Healing in a correct way after an injury or surgical procedure isn’t always easy. The real problem is that your body becomes very active and tries its best to make everything all right again. This might result in a scar that forms over the original wound. It is believed that scarring is your body’s attempt to repair itself.
If you are not happy with your abnormal scars, you are not alone. However, with the proper wound care, you can speed up the healing process and minimize the resulting scar.
Wound care: the basics
According to openaccessgovernment.org, the importance of effective wound care cannot be underestimated. Wounds in complex patients and those that are poorly managed can lead to the development of a chronic wound and abnormal scars. Wound care should always address the needs of the patient, promote normal healing and prevent complications.
WoundSource indicates that “the stages of wound healing proceed in an organized way and follow four processes: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and maturation”. Scar formation is part of the third phase or fourth phase of wound healing, the maturation or remodeling phase. This phase can last from 21 days to two years, and it occurs only in full-thickness wounds. Cellular activities include collagen remodeling, capillary regression, and increasing tensile strength. Scar formation involves collagen cross-linking and replacement of the disorganized type III collagen by organized type I collagen. Other clinical observations include continued contraction thinning, and paling of the scar. It results in the restoration of dermal composition and an increase in the tensile strength of the wound over time to a maximum of 80% of the original tensile strength, 50% of which is restored by six weeks (PubMed).
Proper wound care to promote the healing process and minimize a scar
According to American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD), wound care has a direct impact on how your skin heals. Properly maintained bandaging provides additional protection against infection. With adequate wound care, it is possible to minimize scarring and in some cases even prevent a scar entirely, though prevention of scarring is not possible in full-thickness wounds.
Here are dermatologists’ tips for reducing the appearance of scars caused by injuries such as skinned knees or deep scratches, according to AAD:
Always keep your cut, scrape or other skin injury clean. Gently wash the area with mild soap and water to keep out germs and remove debris.
To help the injured skin heal, use petroleum jelly to keep the wound moist. Petroleum jelly prevents the wound from drying out and forming a scab; wounds with scabs take longer to heal. This will also help prevent a scar from getting too large, deep or itchy. As long as the wound is cleaned daily, it is not necessary to use anti-bacterial ointments.
After cleaning the wound and applying petroleum jelly or a similar ointment, cover the skin with an adhesive bandage. For large scrapes, sores, burns or persistent redness, it may be helpful to use hydrogel or silicone gel sheets.
Change your bandage daily to keep the wound clean while it heals. If you have skin that is sensitive to adhesives, try a non-adhesive gauze pad with paper tape. If using silicone gel or hydrogel sheets, follow the instructions on the package for changing the sheets.
If your injury requires stitches, follow your doctor’s advice on how to care for the wound and when to get the stitches removed. This may help minimize the appearance of a scar.
Apply sunscreen to the wound after it has healed. Sun protection may help reduce red or brown discoloration and help the scar fade faster. Always use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and reapply frequently.
How silicone gel can help for scar management
To address post-surgical and injury scarring such as keloids and hypertropic scars, silicone gel should be applied. Silicone gel technology is a clinically-proven treatment option for reducing the abnormal scars with over 30 years of evidence to support its safety and effectiveness. Silicone gel is recommended as the first-line topical scar treatment option by physicians, surgeons, and scar management experts.
Silicone gel contains long chain silicone polymer (polysiloxanes), silicone dioxide and volatile component. It spreads as an ultra- thin barrier and works 24 hours per day. It has a self- drying technology and itself dries within 4-5 minutes, even within 60 seconds like Nourisil™ MD silicone scar gel. Silicone gel increases hydration of stratum corneum and thereby facilitates regulation of fibroblast production and reduction in collagen production, which results into softer and flatter scar. It allows skin to “breathe”. Additionally, silicone gel protects the scarred tissue from bacterial invasion and prevents bacteria-induced excessive collagen production in the scar tissue.
DTP Medical supplies the high quality silicone-based scar products such as Nourisil™ MD, Bapscarcare Gel, Bapscarcare Sheet. Ask your doctor which therapy option is right for you.
You don’t have to live with unwanted scarring. Try silicone-based scar products supplied by us today and see the difference!