Scar tissues develop when a person’s body heals from a wound. It can also be said that when your body recovers from any injury, it responds by repairing the damaged tissue, which usually gets converted into scar tissue. Scar tissue is a collection of collagen and cells that might hide the area of injury. After acne, injury, or surgery, scar tissue can be formed. Scar tissues can develop in your body in multiple ways.

Keloid
It is a raised and red-toned scar tissue that can further form on tissues after an injury. Keloids usually appear on your shoulders, chest, and upper back.

Hypertrophic scar
It is one of the most common forms of scar tissue. People with this kind of scar will notice that it goes away with time.

Contracture scar
When you have a burn injury, a contracture scar is formed. These scars can affect the movement of the affected areas.

Atrophic
This type of scar results from chickenpox or acne. These are rounded pits and are also known as ice-pick scars. With age, atrophic scars develop when your skin loses collagen and its elasticity over time.

Flat
This type of scar flattens as it heals. These scars are either red or pink. Over time, people with it will observe that a flat scar becomes lighter or darker than the surrounding skin.

Difference between other tissue
Scar tissue is different from other tissue because it has less elasticity and is not strong as normal tissue. It doesn’t oxygenate well, creating a low PH environment, and does not contract easily. It can transmit pain much quicker and with more intensity than normal tissue. It doesn’t contain hair follicles or sweat glands and is prone to injury.

Impact of scar tissue on health
In the case of scar tissue, collagen proteins do not grow in a multidirectional pattern but rather in a single direction. It makes scar tissue non-elastic and might cause restrictions in movements. It may also form inside the body. There are several health impacts of scar tissue, some of which are mentioned below.

Causing pain
Scar tissue can trigger pain due to skin tightness, further restricting body movements. The other reason for the pain can be nerve damage which is caused due to the original injury. You might feel long-term pain or numbness in the affected area.

Fibrosis
When the body grows excessive scar tissue, you might experience scar tissue pain caused by fibrosis. Fibrosis can further cause long-term pain, inflammation, and loss of function of the tissue.

Pain years later
When you get any injury, the pain stays with you due to inflammation and damage to the skin. Scars go through four stages of healing. Since this healing process is so slow, the pain doesn’t go away immediately and stays with you for longer.

Skin cancer
It would be best to cover the scar before stepping out in the sun. Sun exposure tends to make the scar darker, and excessive exposure increases the risk of skin cancer. In the case of burn scars, the chances are high that the scar will turn cancerous. Try wearing sunscreen or covering the scar to avoid such an extreme situation.

Itchiness
Some scars create problems months later. In the case of scar tissue, the nerve endings grow back, so the scar becomes itchy and painful.

When to consult a healthcare provider?
If a scar is bothering you, you should get in touch with your healthcare provider so that he can make it less noticeable. You can also check with your doctor if the scar is painful, infected, itchy, or tender. If you notice any freckle, mole, or growth near the scar, you should not ignore it, as scar tissue can also indicate skin cancer. In the case of a keloid scar, one scar leads to another. So, when you go for tattoos, piercings, or even cosmetic surgery, you should take advice from your healthcare provider. A health expert will suggest precautions if your skin thickens or turns into a keloid.

There are many therapies available today to help a person heal scar tissue. A scar can sometimes be more painful, itchy, or restrict movement. Since scar tissue takes a lot of time to heal, every person experiences a different journey with scars. One should try some home remedies and give the scar time to heal. You can use a moisturizer, massage the area, or apply silicone gel to heal the affected area. One can contact the doctor for additional treatment options if the pain persists.