Scars

Skin complaints caused by scars

Scars lack a few functions compared to normal skin. In many cases they cause discomfort and they are often unsightly. Scars can cause:

• Itching and pain
• Persistent redness of the skin
• Thick pink ‘welts’ on the skin
• A pulling sensation, as if the skin is too tight

Taking proper care of the skin is essential to prevent and reduce complaints. With the proper care, you can reduce the visibility of both old and new scars.

What is a scar?

Your body repairs a deep wound by creating scar tissue. Usually, a scab forms first, when the scab falls off, there is ‘new skin’ underneath. This ‘new skin’ is the scar. If the deep wound is caused by a surgery, burn or accident, there will always be a scar.

First, a scar is a little thicker, red and painful. The scar is ‘active’ for about 2 years. During this time, you have the best chance of reducing your scar.

After 2 years

After 2 years, the scar has matured. If it is a normal scar, it is a little lighter in colour and is even with the rest of your skin. Scar tissue will always be more vulnerable than normal skin. A scar is always more vulnerable in the sunlight.

Our scar cream is proven effective. It helps reduce scar complaints  such as: pain or itching and helps repair your scar more beautifully.

What causes scar formation?

When you have a wound, your body wants to close your skin as soon as possible. The top layer of the skin is the first to close. This is your body’s natural response to protect itself from bacteria, viruses and harmful UV-rays. The process of wound closure usually takes about 14 days. If the wound isn’t closed in 14 days, it is more likely to develop into an abnormal scar.

After closing the top layer of the skin, the body starts repairing the deeper layers by filling it with scar tissue. The full formation of the scar in this process can take up to 1,5 to 2 years.

It is not possible to completely predict the development and formation of a scar. However, there are several factors that increase the chance of abnormal scars.

• The severity of the wound
• Cause of the wound
• Speed of wound recovery
• Age
• Genetic predisposition and skin colour
• Location of the scar

Causes of scars

The cause of a wound can influence the chance of it developing into a scar. For example, a superficial wound caused by a fall is less likely to develop into a scar than a wound that requires stitches.

(Cosmetic) surgery

After any surgery, there is a 50% chance of a hypertrophic scar. Applying ALHYDRAN can help reduce scar complaints in both new and old scars. If your scar is new, it is possible to make the scar less visible. You can also prevent abnormal scars up to a certain extent.

Burn wounds

Burn wounds can cause very prominent scars that cause several complaints. Scars caused by burn wounds usually itch severely, have a high visibility, and you can experience a pulling sensation. ALHYDRAN can help the healing process of the burn wounds and prevent or treat the resulting scars.

Learn more about burn wounds.

The three types of scars

Newly closed scar tissue is delicate and cannot regulate moisture in the same way as normal skin does. This disrupted balance causes a lot of water to evaporate through the skin. To counteract this excessive evaporation, the body produces more scar tissue. This process can result in visible scar formation with unpleasant symptoms.

Normal scar

Normal scars are usually flush with or close to the normal skin and are relatively unnoticeable. A normal scar is thin and a little lighter in colour compared to the healthy skin. In the first 6 weeks after wound closure, normal scars can be red, thickened and/or itchy. A normal scar can change shape or colour up to a year after wound closure.

Hypertrophic scar

Hypertrophic scars usually form in the first weeks after delayed wound closure, but it can also occur after several months. A hypertrophic scar is red, thickened and hard. It can also cause pain, itching and a pulling sensation. This type of scar occurs when the body creates too much scar tissue during the healing process, causing it to protrude above the other skin. Hypertrophic scars can be active for 2 years or more. It is highly advised to treat your hypertrophic scar.

Keloid scar

A keloid scar is extremely thick and can grow larger than the original wound. This type of scar is formed when the healing process goes into overdrive. Not only is the scar thickening, also the scar is growing beyond the edges of the original wound. A keloid scar usually causes symptoms such as itching, pain, a pulling sensation and the colour is (bright) red to purple. These complaints can increase over time. This scar can become stiff and limit mobility. A keloid scar can form immediately after wound closure or after some time. It is very important that a keloid scar is treated as soon as possible.

Preventing new scars and treating existing scars

It is important to prevent dehydration of your scar. A scar loses more moisture than healthy skin, which leads to itching and pain. Over time, a (dehydrated) scar can thicken and change to a hypertrophic or keloid scar. A scar with a good moisture balance gives fewer complaints.

ALHYDRAN helps you care for scars by accelerating the recovery of newly closed skin. It makes the skin more supple and reduces itching, redness and pain of the scar tissue. ALHYDRAN helps prevent scar formation and helps reduce existing scars.

Reduce visibility of scars

You can reduce visibility when the scar has not yet fully matured. This usually takes 1,5-2 years. Before this time, it is possible that applying ALHYDRAN regularly can reduce visibility.

Therefore, we recommend starting treatment with ALHYDRAN as soon as the wound is closed, and any stitches are removed. This helps the skin remain supple and gives it the best possible chance of healing. Starting treatment with ALHYDRAN early can prevent scarring problems and unpleasant symptoms.

Reduce scar complaints

Do you have an older scar that still causes complaints? Using ALHYDRAN can still reduce the complaints. Because the scar is no longer active, you cannot improve the appearance of the scar much. However, you can reduce complaints such as itching, redness, pain, dryness and “tightening” skin with a moisturizing scar cream.

ALHYDRAN improves and restores the moisture balance of the skin. The scar cream reduces unpleasant symptoms of existing scars such as itching, redness, pain and tightness. ALHYDRAN reduces scar complaints for both new and existing scars.

UV protection

An important part in caring for scars is UV protection. New scars (under two years old) are very vulnerable and need to be protected against UV rays. Exposing your scar to the sun can have negative effects:

• Increased risk of skin cancer
• Your skin is burnt more easily
• Permanent discolouration of your scar (usually darker)
• More noticeable scar
• Disrupted healing process of the skin

Sunlight can cause a scar to turn much darker than the rest of healthy skin. The scar can also change colour when you use a tanning bed. This can make the scar more noticeable. Unfortunately, permanent discolouration of the scar is common.

The advice for UV protection:

• Keep your scar out of the sun as much as possible. Avoid tanning beds and cover your scar with clothing to prevent skin damage.
• Regularly apply a high protection factor to your scar. Also apply cream to your scar when you are sitting in the shade, when it is cloudy or during winter sports. Reapply if you sweat a lot, have been swimming or have dried yourself off.

While the regular ALHYDRAN is ideal as a scar cream, ALHYDRAN SPF 30 is specifically developed to protect your scar from UV rays. It provides high protection against the sun, and at the same time the effect you are used to from ALHYDRAN. ALHYDRAN SPF 30 has factor 30 UV protection (UVA & UVB). Ideal for moments when the sun cannot be avoided.

Literature references

We believe it is important that the claims we make have a solid basis. The information is based on various sources: