Scars are a
natural part of the healing process and they can happen both
inside and outside the body. Visible scars sometimes form
after the skin has been broken, but you can also have scars on
your internal organs, for example where you have a torn a
muscle or where a cut has been made during
surgery.
When a
wound or injury has happened, and there is a break in some of
the tissue in the body, the body heals it by producing more of
a substance called collagen. This is a protein and it builds
up at the place where the tissue is broken, eventually helping
to close it. Collagen continues to be pumped into this part of
the body for years after the original wound, which is why the
scar will gradually become smoother and softer. Scars on the
skin can take up to two years to fade, but after this time it
is unlikely that they will fade any more.
Certain
areas of the body are more likely to have scars than others.
The knees and shoulders often have more visible scars, because
during the healing process they need to move and stretch a
lot. Darker skin is also more likely to
scar.
Sometimes
abnormal scars develop. A hypertrophic scar is a large scar
that may form when a large area of skin is missing, or if a
wound becomes infected. A keloid is an overgrowth of tissue,
when too much collagen is produced at the site of the wound
and the scar keeps growing even after the wound has
healed.
