How To Treat Burn Scars?

After a burn has healed, you’ll be left with a scar or scars that often look nasty. The scar is a natural formation on any part of the body occurred as a result of the body’s healing process after it’s injured by any means. Most will fade with time, but they never disappear. There is a range of treatments to improve the condition of burn scars, some of which are found to be quite effective.

While this range includes cosmetic treatments, it also includes natural remedies which also work pretty well. If you are struggling to accept the burn scars on your face, check out this insightful blog to learn how to treat burn scars or methods of burn scar removal.

What Is Burn Scar?

Burn Scars occur after any area of your skin gets burnt or affected because of overheating. Touching something hot accidentally, such as grabbing a hot pan or getting scalded by hot oil or boiling water, can burn your skin. Chemicals, radiation, the sun, and electricity can also cause burns on the skin, which result in scars.

The healing process that starts after this damage gives rise to the formation of scars. To be specific burns cause skin cells to die. The damaged skin then produces a protein to repair itself known as Collagen. As the skin heals, a discolored, thickened area called Scar is formed. While some scars are temporary that disappear over time, others are permanent.

Scars can be small or large, but serious burns can cover a wide surface of your face and body that affects your appearance permanently. 1st-degree burns get healed without scarring, while 2nd and 3rd-degree burns leave behind scars. The treatment depends on the size and degree of the burn. Trying out any home or medical treatment is strictly forbidden without speaking with your doctor.

The way scars degrade the looks of a person can be embarrassing and usher negative impacts on the mental health of the person. However, there are cosmetic treatments with which you can improve the appearance of these scars. They can’t completely vanish the burn scars but can effectively lighten them.

Symptoms Of Burn Scars

Burn scars occur when burns damage the skin. The scar tissue formed as a result of the burns that affect the outer layers of the skin fades over time. When the deeper dermal layers are damaged, it causes more permanent scarring having a leathery, irregular, or thick appearance.

Burn scars could be small or large depending on what level of the skin is damaged. The severity of the burn determines if these scars fade or remain visible permanently. Furthermore, the likelihood of a burn depends on how long the person is exposed to intensity as well as heat.

These scars may or may not be painful. The hypertrophic scars may feel itchy and warm to the touch, but the contracture scars can make motion difficult for that part of the body. On the other hand, the keloid scars formed as a result of burns are shiny, raised, hairless bumps that extend outside the affected area.

But how to detect burn scars and not confuse them with any other types of Scars? By examining several aspects regarding its appearance, it’s possible to recognize the burn scars. Here are a few symptoms that comprise such scars:

1. Color Changes

When a portion of the skin is burned due to high heat, it develops temporary permanent scars on the skin out of the healing procedure. This causes the affected part to get discolored more than the surrounding skin.

In addition, the particular area is raised (in most cases) or indented, and it appears to be discolored and elevated or indented. If you see this kind of appearance on your skin, it’s a burn scar.

2. Texture

A burn scar has a different texture which makes it very obvious. When the tissues in the burnt area start to heal, they become thick due to the formation of Collagen and develop a scar. The Scar may have a tough, fibrous, and thick texture that can be smooth and shiny.

If it’s a first-degree or second-degree burn, you may or may not notice this change in texture, but in the case of third-degree burns, and second-degree burns, there will be partial thickness, and for the third-degree burns, there will be full-thickness.

3. Pain

When the burn is new, you can observe the pain, swelling, redness, peeling, leaking fluids, blisters, bleeding, and white or splotchy skin. Once the healing procedure starts, scars are formed due to the production of collagen tissues, and automatically intensity of pain starts to decrease.

When the scars are fully developed with discolored, raised, thick tissues, and you can’t feel any pain or soreness, it means the affected area is completely healed. Typically, a burn scar is devoid of pain, but it can be itchy due to stretching of the skin.

Why Do Burn Scars Form?

Scarring is clinically related to ethnicity, age, location, and the depth of the burn. Scars are developed when the lower layer, also known as the dermal layer of the skin, is damaged. The body develops a protein known as Collagen to help in healing the damaged skin.

The collagen fibers are organized evenly in the skin, but as soon as the scar forms, such fibers are newly created after being damaged by burning in a disorganized manner. This gives the new skin a different texture as well as appearance, thereby resulting in burn scars.

Depending on the degree of the burn, it takes a long time to heal, and scar formation is a part of the healing procedure. If it’s a first-degree burn, it will take less time to heal, and in most cases, the scars fade away.

Nevertheless, second and third-degree burns take a longer time to heal and the scars generated are permanent on the skin.

The burn scars begin to develop usually within the first few months after the burn, peak around the first 6 months, and dissolve or mature in 12-18 months. When the scars mature, they flatten, fade in color, are softer, and are less sensitive. But your Scar may feel itchy, and it’s quite normal to do so as it heals.

Types Of Burn Scars

The likelihood and severity of a burn depend on how long the victim was exposed to the heat. Burns are classified into three types based on how many fatalities they can cause to the skin. First-degree burns are those which damage the topmost layer of the skin, and epidermis and cause pain as well as redness. They usually heal within 6 days without causing any scars.

Second-degree burns affect both the dermis and epidermis. Apart from pain, you may experience blisters. Such burns take 2-3 weeks to heal and are likely to form scars. Furthermore, third-degree burns are more serious, causing damage to the dermis and epidermis, plus the bones, tendons, and nerve endings. People having third-degree burns can have their skin turned black or white. Such injuries take a longer time to heal and produce permanent scars.

Scars are categorized into three types depending on the second and third-degree burns, their appearance, and how they affect the skin. These are as follows:

1. Contracture Scars

Contracture scars are abnormal occurrences on the body that happens when a large part of the skin is lost or damaged, mainly due to excessive heat, causing scars over an extensive area. The formation of scars pulls the skin edges together, causing a tighter area on the screen, leading to a decrease in the skin size.

This reduction in the volume of the skin affects the joints, muscles, and tendons resulting in difficulty in movement and locomotion. To be more particular, a contracture scar occurs due to a contractile wound-healing procedure after re-epithelializing and adequate healing.

Surgical procedures are the most powerful treatment option for contracture scars as it helps in the reconstruction of damaged tissues. In this process, the skin flaps and skin grafts are successfully used to reduce the visibility of the scars.

2. Hypertrophic Scars

A hypertrophic scar is a dermatological condition marked by excessive collagen deposition that results in a raised scar, although not to the same extent as keloids. Like keloids, they form most often at the sites of burns.

They frequently have blood vessels and nerves in them. They often appear after a thermal or physical injury that affects the deep dermal layers and causes large amounts of TGF- to be expressed. The body makes new collagen fibers at a pace that balances the degradation of existing Collagen when a typical wound heals.

Scars that have hypertrophied are red and thick and may itch or hurt. Although they do not spread outside the original wound’s perimeter, they keep thickening for up to 6 months. The look or severity of hypertrophic scars can be upsetting, and if they are close to a joint, they may limit movement. These scars often become better throughout one to two years.

3. Keloid Scars

A Keloid also referred to as a Keloid Disorder or a Keloidal Scar, is a kind of Scar that is mostly made of either type 3 (early) or type 1 (late) Collagen, depending on its development. It occurs when granulation tissue (collagen type 3 overexpression) progressively gives way to collagen type 1 at the site of a treated skin burn.

The color of keloids can range from red to dark brown, but they are often hard, rubbery lesions or glossy, fibrous nodules. Although keloid scars are benign and not infectious, they can occasionally cause intense itching, discomfort, and texture changes. In extreme circumstances, it may impair the skin’s ability to move and needs to undergo a keloid scar removal treatment. These elevated scars can appear on men and women worldwide of African, Asian, Hispanic, and European origin.

Keloids can itch or hurt with a needle-like pain – the actual degree of sensation may vary from one person to another. People often confuse Keloid with Hypertrophic Scars, but both of them have different properties and can be distinguished easily. In the USA, Keloid scars are 15 times more frequent among people of African descent than any other ethnicity.

What Are Hypertrophic Burn Scars?

A hypertrophic burn scar is a thick, raised appearance that is an extreme/abnormal response to the healing of wounds caused by a burn. They occur commonly in the taut or youthful skin areas following skin trauma caused by burns.

The hypertrophic burn treatment includes freezing, injections, surgery, laser treatment, and medications that help you get rid of burn scars.

Hypertrophic scars are flat and are formed by this denser, less elastic tissue. However, occasionally your body produces too much Collagen, which causes a raised scar. This particular elevated Scar can turn into a keloid or a hypertrophic scar. In parts of your body where your skin is tight, including your chest, back, shoulders, elbows, upper arms, and other joints, hypertrophic scars are more prevalent.

Hypertrophic scars, however, can develop in any place on your skin if there has been a skin injury or lesion. Small burns to the top layer of your skin often heal well; new skin grows over the wound as it does so. Your body reacts by producing Collagen, which is thicker and tougher in comparison to the remaining part of your skin, to mend deeper wounds into the dermis layer and below.

Some of the most common symptoms of hypertrophic burn scars are as follows: hard, thickened, and raised tissue over the wound area, pink/red/purple color of the skin over the wound site, development of Scar after 1-2 months of injury, itchy, tender and irritating Scar, the Scar limits your skin’s/joint’s normal movement.

Hypertrophic scars caused by burning are difficult to treat. The superficial burn wounds or first-degree burns heal without forming any scars. On the other hand, second degree burn treatment and third-degree burn treatment are harder.

Common Problems With Hypertrophic Scars

The three stages of wound healing include proliferation, remodeling, and inflammation. Throughout the remodeling stage, scar tissue develops. Several distinct cell types, including fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, as well as specific signaling molecules, including tumor necrosis factor and changing growth factor-beta, are all involved in tissue regeneration and wound healing.

The formation of scars is very common as a part of the wound-healing process. When there is a lot of stress surrounding a healing wound, hypertrophic scars develop. These scars are often red in color, thick, and elevated, and could continue to grow for years. These are brought on by an imbalance in ac collagen at the afflicted location.

Some of the common problems associated with Hypertrophic Scars are as follows: loss of flexibility of the skin causing restricting movement, development of thick healing issues which look abnormal, and becoming red and raised. Although these are not life-threatening but could be so itchy that the scar may start bleeding due to over-itching.

After an accident, hypertrophic burn scars appear 1 to 2 months later and are frequently associated with itchiness, pruritus, and sometimes neuropathic pain. Contractures may result from severe hypertrophic scars covering a sizable region, which might be incapacitating.

Treatment Of Hypertrophic Scars

The goal of hypertrophic scar treatment is to soften, flatten, lighten the color, reduce the size, and ease any itch or pain of your scar. How the treatment will be done including the post-treatment plan is determined by your healthcare provider, specifically a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist.

The specialist may ask you to wait a few months or up to a year before implementing burn skin treatment, or hypertrophic burn scar treatment. This gives enough time for the scar to heal quickly and flatten or decrease in size on its own. There are several procedures available to treat hypertrophic scars:

1. Corticosteroid Injections

Corticosteroid injection is one of the most feasible treatments for hypertrophic scars. Injections are pushed into the scar tissues which eventually flatten and soften the scar tissues by easing the pain and itch. You may need several shots a few weeks apart. There is no need for anesthesia and the entire process is wrapped up within 15 minutes.

The steroids disintegrate the bonds between the collagen fibers that diminish the amount of scar tissue beneath the skin. Steroids have anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce redness, swelling, tenderness, or itching. The doctor may advise you to break up the scar tissue on your own after getting a shot and massage the scar gently to ensure the effectiveness of the steroid injections.

Nevertheless, you must seek advice from dermatologists before going through this treatment procedure as it involves the use of steroids. This therapy is usually administered in the office of a dermatologist after the burnt area gets healed completely.

2. Laser Burn Scar Treatment

Laser burn scar treatment for burn scars reduces fades their appearance. It removes the outer layer of the skin using focused light therapy. In this way, the growth of new skin cells is initiated to cover the damaged skin cells. Pulsed dye lasers or long pulsed Nd: YAG lasers are generally used to treat keloids and hypertrophic scars.

Lasers target some of the largest blood vessels present within the scar to remove them and prevent scar growth. They are also effective in lightening the pinking or reddish color, reducing the hardness, itchiness, and pain.

Apart from scars, the laser burn treatment lowers skin wrinkles, warts, aging spots, etc., and gives you smooth, flawless skin. However, it doesn’t remove the appearance of a scar completely. You can expect the treated areas to heal in about 3-10 days, there’s no specific downtime.

3. Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is a burn management procedure that involves the use of extreme cold (nitrogen in liquid form) to freeze, damage, and remove abnormal tissues, that is, scars. This flattens the raised tissue of the scars thereby improving their appearance.

It’s a minimally invasive therapy that eliminates disease tissues that develop from a series of medical conditions. Without an open surgery, this procedure is conducted; so there is no question of cuts, bleeding, stitches, etc. The recovery phase is also very less and most people tend to recover at a faster pace with little pain.

During the procedure, the dermatologist applies excessive cold to the abnormal tissues as a result of which cells in that area don’t survive and die. Liquid Nitrogen, Liquid Nitrous Oxide, and Argon gases are used to create the intense cold.

4. Surgery

Surgery is sometimes necessary to improve the condition of a scar. It’s also known as reconstructive burn surgery which is conducted by a cosmetic surgeon to better both the appearance and function of burn scars. This involves the alteration of the scar tissues with both operative and non-operative treatment.

Skin arrangement (known as Z-plasty), Skin Grafts, and skin donor flaps can be used depending on the personal goals of the patient as well as the location of the scar. While the minor procedures are conducted as outpatient surgery, the larger flaps and grafts would possibly require the following inpatient methods.

If you need a burn scar removal surgery, the first step is to consult with a plastic surgeon personally. To get a successful treatment, communication with the specialist is the key. After thoroughly examining your scar, it’s him/her only who can elaborate on how to treat burn scars. The needs of every patient are different and your cosmetic surgeon will choose the treatment that right for you.

5. Bleomycin/ 5-FU (Fluorouracil) Injection

Direct injection of either of these medications into the scar tissue is an option. The drug damages the enlarged cells, which flattens the scar and lessens irritation and pain. To lessen the negative effects of the drug, these injections are typically paired with laser treatment or corticosteroid injection.

There are fatal side effects of this injection that can cause more damage to the skin as well as the overall health of the patient. As a result, this procedure is conducted only under the strict supervision of specialists if the cosmetic surgeon suggests it.

What Are Keloid Scars?

A keloid scar is a raised, thick scar that occurs whenever you have an injury on the skin. When the skin is injured, the fibrous tissue causes to form scar tissue over the wound to protect and repair the injury. In certain cases, the extra scar tissue grows to form hard, smooth growths called Keloids.

One of the most common skin injuries that contribute to Keloid scarring is burns. Approximately 10% of the people suffering from scars experience keloid scarring. Women and men are equally prone to develop keloid scars on any part of their body; however, people with darker skin are more likely to have keloids. There are specific procedures for keloid removal treatment.

Keloids can exceed the size of the initial incision. These can affect any area of the body; however, they are most frequently found on the chest, shoulders, earlobes, and cheeks. Keloid scars may itch, but they often pose little threat to your health. You may feel restless, unpleasant, or even annoyed due to friction from your clothing or other factors.

Large portions of your body can develop keloid scarring, but it normally happens seldom. When this occurs, mobility may be hampered by the tight, hardened scar tissue. Keloids are frequently more of an aesthetic issue than a health one. If the keloid is huge or located somewhere that is particularly noticeable, like on the face or an earlobe, you could feel self-conscious, and a keloid scar treatment might be necessary.

Common Problems Of Keloid Scars

Experts are not completely aware of what exactly initiates the Keloid scars but it’s a common after-effect of burn injury on the skin which results as a part of the healing procedure. This raised, thick, dark scar, formed as a result of the overproduction of collagen is neither contagious nor cancerous.

Keloid scars literally can affect anybody, but they are more common in people having dark skin. Often, these are genetic as well and run in families. This means, if your family has a history of keloid development, you are also likely to develop while recovering from an injury.

Keloids are usually not threatening to a person’s health. They can be painful if the underlying affected tissues are not healed properly and are itchy often due to stretching of the skin. However, depending on where the keloid scar is located, they could develop a cosmetic concern. I

t’s fortunate that with the advancement of medical science, there are so many treatments available for keloid. So, you don’t have to struggle while looking for burn scar removal methods on the internet. If you are feeling uneasy and conscious about your keloid scar, consult with the experts of Scar Healing Institute to get a resolution.

Treatment Of Keloid Scars

It takes from 3 months up to 12 months before noticing the first signs of a keloid formation. After that, it grows at a faster rate for over a few weeks or months. After some years, the growth of a Keloid scar stops. Nevertheless, a Keloid growth looks quite disturbing especially if it’s on a visible area of the body.

It’s a raised scar, the color of which darkens with time. Some keloids that feel doughy and soft while others are rubbery and hard. During their growth, some Keloids may be tender, painful, or itchy to touch which calls for the need for treatment.

There is no way to make a Keloid scar go away completely but you can fade its visibility through a series of Keloid burn scar treatment methods. Keloids have a plethora of treatments but depending on the appearance, density, and condition of the tissues beneath the scar, your dermatologist will prescribe the right procedure.

1. Corticosteroids

To assist lessen the stinging, burning, and soreness that this scarring may cause; steroids are injected intravenously into the scar tissue. Injections can occasionally aid in reducing scar size and softening scar tissue. The two primary negative effects are atrophy and skin darkening.

To stop the development of scar tissue, intralesional steroids can be introduced into the underlying tissues. Artificial steroids reduce wound healing’s inflammatory and proliferative responses by reducing the creation of too much collagen.

2. Scar Freezing

Scar Freezing, also known as Cryotherapy is an effective Keloid management modality, specifically for minor ones. However, the outcome of the cryotherapy depends on the thickness of the Keloids.

There is both intraregional and topical Cryotherapy involving the insertion of a thin cryosurgical needle inside the keloid to inject liquid nitrogen. This procedure freezes the tissue both inside and outside resulting in the flattening of the scar.

3. Laser Surgery

It’s possible to flatten the larger keloids using pulsed-dye lasers. This laser therapy for burn scars is quite useful in fading the keloids and easing itchiness. You have to go through several sessions to complete this laser therapy.

There has to be a gap of 4-8 weeks between each session according to your dermatologist’s advice. You might be recommended to combine cortisone injections with laser therapy for better results.

4. Surgical Removal

In case your Keloid hasn’t responded to any other treatments, surgical procedures might be your last resort. Your doctor will recommend it evaluating the condition of the scar and combining it with other methods like Cryotherapy or wound care.

Some of the popular surgical methods to treat Keloid are Z-Plasty, Skin Grafting, Skin Flapping, and Tissue Extension. Each of these is completely different from another and may need full anesthesia or local anesthesia as per the doctor’s recommendation.

5. DIY Processes

While some people want to go through burn scar removal treatments, some prefer trying out homemade methods. However, DIY scar healing treatments are not as effective as clinical procedures. In addition to these, there are some over-the-counter (OTC) options to lower the appearance of scars.

Aloe Vera is a wonderful remedy when it comes to healing keloid scars. Use the light-green, clear Aloe Vera gel extracted from an Aloe Vera leaf to your scar and massage in circular motions twice a day. Vitamin E has also been found to have a significant benefit on scars. You can apply the oil inside the Vitamin E capsules to the scar massage gently. Repeat this procedure thrice a day to get the best results.

Silicone sheet treatment is one form of over-the-counter medication for keloid burn scar removal. Topical silicone sheets work best when applied for 4 hours a day to the scar. Such sheets are self-adhesive that need to be worn for several months to get noticeable results. Silicone gel or silicone sheets reduce the redness, hardness, and itchiness of the scar effectively.

What Are Contracture Scars?

When a scar starts to develop during the last phase of wound healing, the skin pushes firmly together, resulting in scar contracture. Scarring is a typical component of the wound-healing process, which is a complex biological mechanism with several phases.

Only little scarring that gradually diminishes over time may result from small wounds or incisions. How efficiently a wound heals depends on several factors, including skin type, genetics, and environment. A scar contracture is prone to develop if a person is severely burnt or has a major operation.

Following a traumatic injury, scar contracture can cause serious functional concerns, discomfort, and aesthetic problems. It frequently results in restricted motion, deformity, and even impairment in the joint regions, which is particularly seen in young patients.

Surgery is the most effective method of contracture release and repair, while it is still not apparent which technique is most efficient. Skin grafts and flaps have been utilized effectively in surgical treatments.

Additionally, finding an equilibrium between scar resurfacing and reducing donor site morbidity is a difficult challenge that is dependent on the size of the involved area, the location of the scar, and the accessibility of the non-scarred tissue to utilize as skin flaps.

Common Problems Of Contracture Scars

Often after a burn, a contracture scar forms causing the skin to contract or tighten. It’s an abnormal occurrence that happens when the larger area of skin is lost and damaged due to burning, resulting in a scar. As soon as the wound starts healing, a scar starts to develop which pulls together the edges of the skin, causing a smooth, hairless, discolored tightened area.

While keloids and hypertrophic scars are outgrowths of fibrous tissues, contracture scars can be categorized under the contractile wound healing procedure. Scar contractures after a traumatic injury may result in extreme functional problems, aesthetic issues, and pain. Most essentially, such post-traumatic stress reactions lead to a loss of self-esteem, a decrease in the quality of life, and stigmatization.

The skin of the contracture area tends to be dehydrated which in turn causes itchiness and flakiness. Since these types of scars cover a larger volume of the skin, the typical movement of the limbs and the organs become challenging. A feeling of pain, discomfort, and stretchiness always lingers with the patient.

To improve a contracture, doctors generally recommend surgery where skin flaps and grafts are used to diminish their appearance.

Treatment Of Contracture Scars

Contracture scars are serious forms of scarring caused by burn injuries and need special treatment. Unlike Hypertrophic scars and Keloid scars, they are difficult to treat since it involves a larger portion of the skin. Because of the excessive stretching during the healing procedure, the contracture scars create become painful and itchy most of the time.

If you want to get rid of the contracture scars, your cosmetic surgeon can only help you out. He/she will first examine the affected area minutely over repetitive sessions and then will suggest you a treatment that’s suitable for you. Below are some contracture burn scar removal treatment procedures which dermatologists generally prescribe:

1. Skin Grafts Or Skin Flaps

Following the removal of the scar tissue, skin flaps or skin grafts are applied. Skin grafts replace or affix skin to an area of the body where it is absent. An intact portion of skin from another part of the body—referred to as the donor site—is removed and attached to the place that needs it.

In skin flaps, the skin that is recovered has its blood supply, unlike in skin grafts where a portion of the skin is removed from another place. The underlying blood arteries, muscles, and fat are present in the skin flap that is utilized. When the area where the skin is removed has a poor blood supply due to its location or owing to reduced blood flow, flaps may be employed.

2. Z Plasty

A-Z plasty is a special burn scar removal treatment that revises a scar using an incision to diminish the extent of contractures of the adjacent skin. It could also try to reposition the scar such that its edges resemble the skin’s natural creases and wrinkles. To assist keep the skin in place, tiny sutures may be utilized.

It’s a type of plastic surgery used to make scars more functional and aesthetically pleasing. Two equal-sized triangular flaps are made and then transposed in this technique. The triangle flaps are made utilizing a 60-degree angle for a typical Z-Plasty.

3. Tissue Expansion

A technique called tissue expansion is utilized to encourage the development of new, healthy skin to replace damaged, scarred skin. Almost every part of the body can benefit from this reconstructive method, which enables plastic surgeons to restore skin that has been damaged by both inherited and acquired flaws.

The recovery time of tissue expansion is 4-6 weeks. By this time, you will return to your usual activities. Skin expansion produces remarkable results after it’s used on top of the skin flap surgery.

Complications Of Burn Scars

Burn scars form after an epidermal or deep dermal injury caused by something too hot, chemicals, electricity, sun exposure, etc. The skin gets injured as a result of this and scars develop during the healing process. Burn scars are associated with serious fatalities including substantial mortality and morbidity which need proper management and are at risk of future complications.

While minor burns heal without causing many complications but deeper and more severe burn scars give rise to more grave physiological troubles.

1. Dehydration

Burns makes you lose body fluids and cause dehydration. Your blood lowers so much that the entire blood supply in your body gets hampered. Burn scars, especially Contractures are more prone to dehydration.

Without optimum moisture, the epithelial cells in the scarred area would be incapable of traveling across the wound and which will delay the time to heal. This may interrupt the creation of new tissues.

2. Low Body Temperature

Your skin regulates the body temperature in your overall body. When a significant portion of your skin is burnt, you can lose heat too quickly. This may lead to hypothermia, a sharp drop in the body temperature which can even make the patient’s life at risk.

Some of the extreme symptoms of hypothermia are exhaustion, drowsiness, slurred speech, fumbling hands, fatigue, and memory loss. Improper burn management may cause loss of consciousness during hypothermia.

3. Infection

Burns scars are susceptible to infections. If proper care isn’t taken and there is contamination, the scar area or the surrounding skin will become worst. There will be a greenish, smelly discharge accompanied by fever, purplish discoloration, pain, swelling, and a change in the thickness of the scar tissues.

4. Contractures Causing Muscle And Tissue Damage

Contractures may occur during the healing process at the time of the formation of scar tissues and this is by far the worst part of burn injuries. At the time of wound healing and the formation of contractures, patients face unbearable pain which may often result in cardiac arrest.

Severe burns penetrate both the epidermal and dermal layers of the skin and cause long-term damage to the nerves, tissues, and muscles.

5. Emotional Issues

Burn scars may cause harm to the self-esteem and self-confidence of a person. Especially, if the scarring occurs in an area that’s visible even after wearing dresses such as the face. This can affect the patient socially and emotionally. In today’s world also, scarred individuals face humiliation and bias in both their professional and personal lives.

How To Prevent Burn Scars?

Prevention is the best treatment for burn scars. Second-degree and third-degree burns cause the worst scars on the skin which are more pathetic in terms of pain and appearance. If you know the right way to take care of the burnt area, you can prevent your skin from forming permanent burn scars, not fully, but to some extent.

Rinse the burn area in lukewarm or cold water and allow the skin to air dry. Now take some antibiotic ointment on a sterile tongue depressor and apply it to the burn. This will help you prevent the occurrence of infection and burnt areas are sensitive to foreign microbes.

Now cover the burn with a sterile nonstick bandage and after that wrap it with gauze securely. Make sure that you are not applying too much pressure while using the bandage. For a few minutes the burned area every day to prevent the formation of contracture.

If blisters form, let it pop and release the pus on its own. Then approach a doctor to cut away the dead skin. It’s a MUST to secure the burnt area from the sun or external pollutants with sunscreen or clothing. The area will remain sensitive for the next several months. Do not forget to check in with your doctor to receive guidance on medication and check whether the injury is healing properly.

What To Expect In Post Treatment Phase?

Burn survivors often become frustrated regarding scarring after the preliminary burn injuries get healed. The most frequent burn injury consequence is hypertrophic burn scarring, which is a raised scar in the location of the initial burn. This condition can impede a survivor’s capacity to function and have an impact on their self-image.

It is challenging to foresee who may get scared. According to research, less serious burns that recover within 14 days typically leave no scars. More serious burns take 14 to 21 days to heal and may leave scars. Burns with a delayed healing time of more than 21 days have a very high chance of leaving scars and could need skin grafting.

You might be wondering all along how to treat burn scars or what is the right burn scar removal treatment for me.

Firstly, it’s only a professional dermatologist or cosmetic specialist will be able to give you the answer after examining the scars and wounds in detail. Secondly, none of the treatments can vanish the scars from your skin. It’s very important to set clear expectations before undergoing any treatment.

A burn management procedure can only improve the visibility of the scars but they will not completely go away.

After any treatment, the site is expected to remain sensitive for a few months. There might be bruising, swelling, and redness; however, by following proper post-treatment care instructions from the doctor, you can deal with these challenges.

For instance, you might be asked to cover the treated area with a piece of scarf whenever you step outside in the sun.

This will reduce the sensitivity and associated complications. In case you feel that the post-treatment complications are becoming more serious than usual, it’s better to consult with the doctor who treated you.

Final Word From Experts Of Scar Healing Institute

Burn scars belong to the category of cosmetic issues. They affect the emotional and physiological well-being of a person to a great extent. Thus it’s advisable to get them treated under expert guidance. At Scar Healing Institute, the best scar treatment clinic in the USA, some professional dermatologists suggest you the right burn scar removal treatment after assessing and evaluating your scar properly.

The pre-treatment care and post-treatment care are also looked after by the trained cosmetic surgeons of Scar Healing Institute. So, if you feel you need burn scar removal treatment or the burn scars in your body are disrupting your normal life, get in touch with us for a consultation.