How to Deal with Scarring

Scars hold different meanings to people; some see with a feeling of pride whereas others wished there was something they could do to be rid of it forever as it adversely affects their appearance and self-esteem. Whichever side you're on, there's one thing that is generally agreed upon: scars are unbecoming and ugly regardless of its location. 

How are scars formed? When the dermis (second layer of the skin) suffers an injury, the body will kickstart its own healing process by forming collagen fibers to repair it, resulting in a scar. As to whether how noticeable the scar will be, it's also dependent on the collagen fibers. The less collagen fibers being used to heal the wound, the less noticeable it will be. 

There are four main types of scars:

1. Atrophic scars. Primarily caused by the loss of tissue, its appearance is usually depressed, flat, or has sawlike edges on the skin's upper layer. Other prominent feature is that it tends to be darker in color compared to other areas. Examples include acne and chickenpox scars. 

2. Hypertrophic scars. This occurs when excessive tissue is formed over the skin during the healing process, giving it a bumpy/puffy look. Fortunately, its reach is limited within the area of the wound itself and has a darker complexion. 

3. Keloid scars. Similar to hypertrophic scars, keloid scars have the same bumpy appearance, with the only difference being that it tends to grow beyond the injured area, making it rather difficult to deal with and hide from sight.  

4. Contracture scars. This is common among burn victims where large portions of damaged skin is replaced with tight, shiny skin that make it hard to move freely. 

Thankfully, Nature has bestowed a few vitamins that can help quicken the rate of healing and potentially decrease the scar's visibility: 

- Grape seed oil. As the name suggests, it is obtained from the seeds of grapes where researchers have found that it contains high amounts of Vitamin E, beta-carotene, and linoleic acid - vitamins which are essential for wound healing due to its antioxidant and antiproliferative properties, aiding healthy cells in regenerating and replacing its damaged comrades. Grape seed oil also helps in preventing acne breakouts and reduce the appearance of acne scarring.

- Vitamin C. Known for its immense immunity-boosting prowess, Vitamin C is needed for the healthy production of collagen and also helps in preventing internal inflammation.   

- Vitamin B complex. It covers a wide range of water-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin B1, B3, B5, B12, B6, biotin, and folic acid. These vitamins are important for the increase of protein synthesis and the amount of repair cells gathered at the wounded area. Vitamin B5 has been identified as the most needed vitamin when a wound appears and its sources are wheat bran, eggs, barley, oats, nuts, and poultry. 

- Zinc. This vitamin has been discovered to boost wound healing by as much as 43%, reduces inflammation and bacterial growth. Foods that are full of zinc are pumpkin seeds and spinach.