Your scar may not be fading due to genetics, wound severity, infection, skin type (darker skin scars more easily), poor nutrition, age, or sun exposure, with factors like deep wounds or keloiding leading to thicker, raised scars that take longer (months to years) to mature, but massage, silicone, sunscreen, and proper diet can help improve appearance.
Raised (hypertrophic): You can feel a hypertrophic scar when you run your finger over it. These raised scars may get smaller over time, but they never completely flatten out. Unlike keloids, they don't grow or spread beyond the wounded area.
You cannot get rid of a scar, but most will fade over time. This can take up to 2 years or more, but there are some things you can do to help it heal or improve how it looks.
Treating kids' scars involves early intervention with simple methods like sun protection, scar massage (using oils/lotions like Aquaphor), and applying silicone gel sheets or gels to flatten and soften tissue, with options like pressure garments or lasers available for tougher scars, all best guided by a doctor to ensure the child's comfort and participation.
A keloid scar is when a scar keeps growing and becomes bigger than the original wound. It can happen if you have too much of a substance called collagen in your skin. It can happen after any sort of injury or damage to your skin such as a cut, burn, surgery, acne or a body piercing.
Scars can change over time. In many cases, they may flatten or fade, but it is rare for them to entirely disappear. This is because the skin is permanently altered by injuries that cause scarring.
The etiology of cancers occurring in scars is not fully understood, although the prevailing hypotheses include prolonged proliferation due to chronic inflammation and irritation of tissue, ongoing exposure of tissues to toxins and co-carcinogens after the injury, and poor vascularization of the scar tissue resulting in ...
Natural Remedies for Reducing & Getting Rid of Scars
Scars can vary in size, shape, color, and texture. They may appear as flat, raised, indented, or discolored areas on the skin. The color of a scar may range from pink or red during the early stages of healing to a lighter or darker shade compared to the surrounding skin over time.
Vitamin E is the main lipid-soluble antioxidant in the skin. Several anecdotal reports have suggested that topical use of vitamin E cream can reduce scar formation. Current evidence from the literature, however, does not support that proposition. In fact, studies report some adverse effects with use of vitamin E.
Scar massage is a way of softening and flattening scars. It can stop scar tissue build up and help make scars less noticeable. Your scar or scars will continue to grow and change for about twelve to eighteen months, so the earlier and more regularly you massage your scar, the less the chance of long-term problems.
In the early healing stage, expect the scar to be red, purple, or pink, with a firm or raised texture. Over months, color fades and the scar becomes more similar to surrounding skin. The texture also evolves from hard and raised to softer and flatter.
In some cases, poor wound care, underlying health conditions such as diabetes or autoimmune disorders, or even your genetic background can influence how your body heals. Factors like your skin tone, age, and how much sun exposure the area gets can also impact how a scar fades or doesn't.
After a scar is first formed, the body continues to touch up its work where it can - which is why scars fade slightly over the years when left alone. But scar tissue does not get replaced by this process2, which means that most scars, when left to heal naturally, will never fully disappear.
As your skin continues to heal, the scar will flatten and change color. In time, many flat scars are nearly the same color as your skin. A flat scar may also be paler or slightly darker than your surrounding skin.
Your scar should gradually soften and fade over these six to 18 months, but will look pink initially (photo B). Some scars never fade. If your scar stays pink after 12 to 18 months please call to discuss options. If your scar becomes raised and rubbery instead of flat, this could be an abnormal scar process (photo C).
Moisturizing creams hydrate the skin, reduce itch, soften scars, and prevent water loss—key for healing young or inflamed scars. Regular use supports smoother, more flexible scar tissue with minimal side effects.
Your scar may be reddened at first and then settle down to become smoother and paler in colour. It can take up to 12-18 months after your injury or operation for a scar to heal. A normal scar will become darker initially and after a period of time this will start to fade.
Vaseline Petroleum jelly is formulated with a patented triple-purification process, leaving it free from impurities. So, if you've had a cut or a burn, Vaseline jelly applied to the area will form a protective barrier, thus reducing the appearance of scars.
Use silicone products
Silicone products, such as silicone sheets and gels, can keep your scar moisturized and help it heal. You can use them under your makeup and clothing.
If your scar becomes raised, red, painful, or wide, there's still hope. We offer treatments for problematic scarring, including: Steroid injections to flatten and reduce inflammation.
Melanoma can come back at, or close to, the place it originally started, this is called a local recurrence. In this case it is usually felt as a nodule on or near your original scar. The nodule may feel as if it is sitting on top of the skin or under the skin.
Pain and itching are common experiences for people with scars. Injuries that cause scars, like burns or conflict wounds, often damage nerves. This can cause chronic pain and itchiness, even when the injury has healed. Scar tissue is also less flexible than normal skin.