Do Scars Spread?

Do Scars Spread?

The answer is yes and no. Typical scars, like acne scars, surgery scars or c-section scars do not spread. Of course, if you gain weight, then it is merely the skin stretching rather than the scar actually spreading.

However, there is one type of scar that will spread beyond the bounds of the wound, and that is a keloid scar.

Keloid Scars

In the simplest of terms, keloid scars are scars that become enlarged because your body is producing too much collagen—and therefore, too much tissue—at the site of the wound. Typically, keloid scars become raised in a dome-shaped fashion and begin to expand beyond the original location of the wound. Keloid scars are usually pink, shiny, and tender to the touch.

Read: Do Genes Determine Keloid Scars?

Needless to say, developing keloid scars can be bizarre and frightening for those who have never experienced keloids before. The good news is that keloid scars are no more dangerous than other types of scar tissue. Some patients complain about them being more painful, but usually, they are just itchier as they heal. The bad news is that they are often more unsightly than other scars, leading patients to seek surgical methods or other solutions to try to shrink them or have them removed.

Read: Who is at Risk for Developing Keloid Scars?

The Difference Between Scar Types

Though many people aren’t familiar with the lingo, there are several different types of scars out there. The first and most common type, of course, is a simple flat scar. If you cut your skin, you will normally heal quickly, with nothing but a pale white line on your skin to mark the spot where you had your wound. These scars can’t spread at all and don’t even become raised above the skin. In other words, they are the least invasive of all scars.

The second type of scar is called a hypertrophic scar. The word hypertrophic means “enlarged” or “excessive growth,” but unlike keloid scars, hypertrophic scars don’t spread beyond the wound. Instead, these scars may thicken and appear to be raised above the skin. Hypertrophic scars are typically redder and more visually obvious than flat scars.

There are other types of scars—including contracture scars, which actually tighten your skin, usually after a burn, and pitted scars, which can result from picking or itching at acne or chicken pox. Of all of the types of scars, keloid scars are unique in their ability to spread beyond the area of the original wound.

Have a question about your scar? Post a comment and we’ll be happy to answer.


Can You Get Rid of an Indented Scar?

Can You Get Rid of an Indented Scar?

Although scarring is a natural and necessary phase of healing, this process sometimes leaves indentations, puckering, or pockmarking where the tissue below the skin has been damaged or lost. These are called atrophic scars, most commonly caused by acne, injury, and surgery. Although some level of scarring may be permanent, there are safe topical treatments available to help restore this underlying tissue and smooth the surface of the skin to reduce the appearance of scars. These treatments include a blend of vitamins and nutrients that have demonstrated a significant clinical benefit to skin healing and scar reduction.

Scars and Skin Form Differently

Scar tissue is built from the same collagen protein as normal skin, but the fibers are arranged differently. Where natural skin is a somewhat randomly assorted matrix, which allows sweat glands and hair follicles to form, scar tissue fibers are arranged in strong, though less flexible, parallel layers that do not allow for sweat glands or hair follicles.

When skin is damaged by injury, surgery, or acne, the skin layers are forcibly separated. Once the interference is removed or resolved, the skin immediately begins to generate new cells, adding fibers of collagen in roughly diagonal rows. Many factors affect the speed of this process, as well as what kind of scar eventually forms.

Minimizing Scars as they Heal

While the scar is forming, the layers of skin that come together may not align properly if the wound moves too much, or the skin becomes too dry or too damp. Therefore, during the healing process, it is important to both immobilize the area to maintain proper alignment, and to ensure that the skin along the edges does not dry out or become too moist.

Using a properly formulated scar treatment, such as InviCible Scars, as directed during the healing process helps to maintain proper elasticity while also feeding the skin vitamins and nutrients that are essential for healing.

InviCible Advanced Scar Therapy includes vitamin C, licorice, and aloe vera to completely heal the area, and restore elasticity and skin tone, as well as silicone and essential fatty acids to reduce skin pocking and indentation.

For years, vitamin E was used topically as well, but this has recently been discouraged by dermatology experts as it can cause skin irritation. Other ingredients to avoid include hydroquinone, Kojic acid, and anything with fragrance or preservatives.

Reducing Scars after Healing

Skin and scar tissue continually regenerates and replaces cell layers throughout our lives. Though this process is more gradual than the initial healing, it does mean that the appearance of scars can be altered even after they have fully formed. If given the proper tools, the body will continue to heal and repair old scars.

InviCible Advanced Scar Therapy comes highly recommended by doctors who treat skin disease, such as acne, or perform surgery. Regular application of our nutrient-rich product helps to drive the healing process and reduces the appearance of scars and uneven skin tone.

Do you have a question about your scar? Leave a comment and let us know!
