scars

[3Styler]

what really are scars and how come some scars disappear and some don't and why is it that younger children get scarred more easily and their scars last longer. Also if you continually grow new skin why arent scars eventually shedded off?

[Tim Baxter]

Scars are caused by deep tissue damage, the deeper the damage the longer lasting the scar.  When the skin can't join cleanly because of injury depth or infection or raggedness of the join or decay of the tissue before repair a 'scar' is created.  In reality just a poor join.  So if your skin is continually shed with no loss of scar it shows that the scar is a lot deeper.

I don't agree that children's scars last longer.  Children have almost miraculous powers of recovery.  For instance there are cases of children having extremities (fingers) cut off and actually regrowing them.

I was very badly scalded when younger and the skin healed very well, the scar has diminished with time.  I cut off some fingers 4 years ago, they have healed well but had I been younger they would have healed better.

[3Styler]

so theoretically all scars can heal?

[Tim Baxter]

I wouldn't go that far but the younger the better, the cleaner the better, the shallower the better, the faster the medical attention the better, etc.

If you're worried about a scar see your G.P. he'll perhaps be able to reassure you or recommend scar reduction treatment.