Permanent skin patches grow over wounds when injuries heal, leaving scars.

A scar is a permanent patch of skin that grows over a wound. It forms when your body heals itself after a cut, scrape, burn or sore. You can also get scars from surgery, infections like chickenpox, or skin conditions like acne. Scars are often thicker, as well as pinker, redder or shinier than the rest of your skin.

How your scar looks depends on:

  • How big and deep your wound is 
  • Where it is 
  • How long it takes to heal 
  • Your age 
  • Your inherited tendency to scar

Scars usually fade over time but never go away completely. If the way a scar looks bothers you, various treatments might minimize it. These include surgical revision, dermabrasion, laser treatments, injections, chemical peels and creams.

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