Scars - Types, Causes & Treatment
Scar Facts
Scars form when tissues are severely damaged and repaired.
There can be many types of scars, and they can cause changes in the physical architecture of normal skin or other tissue.
Scars can form as a result of physical trauma or as a result of a disease process.
Wound healing that is not well controlled can result in symptomatic thick, unsightly scars.
Some people are genetically prone to develop thicker, itchy, enlarging scars known as keloids.
What is a scar?
Scars form as a result of your skin healing after it has been cut or damaged. The skin heals itself by producing new tissue to close the wound and fill in any gaps left by the injury.
In other words, a scar forms when the skin’s deeper layer, the dermis, is damaged. Scarring does not always result from damage to the epidermis, the skin’s most superficial layer. Scars cause a structural change in the skin’s deeper layers and thus is more than just a change in skin tone. However, fetal and mucosal tissues are capable of healing without leaving a scar.
Scars can be unsightly and even make it difficult to move depending on their size, types of scars, and location. Having said that, not all scars need to be treated, and many fade away with time. Scar removal surgery in Dubai can help if a scar bothers you or causes pain.
What causes Scars?
Scars appear as a natural part of the scar healing process. Your skin acts as a barrier to protect you from germs and other harmful substances as part of your immune system. When the skin is injured, the body produces new collagen tissue to help it heal.
Collagen serves a variety of functions throughout your body, including skin plumping and cartilage protection. Collagen fibres repair damaged skin and close any open areas when a scar forms. The new tissue guards against infection.
What are the symptoms of a scar?
Scars form at the site of damaged tissue and appear as firm red or sometimes purple fibrous tissue that flattens and lightens over time.
What are the different types of scars?
The appearance of a scar is determined by the nature of the wound that caused the damage, the anatomical location of the wound, and a variety of genetic factors that vary from person to person. As a result, scar treatment too depends upon the types of scars that has appeared on the skin.
Scars can be categorised as below:
Hypertrophic Scars
- Hypertrophic scars develop when the body overproduces collagen, causing the scar to rise above the surrounding skin.
- Hypertrophic scars appear as a red elevated lump on lighter-coloured skin, whereas darker-pigmented skin appears as dark brown.
- They typically appear 4 to 8 weeks following a wound infection or wound closure involving excessive tension or other severe skin damage.
Keloid Scars
- Keloid scars are a more acute category of scarring as they can grow indefinitely into large, tumorous neoplasms.
- The absence of growth outside the initial wound region distinguishes hypertrophic scars from keloid scars, but this commonly taught distinction can be misleading.
- Keloid scars can occur in anyone, but they are more typical in people with dark skin. They can be caused by surgery, an accident, acne, and, in some cases, body piercings. Keloid scars form on their own in some people.
- Despite their appearance, keloid scars are inert masses of collagen that are completely harmless and non-cancerous. They can, however, irritate or make some people uncomfortable.
- They’re most common on the shoulders and chest. Hypertrophic scars and keloids are more common in wounds closed by secondary intention.

Atrophic Scars
- Atrophic scars have the appearance of a deep pitted hole in the skin.
- These are caused by the loss of underlying skin-supporting components such as fat or muscle.
- This type of scarring is commonly caused by acne, chickenpox, other infections, including Staphylococcus infection, surgery, certain insect and spider bites, or accidents.
- It can also be caused by a genetic connective tissue disorder, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
Normotrophic Scar
- The colour of the normotrophic scar is pale or beige, and it is flush with the epidermis. The normotrophic scar is the most basic of scars; it is elastic and looks like the surrounding tissue.
- In most cases, it does not cause pain or discomfort. There are no complications, and it is easily removed by laser resurfacing.
What are the options available for scar treatment?
Scars are not treated because they are a normal part of the healing process. Only when superficial scars become unsightly do they require treatment. This category includes scars in people predisposed to develop keloids and scars in anatomical regions known to produce thick scars and scars that cause significant, unpleasant distortion of adjacent anatomical structures.
Thick scars and keloids frequently flatten out after steroids are injected directly into the fibrous scar tissue. They are capable of responding to chronic pressure and the application of silicone rubber sheets.
Our scar expert Prof Dr Robert Hierner, has several years of experience in this field, with immense exposure to scar removal in Dubai and other related treatments.
Treat your scars appropriately
Prof Dr Robert Hierner is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Dubai. After years of research, he has developed ‘Integrative Scar Therapy Concept’, a blend of innovative ways to treat scars. By combining traditional treatments such as laser therapy, dermabrasion, and steroid injections with natural methods such as cryotherapy and acupuncture, this comprehensive approach to scar treatment that can help you achieve better results than other single-method approaches.
Consult Prof Dr Robert if you are looking for a reliable and successful solution to your scarring needs!