Hello, I am Lee Sang-ju, a dermatologist who has studied skin for 23 years. There is probably no one who has never had a skin injury since birth. However, since injuries usually occur in unexpected situations, many people are flustered and fail to take appropriate measures, or they carelessly treat the wound with only ointment and bandages, which can lead to larger scars than expected. Today, I will address various questions related to early scar treatment to minimize scarring when an injury occurs.
Early management is important before a wound becomes a scar.
When an injury occurs, it is necessary to manage it well in the early stages to reduce the remaining scar. Generally, there are the oozing wound stage, the early red scar stage, and the later white scar stage, and the treatment methods differ slightly for each stage. Early scar treatment is very important because appropriate early treatment can minimize scarring.
Proper initial first aid for injuries
The following methods can minimize scarring after an injury:
- Washing and Disinfection: It is recommended to sufficiently remove foreign substances with saline solution and to sterilize and disinfect with disinfectants such as Betadine or Povidone to kill any remaining bacteria. If saline solution is difficult to obtain, thoroughly washing with running tap water is also a method. However, if the wound is clean, too frequent sterilization and disinfection can have a negative impact not only on bacteria but also on our body's cells that help wound healing, so it is best to avoid it.
- Application of Antibiotic Ointment: Applying a small amount of antibiotic ointment can be helpful.
- Wound Protection: Recently, using moist dressing products (e.g., Duoderm, Medifoam) to keep the wound area moist can help the wound heal while minimizing scarring.
How do I manage a deep cut from camping equipment? It is advisable to wash it immediately with clean water and apply a small amount of antibiotic ointment. If the wound continues to ooze, it is recommended to use a moist dressing. However, if you were injured by old or rusty camping equipment that has not been used for a long time, there may be tetanus bacteria, so it is important to receive more active treatment.
Old scars may be improved with laser treatment.
A question was asked about a scar on the face that was stitched with 8 stitches after falling as a child, which is now 40 years old. Although it may vary slightly depending on the shape and depth of the scar, in the case of stitched scars, surgical methods can be used, but recently, methods using laser have been gaining attention. Surgical methods have the disadvantage of leaving another secondary scar, whereas laser has less concern about serious side effects and may not significantly interfere with daily life.
Do moist dressings help prevent scars?
Many people wonder if simply applying a moist dressing immediately after an injury helps prevent scars. Helping the wound heal quickly contributes to scar prevention, and dressings such as moist dressings are one way to manage the wound well and promote quick healing. Naturally, moist dressings can help prevent scars, but they are not a complete solution on their own.
How to deal with excessive oozing or severe itching
- When there is a lot of oozing: If the wound is deep or large, there may be a lot of oozing. If the oozing flows down, secondary bacterial invasion can occur, so it is recommended to use products that can absorb the oozing well. Generally, moist dressings known as Duoderm absorb a certain amount of oozing, but if it is excessive, products like Aquacel that can absorb more oozing are sometimes used. If it is difficult to visit a hospital, it is important to apply enough gauze or Medifoam to prevent the oozing from flowing down.
- When itching is severe: If the wound area is excessively itchy and you keep scratching it, you can apply a thicker dressing to prevent further damage to the wound. Also, when it is very itchy, applying ice can temporarily relieve the itching. If you have a severe allergic reaction to a specific moist dressing and experience severe itching, it is advisable to visit a nearby dermatology clinic for an accurate diagnosis and treatment.
Red, swollen scars may be keloids/hypertrophic scars.
If an injury occurred about a month ago and the wound area is red and swollen, there is a possibility of it progressing to a hypertrophic scar or keloid. In particular, keloids appear as the wound area swelling excessively, and in such cases, treatment can be difficult and it may be hard to return to the original state. If the wound area is red and swollen, we recommend visiting a dermatology clinic specializing in scar treatment to receive professional care. In such cases, laser treatment or medication may be helpful.
How are burn scars and pigmentation treated?
Deep second-degree burn scars
If you suffer a deep second-degree burn from spilling hot water, it often leads to scarring. Deep second-degree burns usually take more than a month to heal. Therefore, in the early stages, diligent dressing to shorten the treatment period and promote quick healing is most important. After the wound heals, it is advisable to minimize scarring through laser treatment or injection treatment in the early stages rather than waiting two or three months.
Pigmentation
Even if pigmentation occurs on the skin as the wound heals, treatment is possible. Whitening ointments or whitening lasers commonly used in dermatology can help with treatment. In particular, if the wound is not deep, a lot of pigmentation can remain, and early treatment in this case can reduce pigmentation. If the wound area is not only red but also slightly dark reddish-brown, it may be good to consider treatment.
When can early scar treatment begin?
It is known that early scar treatment is possible from 2 weeks after an injury, and some people wonder why it is not possible before that. In fact, it is not impossible even before 2 weeks. Laser treatment is possible immediately after the wound heals. However, in the case of suture surgery, scabs may remain even after the stitches are removed, and these scabs can interfere with the laser penetration. Therefore, it usually takes 1 to 2 weeks for the scabs to fall off and the wound to become clean, which is why 1 to 2 weeks is generally mentioned. If the wound has healed, is not oozing, and is in a clean, reddish state, laser treatment may be possible immediately.
This concludes today's content. If you have any questions related to dermatology, including early scar treatment, please feel free to leave a comment regardless of the topic, and I will answer it with sincerity. Thank you for watching.