Deep inflammation of the skin or damage to the skin structures can lead to skin healing that produces a scar. Scars are permanent and can occur as a result of severe acne, other skin infection and inflammation, and always after skin surgery.

Treatment

While scars cannot be completely removed from the skin there are many scar treatments to minimise scar formation and to treat scars once formed, to reduce the visibility of scars.

If surgical scars are treated by pulsed dye laser at the time of stitch removal there is a significant improvement in scar blending once healing has occurred.

Scarring, from acne, past skin surgery or trauma, can be improved in appearance, by using pulsed dye laser treatment or copper bromide laser treatment to reduce the redness or remove blood vessels in the scars. These scars can also be smoothed by erbium laser treatment, to improve the scar texture and help blend the scars back into the surrounding skin. The newest fractional laser treatment will help disguise the scars and improve their contour. Sometimes Dr Le Grice will combine laser scar treatments with other treatments such as minor skin surgery and skin fillers to excise or modify scars.