Hello. I am Dr. Sang-Ju Lee, a dermatologist.
Why are burn scars difficult to treat?
Among scars, burn scars are often particularly noticeable. This is because they not only involve a change in skin color but also exhibit the following characteristics:
- Skin color changes to red, brown, or white.
- Skin texture is also deformed.
- The skin may thicken, clump, or contract rigidly.
For these reasons, the stress experienced by individuals with burn scars is considerable. However, burn scars are among the most challenging to treat even in dermatology, and some doctors are known to avoid treating them altogether due to their complexity.
The core of burn scar treatment: 'Original Pinhole Technique'
A method known to be effective for burn scars is Pinhole Laser Treatment. Our Yonsei Star Dermatology has been performing this Pinhole Technique since the early 2000s, and it has shown good results in various clinical papers since being reported to dermatologists worldwide. As proof of its effectiveness, similar procedures such as Pinhole Cell have also emerged.
The principle of the 'Original Pinhole Technique': Rearranging collagen within the skin
Pinhole Technique literally means creating small holes in the skin. A high-output laser, the Ultrapulse Encore Laser, is applied deep into the skin layers of the clumped and deformed burn scar area, creating microscopic holes. This process loosens the tightly entangled collagen tissue and rearranges it, thereby improving the burn scar.
How is the Pinhole Technique different from existing treatments?
The laser Pinhole Technique is a method that improves scars to be as similar as possible to normal skin. It has the advantage of significantly reducing the sense of foreignness that traditional skin graft surgeries can have. Furthermore, with repeated treatments, the scar gradually becomes more similar to the surrounding skin, so if sufficient treatment is performed, burn scars may improve significantly compared to their original state.
Treatment frequency and interval for sufficient improvement
Typically, an improvement effect can be felt with one or two treatments at one to two-month intervals. However, to achieve sufficient results, a minimum of 5 to 10 treatments is recommended, in which case significant improvement in burn scars can be experienced.
Is 100% complete cure possible for burn scars?
Many people ask if scars can be completely cured. Textbooks do not use the term 'complete cure,' and there is currently no method that can restore the skin to exactly 100% of its previous state.
Treating a scar so that it disappears is what patients desire, and it is also my wish. Textbooks do not use the term 'complete cure.' However, there is currently no method that can restore the skin to exactly 100% of its previous state.
Advances in burn scar treatment through modern medicine and expected effects
In the past, burns were a matter of survival, so functional aspects were emphasized over aesthetic ones, and virtually no other procedural methods besides surgery were developed. However, with recent advancements in modern medicine and laser equipment, various treatments have been attempted and significant progress has been made even for old burn scars.
As a result, it is now possible to change the shape, texture, and thickness of burn scars to make them closer to normal skin. While it may not be possible to completely restore burns to 100% normal skin, by effectively utilizing current methods, it is possible to achieve more than 70-80% improvement in scar tissue with modern medicine.