Do hypertrophic scars flatten on their own?

Generally, hypertrophic scars don’t cause complications. They usually fade and flatten over time, even without treatment.

What does hypertrophic scarring look like?

The signs and symptoms of a hypertrophic scar are easy to recognize. They include: Hard or thickened raised tissue over your wound site. Pink to red to purple skin color over your wound site.

Do hypertrophic scars go away completely?

Hypertrophic scars are benign and not harmful to a person’s general health. They do not develop into skin cancer. A hypertrophic scar will often regress completely between 6 months and 3 years after it first appears.

How do you flatten hypertrophic scars at home?

Pressure and massage: One of the cheapest and most effective ways to help heal the scar is to apply pressure and massage to the area. You can use bandages or tape to apply pressure. Over time, it can help weaken the scar tissue and improve the appearance of the scar.

How do I know if I have a keloid or a hypertrophic scar?

Per their definition, both scar types rise above skin level, but while hypertrophic scars do not extend beyond the initial site of injury, keloids typically project beyond the original wound margins (3,4).

How do you flatten raised scars?

Treatments include the following:

1. Corticosteroid shots. The medicine in these shots helps shrink the scar.
2. Freezing the scar. Called cryotherapy, this can be used to reduce the hardness and size of the keloid.
3. Wearing silicone sheets or gel over the scar.
4. Laser therapy.
5. Surgical removal.
6. Pressure treatment.

How do you reduce raised scars?

How do you massage a hypertrophic scar?

Use the pads or soft tips of your fingers to massage the scar and tissue around the scar. Massage in all three directions. Circles: Using two fingers make small circles over the length of the scar and the skin surrounding it. Vertical: Using two fingers massage the scar up-and-down.

When do hypertrophic scars start to form?

Hypertrophic scars develop in 1 to 2 months after injury, whereas, keloids develop months to years after the initial injury. Hypertrophic scars and keloids often cause irritation, pruritus, and even neuropathic pain. Severe hypertrophic scars or keloids over a large area can cause contractures that may be disabling.

Why is my scar so raised?

When the skin is wounded, the tissues break, which causes a protein called collagen to be released. Collagen builds up where the tissue is damaged, helping to heal and strengthen the wound. New collagen continues forming for several months and the blood supply increases, causing the scar to become raised and lumpy.

Are hypertrophic scars shiny?

Both keloids and hypertrophic scars may appear as firm rubbery lesions or shiny fibrous nodules that may be flesh-colored to pink or even dark-red to brown (Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4) .

Can hypertrophic scars turn into keloids?

In the majority of cases, hypertrophic scarring develops in wounds at anatomic locations with high tension, such as shoulders, neck, presternum, knees and ankles (9,12,13), whereas anterior chest, shoulders, earlobes, upper arms and cheeks have a higher predilection for keloid formation.

Why is my scar bumpy?

In some people, the scar tissue keeps forming long after the wound heals. This extra scar tissue causes the raised area on your skin that is called a keloid. Doctors still aren’t sure why some people’s skin scars this way. Many different types of skin injuries can lead to a keloid.

Can scar tissue form a lump?

A scar is fibrous tissue made of collagen that replaces the injured skin. A lump of scar tissue forms in the hole left after breast tissue is removed. If scar tissue forms around a stitch from surgery it’s called a suture granuloma and also feels like a lump.