Burn Scars:

Burn scars are among the most diffcult to treat, they normally are caused by three different factors and types:

Electrical Burn Scars

Fire Burn Scars

Chemical Burn Scars

Radiation Burn Scars

They are divided according to the factor that caused the burn, and subsequently the scar.

Normally Burn scars contract the skin and limit its movements, the main treatments for burn scars are skininserts and grafts, it is a painful and long treatment, but can yield very good results.

Minor burn scar treatments can be done at home with over the counter products, such as mederma, and bioskin, but second to third degree burn scars should be treated by a professional, mainly due to the risk of infection, spending a lot of time with open wounds, wich attract bacteria, and also because the patient is normally in a great amount of pain, and treatment should be associated with pain killers.

• keloid scars
  Irregular, cleared and heavy groupings of scar tissue that forms in the zone of a wound, but that does not agree with the edges of that wound. Often they are of red color or darker, in comparison with the surrounding normal skin. The keloid scars form with the colagen that the body produces after it has healed a wound. These scars can appear anywhere of the body. They take place most frequently in the people of darker skin. The keloid scars can appear until a year after the original traumatism in the skin.The treatment of the keloid scars varies. There is no one cures simple for the keloid scars. The recurrence is common after the treatment. The treatment can include the following thing:
  • Steroid injections
    The steroids become congested directly in the scar tissue to help to diminish the irritation, the reddening and the burning sensations that these scars can produce. Some times, the injections help to really diminish the size of the scar.
  • Criotherapy
    The criotherapy consists of clearing the scar “freezing it” by means of a medicine.
  • Therapy of pressure
    The pressure therapy requires the use of a type of pressure device that is applied on the zone of the scar. It can be used day and night during a period of four to six months.
  • Surgery
    If the keloidal scar does not respond to the nonsurgical options of treatment, is possible to resort to the surgery. A type of surgery consists of directly eliminating the formation of the scar with an incision; then, stitches are placed to help to close the wound. Some times skin grafts are used so that the wound closes. This implies to replace or to fit the skin in the zones that do not have it. The skin grafts are realised taking a healthy piece of skin from another zone of the body (called the zone donor) and placing it in the zone that lacks skin.

    Another option is the surgery with laser. The scars can be dealt with a variety of different lasers according to which it is the cause of the wound. The lasers are used with different aims: alder grove a scar, to eliminate its abnormal color or to flatten it. In the majority of the cases, the therapy with laser in the scars is realised jointly with other treatments, between which steroid injections are included, the use of special dressings and the use of bandage. They can be necessary manifolds treatments, without concerning the initial type of therapy.

• Hypertrophic scars
  The hypertrophic scars are similar to the keloidal scars; nevertheless, its growth is confined to the edges of the wound. These scars can also have a reddish appearance, and heavy and usually are lifted. The hypertrophic scars normally begin to be developed weeks after the injury in the skin. They can improve of natural form, although this process can take a year or more.

  In the treatment of these scars, the steroids occupy an outstanding place, although there is no a unique therapy for all the cases. The steroids can be administered by means of an injection or a direct application. These scars can also take off surgically. Often, the steroid injections are used along with the surgery; the applications usually continue up to two years after the surgery to increase the probability of treatment and of diminishing the probability that the scar returns.

• Contractures
  The contractures are an abnormal condition that is originated when it is damaged and loses a great zone of skin and it forms, like result, a scar. In the process of formation of the scar, the skin edges tend to be united and a zone of tense skin is generated. The diminution as large as the skin can affect muscles, the joints and the sinews; consequently, a reduction in the movement is originated.

  Many different options of surgical treatment for the contractures exist, between which the following are included:

  • Graft of skin or transplant of skin
    The grafts of skin or transplant of skin are realised after clearing the scar tissue. They consist of replacing or uniting skin to a part of the body that does not have skin. The skin grafts are realised taking a healthy portion of skin from another zone of the body (called the zone donor) that is applied in the devoid zone of skin. The colgajos of skin are similar to the grafts of skin in which a piece is taken from skin of another zone, but in the case of the colgajos of skin, the skin that taking has its own sanguineous provision. The used section of skin includes the blood vessels, the essential fat and muscles. The colgajos can be used when the zone to which it needs the skin does not have a good provision of blood due to the location, or because the blood vessels are damaged.
  • Plastia in Z
    Plastia in Z is a type of used procedure to review a scar using an incision in the form of Z to help to diminish the amount of contracturas of the surrounding skin. By this procedure, also the scar can be located elsewhere, so that the edges of the scar follow the lines and you fold normal of the skin. Small stitches can be used to help to maintain the skin in their place.
  • Tissue expansion
    The Tissue expansion is one more a more recent technique, and consists of a process that increases the amount of existing weave available for reconstructivos aims. This procedure is often used besides the surgery.

• Adhesions
  The adhesions form between internal organs that are not connected. They can give rise to complications in some surgeries.