How to Get Rid of a Bothersome Scar

Whether it was a feat of derring do, clumsiness, or a surgical procedure that created the scar, all you know is that you’re tired of the reminder, and you want to hit the reset button and return to your once-smooth skin. 

Thanks to advanced laser technologies, Drs. Matthew Zarraga, Khongruk Wongkittiroch, and the highly skilled team here at Z-Roc Dermatology can make quick work of old scars. 

Here’s a look at how we can get rid of your bothersome scar.

How your scar came to be

We know that you know how you got the scar, but we want to take a more scientific look at how scars form.

When there’s damage to your epidermis and dermis, your skin’s first priority is to plug the breach in order to protect your body from any foreign invaders. To do this, your skin ramps up collagen production and floods the area with these supportive proteins. 

While this response is effective, your skin isn’t exactly paying attention to the cosmetic consequences of this overproduction of collagen. As a result, the scar on your skin can take on many forms, including:

• Atrophic or depressed scars, which can have many hues, such as red, gray, or purple (think stretch marks)
• Keloid scars that are raised, reddish in color, and often grow outside the original injury site
• Hypertrophic scars, which are typically thick and raised, but confined to the injury site
• Flat scars that are slightly discolored (usually pink or red)

The colors we mention above depend upon your skin color, so they can vary widely. What most scars have in common is that they stand out from your surrounding skin.

As well, old scars can become more prominent as you grow older since your skin naturally loses elasticity and tone, making your scar appear larger.

Putting the past in the past

Traditionally, removing old scars required making new incisions to surgically remove the tissue. Thanks to advanced laser technology, we can now break apart old scar tissue and encourage healthier skin to grow in its place.

The technology we’re referring to is called a micro-fractional laser, and we’ve equipped ourselves with a system from industry-leading Cynosure®. With this system, we deliver pulses of light energy into your skin that break apart the tough tissue, encouraging lighter, more evenly toned skin to take the scar’s place.

Depending upon the location and size of the scar, you may need several laser treatments before the scar fades away.

Beyond our laser technology, we also offer intralesional corticosteroid injections for keloid scars and dermal fillers for hollowed scarring, such as the pock marks that acne can leave behind. 

To determine which approach is best for your troublesome scar, we invite you to contact our office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to set up an appointment.