already formed. The massage produces some analgesia, relieving the tension in the scar and helps to increase the vascularization of the area, and the scar tissue is softened achieving greater elasticity of the tissues. All surgical teams and surgeons have an associated scar rehabilitation physiotherapy service. From the pharmacy we encourage you to discuss it with the surgeon.
No. You should never remove the scabs or help loosen them. The scab or plug or clot of the wound will dehydrate and shrink until it detaches itself and will do so when new skin has formed over the wound.
Yes it is. During the epithelialization phase, the itching and feeling of tightness are usually caused by progressive dehydration and reduction in size of the scab that covers the wound. If the itching occurred during the remodeling phase of the scar, consult with your dermatologist as topical application of a corticosteroid may be recommended.
Yes, it is very normal. Scars can remain pink for 9 months to a year after they occur. A pink scar is an active scar that can be worked on to minimize it and improve its appearance. A white scar indicates the end of the healing process and is usually an older scar. You already know that protecting it from the sun is mandatory (or it will pigment unevenly and become more noticeable).
Yes. Most likely it is due to a keloid or hypertrophic scar. A visit to the dermatologist to confirm is not a bad idea. Trofolastin scar reduction dressings give very good results for these types of scars. In case the scar is located in an area of hair growth such as eyebrows, beard, scalp or if it is applies to a small child who could remove the patch unintentionally, the silicone gels are the next best option.
Atrophic scars are sunken scars, concave, which involve a greater or lesser loss of tissue, such as acne or chickenpox scars, or those produced in children by scratches.
Depression in the epithelial tissue is usually due to the loss of a small amount of interstitial tissue. It can occur in injuries caused by blows, friction with hard materials such as a fall on the ground or traffic accidents or in the practice of sports. As tissue is lost, the new skin that is formed upon healing adapts to the relief it has left behind. If there is a lack of tissue, it will do so by forming a small depression. When tissue is missing, it is easy for the scar joint to adhere, producing stiffness or tension. Recovery is slow so you have to be constant in your care. It is recommended to apply Argan or Masqueta Rose Oil every night to nourish and soften the skin, preventing adhesions from forming.
This space has to be filled with tissue from the bottom up and if the inner perimeter of the hole that originated has healed it will be difficult for this to happen. It is not about closing from the surface, but about filling from the inside out. The use of patches can support this process. At the end of the treatment, if the cleft persists, you can visit a dermatologist and review the possibility of injecting a very small hyaluronic acid filler or trying to close it with an intradermal suture, performed by a surgeon.
Fortunately the regeneration capacity of children's skin is very high so scar reduction dressing is not needed in such case. Another issue is that a child can remove the patch which can then end up in their mouth. You can apply a vegetable oil rich in essential fatty acids on the already closed wound such as Aryan oil or Rosehip oil.
Adhesions and fibrosis are a complication of scarring that leads to many visits to the doctor. They affect the quality of life of the patient since they are painful and sometimes with limitation of movements (for example after joint surgeries and abdominal interventions). Fibrosis originates in the proliferative phase of healing. Epithelial cells (fibroblasts and keratinocytes) are produced in an anarchic way creating a denser, fibrous and less elastic connective tissue than normal healthy tissue. It is a kind of excess in repair. Depending on their location, they can be painful and can be associated with the formation of adhesions.
Adhesions are junctions of different tissue planes which stick together due to the disorderly proliferation of epithelial cells and connective tissue, damaging and limiting the quality of movement of those tissues. They are characteristic complications of post-surgical healing with an incidence (abdominal adhesions) that exceeds 50% of patients undergoing pelvic surgery such as appendectomy, and cesarean section, interventions that end many consultations. Adhesions can cause pain and tenderness in the areas, decreased mobility of the organs, alterations in posture and tightness and thickening of the scar at the superficial level. These are characteristic complications of post-surgical healing, with an incidence (abdominal adhesions) that exceeds 50% of patients undergoing pelvic surgery such as appendectomy, and cesarean section, interventions that leads to many medical consultations.
Adhesions can cause pain and tenderness in the areas, decreased mobility of the organs, alterations in posture and tightness and thickening of the scar at the superficial level.
From what you describe, an abdominal adhesion is forming. It is very frequent and you should not worry. You need rehabilitation with physiotherapy based on massages that soften, detach and provide elasticity to the scar tissue.
They appear in areas where the dermis has been injured due to stretching during puberty. Stretch marks usually appear on the breasts, hips, thighs and buttocks of women, and on the shoulders, lumbar region and thighs of men.
Stretch marks that have recently formed (immature stretch marks) are areas of the skin with pink or reddish coloration. The colour is due to the blood vessels under the skin. These stretch marks have good blood flow and therefore are easier to treat: as time passes, they become whitish, flat and depressed. Blood vessels narrow, making it difficult for collagen to be produced. Mature stretch marks have the appearance of wrinkled skin and are known as Alban stretch marks * Maari C et al, 2003.
Gotu Kola. It is a fibroblastic stimulant that confers elasticity. Wheat germ oil (Vitamin E, F) is an antioxidant, skin regenerator and emollient. Hydrolyzed collagen and elastin. Provides nutrients
Moisturize the skin: the more hydrated the skin is, the less vulnerable it will be to the appearance of stretch marks. Cultivating 2 habits of drinking enough water daily and applying moisturizer daily are good habits to avoid the appearance of stretch marks.
Avoid sudden changes in weight: It is important that any change in body weight occurs gradually and stable over time.
Pregnancy. During pregnancy, it is essential, from the first month of pregnancy, to apply an anti-stretch mark product to deeply hydrate the skin. In this period, there is a rapid stretching of the skin, especially in the abdomen.
Adolescense. It is important for young people to learn and get in the habit of keeping their skin well hydrated in this time of sudden stretching.
Stretch marks are very common. They develop between the age of 5 and 50. Despite this, stretch marks predominate in growth periods such as puberty and pregnancy. The global incidence of stretch marks in puberty is 25 to 35% and in pregnancy 7-90% * ". Also found in the risk group A- suffering from stretch marks, are those women subjected to sudden changes in weight, both in extreme decrease and increase and people who perform exercises that produce a change in muscle mass (athletes, dancers, etc.) "Monri C et al, 2003.
Stretch marks appear more frequently in women than in men (55% 1s 253) * Tung JY et al, 2013
