Health encyclopaedia

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

Complications of Scars

Scarring, particular when it involves the face, can have a psychological effect. People with scars can become depressed because they feel that they are being stared at, and this may mean they don’t want to go outside or see a lot of people.

Abnormal scars sometimes develop, often as a result of an infection in the wound, the loss of a large area of skin, or a serious burn. They can be itchy, painful and unsightly.

Keloids are an overgrowth of tissue at the site of a scar. They grow beyond the site of the original wound and on to normal skin, and may form flaps that dangle or hang off the skin. Scars in certain parts of the body, such as the lower face, upper back and ears, seem more likely to develop abnormally.

Hypertrophic scars are large scars that may form when a large area of skin is missing, or if a wound becomes infected. Unlike keloid scars, they tend to shrink and heal over time, and do not grow out beyond the edges of the original wound. Hypertrophic scars can restrict movement because scar tissue isn’t as stretchy or sensitive as the skin it replaced.

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