How scars form: a note to the master of permanent makeup

No one is immune from injury. More often they occur unintentionally: we fall, burn ourselves, we can get hurt on blunt and sharp objects. Less often - consciously, when we expose ourselves to surgery, including plastic surgery. Scars on the skin are traces of these injuries. And they are as inevitable as the injuries themselves. Is it possible to get rid of them or improve their appearance? Apparently, yes. The effectiveness of aesthetic dermopigmentation as the final stage of the scar removal process is recognized by all. Even plastic surgery, discarding shop arrogance, recommends it to its clients. But in order for the PM master to expand his arsenal of techniques with camouflage techniques, he must study in detail the histology of the skin and the nature of the scar, in particular.

The skin is one of the most important (and most complex) human organs. The main, although not the only function of the skin is protective. But the defender himself must be protected. And here we come to the most amazing property of the skin: it can be restored.

Skin recovery phases

After injury ⎼ cut, tear, burn, etc. ⎼ the skin goes through four phases of recovery.

During the first, all the forces of the body are aimed at stopping the bleeding. Blood vessels in the area of damage narrow, proteins are produced that contribute to blood clotting.

The second phase is inflammation. It is characterized by unpleasant symptoms: the injured area swells, hurts, itches, its temperature rises. This is due to the fact that in the area of injury there is a real battle of the immune system with the cause of a possible threat to the body. Bacteria and remnants of damaged tissue are eliminated, after which the wound site is sealed with a crust ⎼ scab. This marks the beginning of the third phase.

The third phase is skin regeneration. Under the crust that protects the wound from the invasion of bacteria and viruses, "construction" unfolds. First, capillaries are restored, or rather, re-created. The blood supply is restored, supplying the damaged area with oxygen and everything necessary for further healing. The synthesis of collagen and elastin begins, which are responsible for the strength and elasticity of the tissue. The wound shrinks and new skin appears at the site of injury. The new skin, together with collagen, elastin, and connective tissue, form the primary scar .

How are primary scars formed?

The time of formation of primary scars depends on their location on the body: on the lower legs and feet, the stitches are not removed for about three weeks, scars on the face take a week, and the stitches in the eyelids are removed after only three days. Dependence is easily traced: the thinner the skin, the faster healing occurs. The wound heals, but the recovery process continues.

The maturation phase , or aging, of the scar begins, which can last from six months to two years, in some cases more. During aging, the scar changes color and size. However, it usually decreases. And initially, the red color of the skin of the scar changes to a more neutral, often white.

Like the speed of healing, the size and color of the scar also depends on many factors. Location, depth of injury, presence of infection, first aid skills, age, certain illnesses, and even race, all affect how a mature scar will look. Moreover, abnormal scarring problems are most common in red-haired and dark-skinned people.

Like wound care, proper scar care helps speed up the aging process and make the scar less visible. However, it should be remembered: where a scar has formed, normal tissue will never form. The scar can be excised with a scalpel, removed with a laser, polished, reduced in size, but it will still remain a scar.

There is a common belief that the appearance of a scar can be improved only after it has fully formed. Of course, if the mature scar is aesthetically unacceptable, it can be corrected by surgical and hardware methods, such as excision of a dense, protruding (hypertrophic) scar, followed by polishing, and after complete tissue restoration, perform a dermopigmentation procedure by a PM master.

However, timely care significantly increases the likelihood of the formation of a flatter and more inconspicuous (normotrophic) scar, thereby eliminating the need for traumatic methods of its correction.

The fact is that there are common mechanisms for the formation of scars, and these mechanisms are manageable. Therefore, scar care must be started immediately, as soon as the crust has come off, that is, at the very beginning of its formation, and continue until full maturation. A scar is considered mature when it turns white. This usually takes 12 ⎼18 months.

And only after that, micropigmentation specialists can enter into business.