Hypertrophic & Keloid Scars
A scar is the result of the wound-healing process. The composition of scars varies, from flat to sunken or lumpy.
During the wound-healing process, fibroblasts – a type of cell found in connective tissue, will synthesize collagen, allowing the skin to recover from injury. Hypertrophic scar and keloid scar occur when the fibroblasts overproduce collagen.
The difference between hypertrophic and keloid scar is that, a hypertrophic scar is a raised mass of collagen and is restricted within the area of the original wound margin. It will slowly regress over time.
On the other hand, a keloid scar keeps growing, even after the wound has healed. Keloids are itchy, hairless and shiny, and can grow much larger than the original wound.
The Causes:
1. Some people are genetically predisposed to developing hypertrophic or keloid scars.
2. Most skin injuries can contribute to hypertrophic or keloid scarring, such as acne, burns, chicken pox, piercings, vaccination and surgical incision.