How come some wounds leave scars?

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.

Can a wound heal without scarring?

Scars never completely disappear, but they fade over time. You can give your wound the best chance of healing without a scar by immediately treating it with first aid. If you have a deep wound that may require stitches, it’s a good idea to see a doctor as soon as possible.

Why do some scars heal and some dont?

After a scar is first formed, the body continues to touch up its work where it can – which is why scars fade slightly over the years when left alone. But scar tissue does not get replaced by this process2, which means that most scars, when left to heal naturally, will never fully disappear.

Why do scars have different colors?

In the initial stages of wound healing, the wound and developing scar appear red or reddish-purple. This is because the injured area sends signals to the body to direct more blood flow to the area to help the healing process.

Can new skin grow over scars?

As the collagen bundles remodel themselves over time and contract, the final scar can be much smaller than the original wound. Shortly after the wound has filled up with granulation tissue, the epidermis begins to grow over it. This allows the final healed wound to resemble the surrounding skin as much as possible.

Why do scars turn black?

There are a few reasons why a scar might turn dark. For example, if a scar was exposed to sunlight during the healing process, there’s a good chance the scar tissue will become pigmented. Dark scars can also be caused by inflammation, poor healing, or the genetics of your skin and how your skin heals.