Everybody has to contend with scrapes, cuts and scratches from time
to time and, depending on your type of skin, it can result in unsightly
scars.
Dr Ellen Marmur, professor of dermatology at the Icahn
School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City says there
are a number of things you can do to reduce scarring.
"The
appearance of a scar often depends on how well your wound heals. While
scars from surgery or over joints like the knees and elbows are hard to
avoid, scars caused by minor cuts and scrapes can become less noticeable
by properly treating your wound at home," she said in an American Academy of Dermatology news release.
Tips for reducing the appearance of scars caused by minor skin injuries.
Gently
wash the injury site with water to remove debris and keep out germs.
Thorough wound cleaning reduces the risk of tetanus. Tetanus (also
called lockjaw) is a preventable disease that affects the muscles and
nerves, usually due to a contaminated puncture wound.
Apply petroleum jelly to keep the wound from drying out and forming a scab as wounds with scabs take longer to heal.
Petroleum
jelly will also prevent a scar from getting too large, deep or itchy.
If you clean the wound daily, you don't need to use antibacterial
ointments.
After cleaning the wound and applying petroleum jelly
or a similar ointment, cover the wound with an adhesive bandage. Change
the bandage daily to keep the wound clean while it heals.
For
larger scrapes, sores, burns or wounds with persistent redness, hydrogel
or silicone gel sheets (available from pharmacies) may be helpful.
A
wound that cuts deeply through the skin or is gaping or jagged-edged
and has fat or muscle protruding usually requires stitches. If your
wound requires stitches, follow your doctor's advice on caring for the
wound and when to have the stitches removed. This may help minimise the
scar.
After the wound heals, apply sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) to
the site when you go outside. This may reduce red or brown
discoloration and help the scar fade faster..
Health24's Skin Expert
also recommends a product called ScarScience that can help if the scar
is still 'young', ie, withing a year of forming. You can also regularly
apply Bio-Oil®, vitamin E cream or tissue oil to diminish a scar.
"Although
no scar can be completely eliminated, most scars do fade over time. If
you're worried about the appearance of a scar, see a board-certified
dermatologist. A dermatologist can answer your questions and talk about
ways to make your scar less visible," she said.
Dermatologist's tips for reducing scars after cuts and scrapes
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Oleh
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