Scars can be harsh reminders of a painful accident or signs of a successful, lifesaving surgery. They are a part of the healing process, though visible scars can often cause psychological pain to the bearer for years. Scars are the body’s answer to a breech to the system; an efficient, if unpleasant, means with which to rebuild damaged tissue and prevent further harm.
Root Causes
A scar is a natural, albeit unfortunate in some cases, part of the body’s healing process. Surface cuts often heal without perceptible scarring, but deeper lacerations and surgical incisions both result in scarring as the body “stitches” the tissues of the body back together. Internal scarring not caused by surgery or injury can occur in the organs as a result of infection, toxic exposure and disease. Connective tissue can also develop scars from repetitive motion injuries like carpal tunnel.
Collagen Production
The fibrous tissue that comprises the scar is primarily collagen, which the body produces to replace collagen lost to the injury or incision. The fibers connect the wound to aid in the body’s healing process. The scar material is termed “dead” tissue, as it does not contain nerve endings. Despite that, scars can itch and cause discomfort where the edges of the scar meet the healthy tissue.
Stretching
Stretch marks are caused by rapid stretching of the skin, during the growth spurt of adolescence or sometimes during pregnancy, for example. They can be red to purple in color initially, but they often fade to white over time. These are different from stretched scars, which are healing scars that change their shape over time like those resulting from surgery or injury near a joint.
Acne
Acne and other conditions of the skin, like chicken pox, can cause sunken scarring. Sunken scars often result when there is fat lost to injury or the scar tissue attaches to deeper layers of the skin or subdural tissues. Not all acne scars become sunken scars. Some turn into keloid scars, or those that can eventually grow behind the boundary of the initial trauma. They are usually red in color and they generally don’t improve over time like some other scars do.
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