Scars tend to occur because of many reasons. It can be the result of wounds we’ve got from accidents, surgeries or even simply as part of growing up such as pimples. Regardless of the causes, no one likes the idea of having scars on their skins. There are many types of scars ranging from minor until the major ones. One similarity from all those scars is how they will turn into reddish or purple scar at one point. Why does this happen? And when it happens, how do we heal the scars and prevent it from happening again in the future?
Why does it happen
What is a scar? Scars are leftover marks from our skin that is trying to heal itself after experiencing a damage. When a damage occurs on the surface of our skin, our cells will quickly divide to form a new cell in order to fill in the gap on the damaged area. The deeper the wound, the higher amount of collagen will be produced by our cells. This collagen is important to create a dense mass of fibrous connective tissue that will fill in the wounded area. If the dense mass of the damaged tissue is small, it will be changed by normal tissue as time goes by. On the contrary, if the damaged tissue is deep or large, the fibrous mass will stay. It is this excessive mass that will turn into scars.
So why then our scars can change into purple? It is the outcome of broken blood vessels and inflammation. In fact, this process will always take place in the initial phase of a scar. The skin area that is damaged will signal out signs to our bodies to send in blood flow to assist in the healing process. The unit of this new blood flow is created by sudden development of new blood vessels for the purpose of delivering nutrients and growths elements to the damaged area. This development is known as angiogenesis. The extra blood supply is what making the recovering skin more purple (or red) than the surrounding normal skin.
At this stage, the scar surface is often irregular or uneven. The skin near the scar area will be stiffen as well as becoming more sensitive to pressure. The scars can contract as well and at times we could experience from a stab of pain. These are all our bodies’ temporary reaction upon the development of scars’ tissues. In other words, it is the stage when we will feel the temporary discomfort.
In addition to the broken blood vessels that surround the damaged area, our bodies form inflammation chemicals to speed up the recovery process. The scars need this initial inflammation to trigger the healing process. The consequence of this is the reddish purple scars on our skins. Unfortunately, when this inflammation phase lasts for too long as found in most deeper scars, it can prevent the optimal recovery process. And as long as the body continues to form the inflammatory chemicals, our scars will stay purple or red. It is only when the scars advance to the other levels of recovery process, the remaining scars will start to fade away. In general, scars will need 18 up to 24 months to recover and fade optimally.
Healing Purple or Reddish Scars
The best way to heal this kind of scar is by helping our skins to achieve their optimal recovery process in every stage of scar formation process. There are several simple steps to do this.
Step 1:
Consuming lots of vitamin C-enriched foods such as broccoli and citrus fruits. Vitamin C supplements also will also be a good thing to include to your daily activity. Vitamin C has been suggested as the most crucial element that our bodies need during the scars healing process for two main reasons.
First, vitamin C is required for a normal body response towards physiological stressors which is even more rapidly needed during times of scars formation. Research findings show that people with low vitamin C level to begin with has lower capacity to fight the impact of trauma caused by the injury process. This can lead to slower response in the scar recovery process such as during the formation of new blood vessels and the inflammation process. That’s why, many physicians suggest their patients to consume at least 1,000 mg of vitamin C three days prior to a surgery procedure. It is to prevent the spontaneous breakdown of surgical wounds that happen a lot among patients suffering from vitamin C deficiency.
Second, vitamin C generates more collagen reformation around the blood vessels, which is necessary to enhance the skin’s healing process. Collagen is an essential component in creating a new connective tissue in a damaged skin area. And it can only be formed when our bodies enzymes that comprise of amino acids lysine, proline, and glycine meet with their co-factor, vitamin C. However, our bodies will lose plenty of vitamin C following an injury process. Thus, if we don’t replace it adequately, our scars healing process will be hindered even more due to the lack of collagen. Consequently, our scars would not recover properly and may leave unwanted marks.
Step 2:
Massaging our scars with a moisturizer (such as aloe vera or tea tree lotion) for approximately five minutes every day so that the scarred areas will stay hydrated, nourished and supple. Is this really necessary, you may ask? It is indeed. Here is why.
The top surface of our normal skin (the one without wounds or scars) is comprised of dead skin cells that functions as skin barrier. It is vital since it protects our skins form UV radiation, bacteria, other pathogens as well as regulates the skin natural moisturizing process. A damaged skin area like scars will disrupt the skin barrier function and leads to excessive water loss. This is the main cause of the unwanted prolonged inflammatory response on our skins. If we let this, it will also disrupt the collagen production which is the key agent in forming new tissue for the damaged skin area. It will then lead to the formation of unwanted scars remains on our skins.
Step 3:
Applying a silicone-based gel or silicone sheeting to the purple or reddish scarred area. Many studies have supported and proven the efficacy of silicone gel in curing purple or reddish scars. Some positive impacts from silicone is how it facilitates more collagen production, protects the scarred tissue from bacteria, and reduces the discomfort associated with scars such as itching. It not only flattens but also fades discolored scars.
Step 4:
Eating plenty of foods high in zinc for example pumpkin seeds, lean beef, Brazil nuts and Swiss cheese. Zinc plays an important role in metabolizing protein in our bodies to help recovering both wounds and scars. It is particularly beneficial for treating purple or reddish scars since it can reduce the inflammation process. This is possible because it helps the regeneration of new cells and collagen that is important to helps our skins return to its normal state.
Easier way to heal purple or reddish scars
Aside of all the steps above, there is another way which is a lot more practical and cheaper. It is by using a dermatologist recommended scar removal cream. This cream is purposely manufactured with all of the key elements mentioned above in order to enhance a speedy scar healing process. The usage of this cream regularly can also significantly reduce the time needed by our bodies to heal the scarred areas.
One example of such cream is Dermefface FX7. It functions well as our skins vitamin supplement, moisturizer, and silicone gel. In fact, it triggers the production of collagen Type I and III. This means the collagen production will be balanced and not excessive as to trigger the formation of scars such as found in many other scar removal creams.
Furthermore, it is recommended by the famous medical commentator featured on CNN, Dr. Dave David too. He stated how the makers of Dermefface FX7 by Skinception have proven to show great understanding of various layers of human skins and how scars are formed. It is then no wonder if many customers including the famous model Lisa D’Amato from America’s Next Top Model have provided excellent testimonials about this particular cream.
So, if next time you find yourself dealing with unwanted purple or reddish scars, don’t be panic or alarmed. There is a simple solution for it, Dermefface FX7.
Or you might want to try a natural home treatment for your scars. Check the method here.
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