Susan’s Scar Situation:
I read a few of your very helpful tips on aol.com and I have a question. I have a scar on my thigh. I fell while rollerblading 6 years ago. I tried using bleach creams to make the scar less visible but it doesn’t work. It looks like I have 5 dark scratches. My question is if a laser will help remove the scar?
Please let me know if you can because I’m thinking about having this done in January by a dermatologist. I think my skin should not be tan right?
The Right Brain’s Reply
Hi Susan. Unfortunately, as you already found out, bleaching creams don’t work on scar tissue. You should get better results from a laser treatment, but to help you understand why we need to explain a little bit about scars.
According to the American Academy of Dermatologists there are two basic classes of scars: Atrophic scars (which are depressions in the skin, typically caused by an abrasion) and Keloid scars/hypertrophic scars (which are raised areas of hardened skin resulting from an overgrowth of tissue at the site of an injury).
Both types can be successfully treated with either CO2 or erbium:YAG lasers. These are just fancy technical terms to describe the different wavelengths of light the the devices use. Both lasers can smooth out scarred skin by vaporizing the uneven surface of the scar.
How well do they work? It depends; for younger skin the scar may be removed after a single treatment. Older skin may require additional treatments, not only on the scar itself but also on the surrounding skin to make it blend in better. Lasers can be combined with other treatments, such as dermabrasion, to give even better results.
If you’re hungry for more info about acne scars, pulsed dye lasers, and our personal favorite the Switched Q Laser, go read this from the AAD on scars.
Ok, now that you have the background you should talk to a dermatologist. He or she can certainly advise you if laser therapy is suitable for your type of scar. Tanning probably won’t matter but again, ask your doctor before the procedure. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!
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There are two cosmetic problems with scars; color and contour. Scars are often red or white and raised or depressed.
Depending upon the kind of scar the treament may vary. Color is often treated by IPL. Contour can be treated by filling in the scar if it’s depressed, or ablating the scar if it’s raised.
__hi! i’m mark,i have a scar on my face that make me very uncomfortable So i just wanna ask how much can cost me this laser therapy for me to know if i can or can’t afford it thats all hope on your response..
What if my abrasion scar from a scooter accident is brown and not raised or depressed in the skin but as smooth as the skin around it? Would laser be an option or is it more of an IPL(which stated scars needed to be red in color to work effectively)?
Please answer in email if possible.
Thanks
I have an embarrassing abrasion scar on my nose that’s already healed and its as smooth as the rest of the skin but the area where it was is now red and its really annoying, is there any lasers that can get rid of the redness and return it to normal color? Please respond because its really getting embarrassing.
i have scars on the back of my head (plugs) from a hair transplant 25 years ago.The area on top of my head was also scared and had some laser done ten years ago with limited seccess.would like to have close hair cut if possible?
hi, I have this uneven skin toned with my legs, the truth is that i can just explain it because talking about marks I have them more than necessary. Please do you know of any cream i can use to at least make difference on my legs? I don’t have the money to see a demertologist, please i need help!
can you help me if what kind of cream i can use for my scar in my legs..plzzzz…