Skin is a seamless organ, like a fine cloth protecting valuable assets. A small tear in that cloth can make a significant difference in how it looks. Any burn, injury, or other trauma, such as surgery, can cause a scar. A scar isn’t bad if it’s small or in a location that’s easy to conceal. For cases when a scar is completely visible or large and hard to look at, you may want to have it treated or make it go away. The truth is most scars will never completely go away until there are some methods that can help reduce their size and change their appearance.

How Does Scarring Happen?
Scarring is a natural part of the healing process after an injury occurs. The depth and size of the wound or cut and the location of the injury do matter and so do your age, genes, sex, and ethnicity.

What Are the Types of Scars?
There are several different types of scars including:

• Keloid Scars. These are the result of an overly aggressive healing process. They extend beyond the original injury. Over time, a keloid scar may hamper movement. Treatments include surgery to remove the scar, steroid injections, or silicone sheets to flatten the scar. Smaller keloids can be treated using cryotherapy (freezing therapy using liquid nitrogen).
• Contracture Scars. If your skin has been burned, you may have a contracture scar. These scars tighten your skin, which can impair your ability to move. Contracture scars may also go deeper, affecting muscles and nerves.