A scar can be reminiscent of a lot of things and very few of those things are worth being reminded of. Even if a scar is associated with something that you cherish, such as a C-section scar for example, it is perfectly fine to want to get rid of it. Some scars are easy to get rid of, some will take time to go away, and there are others which can only be lightened or faded. We have three tips for you today which will help you decide on the best possible strategy to fade or remove most scars.
Even Surgical Scars Can be Removed Non-Surgically
Scars received from surgeries are deep and laser surgery may feel like the only option. However, laser removal is only the last option, and is only used for particularly persistent scars. For example, women may often find themselves looking at a red incision scar in the mirror, right after their mastopexy (breast lift surgery) wound heals. The good news is that, over time (9 – 12 months at most), the redness should disappear completely and any inflammation should also flatten.
Unfortunately, even with proper care, the thin white scar will not go away completely on its own. This can be quite disheartening of course, but it is not impossible to almost completely remove even decades old breast lift scars with massage, hydroquinone, cortisone, silicone strips or, in extreme cases, a fractional laser surgery.
Acne Scars Can be Removed Successfully with Retinol
There are various different types of acne, and some of them do leave bad scars that can become permanent without treatment. Fortunately, the best known and scientifically proven non-surgical treatment for acne scars is a simple OTC cream, or ointment containing retinoids. There is active proof of retinoids being highly effective in treating and managing acne outbreaks, aka pimples. As it turns out, retinoid compounds in the correct percentage are even more effective at removing acne scars with surprising efficacy.
The only issue with retinoids is the fact that they might not be useable for a certain percentage of the population who have oversensitive skin. Retinoids will cause mild irritation even if you do not have hypersensitive skin, but it should be tolerable, unless overapplied or overused. Those with hypersensitive skin should try the lowest concentration available.
Tissue Fillers Can Fade Old and Deep Scars
Using tissue fillers, it is possible to fill out a particularly indented and deep scar. In other words, if your scar looks and feels like a chunk of tissue is missing from the area, ask your dermatologist if a tissue filler can get the job done. Unfortunately, they don’t really last that long and it becomes a consistent expense as a result.
There is a silver lining to the cost of investing in dermal fillers though, because they do not just temporarily fill out deeply gouged scars, but the compounds used in these injections (hyaluronic acid and fat for the most part) also promote natural regeneration of tissue. In a majority of cases, a few years of dermal fillers (once or twice a year) have filled out even deeply indented scars with a relatively high success rate.
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