Hello. I am Dr. Kang Jin-moon, a dermatologist. Many people are concerned about scar treatment. Once a scar forms, it is difficult to completely remove, so how it is managed and treated is important. In particular, there are two important reasons why scar treatment should not be delayed and should be started early.
When is the best time to treat scars?
Scar treatment is determined by the individual's condition and the severity of the scar.
- Scars that are not a major concern or are not severe: You may observe the progress over time.
- Scars that are a significant concern or are large: It is advisable to start treatment as soon as possible.
2 Key Reasons to Expedite Scar Treatment
The importance of early scar treatment can be explained by two main reasons: rapidly reducing redness and preventing excessive hypertrophic reactions.
Effect of Rapidly Reducing Redness
Early scars typically appear red because the blood vessels remain significantly dilated during the epidermal recovery process.
- Redness in the scar area occurs due to blood vessel dilation.
- Early treatment can help normalize these excessively dilated blood vessels quickly, effectively reducing redness.
Preventing Excessive Hypertrophic Reactions
While it is a natural phenomenon for blood vessels to dilate initially to aid skin regeneration, it is not good for this state to persist excessively for too long.
If blood vessels remain dilated for a long time, the possibility of hypertrophic reactions increases. Initially, blood vessels expand to help skin regeneration, but if this lasts too long, the scar can develop into a more prominent hypertrophic scar.
Therefore, early scar treatment is very important, not just for eliminating redness, but also for preventing the scar from becoming excessively hypertrophic.
What can you expect from early scar treatment?
Through early scar treatment, you can expect the following positive results:
- The redness in the scar area is rapidly alleviated.
- It helps lower the possibility of progression to hypertrophic scars, preventing the scar from worsening.
- Ultimately, it aids in more natural and healthy skin recovery.
Scars can become more difficult to treat if left untreated. If you have significant concerns about a scar or if the scar is considerable in size, it may be a wise choice to consult with a dermatologist without hesitation and start treatment at an appropriate time.