The Man Who Changed the Game of Scar Treatment: Director Kang's True Story
Scars are more than just skin marks; they are a problem that causes psychological distress and a loss of confidence for many. In the past, options for scar treatment were very limited, and many people had to live with their scars. However, with the emergence of the innovative 'Pinhole Technique,' the paradigm of scar treatment began to change. Director Kang Jin-moon of Yonsei Star Dermatology Sinchon is highly regarded for his significant contribution to widely introducing and developing the Pinhole Technique in Korea. Here, we introduce Director Kang's story of encountering the Pinhole Technique and transforming the lives of countless patients through it.
Pinhole Technique: A Fateful Encounter Born from Coincidence
Director Kang Jin-moon's encounter with the Pinhole Technique was by chance. Director Nam In-han, considered a first-generation laser practitioner in Korea, is essentially the originator of the Pinhole Technique. Director Kang observed and learned the Pinhole Technique from Director Nam, initially skeptical of its simple principle. The concept that making small holes in the scar area with a laser would improve it was intriguing but also raised doubts about its actual effectiveness. However, after observing patients' progress for several months and seeing the scars actually improve, he was greatly surprised. At that moment, Director Kang became convinced that the Pinhole Technique would be the most important treatment item of his life. He later opened Yonsei Star Dermatology and dedicated himself to Pinhole Technique treatments, actively lecturing at academic conferences.
The Core Principle of Pinhole Technique: Redesigning Skin Regeneration
The basic concept of the Pinhole Technique is very simple. When our skin is damaged, it tries to restore its function as quickly as possible. In this process, collagen is produced in a disorderly and excessive manner, leading to rapid functional recovery but resulting in an aesthetically unpleasing scar. The Pinhole Technique utilizes this very point. It uses a laser to very locally destroy the disorderly generated collagen in the scar area, inducing the skin to regenerate more regularly and beautifully in a stable state. By repeating this process, one can expect the scar to gradually become similar to normal skin.
Before the Pinhole Technique: Limitations of Scar Treatment
Even 25 years ago, most people with severe scars gave up on treatment and lived with them. At that time, common treatments included skin grafting, tissue expansion, and simple excision and suturing, but these surgical methods had fundamental limitations.
- Skin Grafting: This method involves taking skin from one's own body and attaching it, but it creates a scar at the donor site, and the texture or color of the grafted skin can be completely different from the original skin, sometimes resulting in a worse outcome than the original scar.
- Tissue Expansion: This method involves stretching the skin and suturing it, but there are limits to how much it can be stretched, and it can cause skin deformation, making it difficult to achieve satisfactory results.
- Simple Excision and Suturing: For small scars, this method involved excising and suturing, but due to the characteristics of Korean skin, there was a risk of the scar becoming larger after surgery, requiring caution.
The Innovation of Pinhole Technique: Minimizing Side Effects and Satisfactory Results
The biggest advantage of the emergence of Pinhole Laser Treatment was that it could minimize the side effects of these surgical methods while achieving reasonably satisfactory results. Initially, treatment focused mainly on severe burn scars, but recently, it has become possible to treat a wide range of scars, from small to various types.
From Doubt to Recognition: The Development of Pinhole Technique and Fractional Laser
When the Pinhole Technique first emerged, some university professors and plastic surgeons in large hospitals even dismissed it as 'fraud.' However, over time, the idea of the Pinhole Technique evolved into 'Fractional Laser.' If the Pinhole Technique was a manual method of creating holes, Fractional Laser can be seen as its automated version. Currently, most scar treatment specialists use Fractional Laser (e.g., Ultrapulse Encore) to treat scars.
The Reality of Scar Treatment: The Importance of Patience and Experience
As with all treatments, scar treatment does not guarantee 100% perfect results. According to Director Kang's experience, about 90 out of 100 patients achieve satisfactory results, but some patients may feel the effect is minimal.
Scar treatment requires patience. Some of Director Kang's patients have received treatment for 5, or even 10 years. At first glance, this might seem like a very long time, but if a 30-year-old woman were to live 70 years with lifelong stress due to a scar, investing 5 years to live the remaining 65 years without scar stress is not a long time at all, he explains.
Director Kang shared the story of a 30-year-old female patient who had a burn scar on her face since childhood. After about 10 treatments, the patient announced her marriage, saying that she had given up on marriage because of the scar but gained confidence through the treatment. This was one of the moments that brought Director Kang the greatest satisfaction.
The Difference Made by Treatment Know-How: The Value of Skilled Experience
The field of scar treatment has seen slower technological advancement compared to other areas of modern medicine. While laser devices are developed, the differences are often minor. This makes the experience and know-how of the practitioner relatively more important.
- Even if the name of the procedure is the same, subtle differences exist between doctors.
- Basic procedures such as the Pinhole Technique, specific laser usage, Triamcinolone Scar Injection, and Subcision can yield different results depending on the level of skill.
- These subtle differences are crucial factors that lead to satisfactory patient outcomes.
Director Kang also states that his treatment results are better now than 10 years ago, and patient satisfaction is also higher. This can be attributed to the valuable results created by long-accumulated experience and know-how.