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Good morning Facebook chums
Obscure information issue 2
When I had my surgery last time I was very conscious of my scar. I'd led a sheltered life and hadn't accumulated any scars. Then I got to thinking I had a few minor scars on my hands, mostly from tools and one on my head from a road accident. So I had a few minor ones but not any that I could easily see. Anyway now I've got myself another and this one is fairly big,
So what can we find out about scars?
1. Collagen is the cause. (Actually the real cause was my surgeon fishing for cancer).
The molecules that keep skin youthful and elastic are responsible for the scars on your body. Visible scars are a result of over or underproduction of collagen in the skin following a trauma.
2. The sun and the scars. (Sunshine is the enemy of scars).
Scars are less resistant to UV radiation and therefore more prone to sunburn than normal skin. Scarred skin should be protected from the sun all year round, not just on warm or sunny days, especially when it is healing.
3. Age impacts how your scar heals. (Old farts scar easily)
As you get older, skin cells are not repaired and renewed as quickly as they once did when you were young. Other factors like nutrition and location of the injury can affect the appearance of the scar too.
4. There are several types of scars and they are all unique.
My latest is from wrestling an alligator whereas the earlier one was from fighting off a bear. (Well, I have got grandchildren).
There are different types of scars based on your skin type. The most severe types of scars are hypertrophic and keloid. They are harder, non-elastic and have tightness in the skin area.
5. Scars can be sunken, pitted or disguised with a tattoo.
Pitted scars occur when the underlying structures such as fat and muscles are damaged. Surgical procedures most often cause this type of damage. (That's my type). Shall I cover them with body art?
6. There is a reason why scars are red at first. The ouch stage!
In order for the new skin to be formed at the injury site, blood must be supplied to the location. While a wound is healing, more blood vessels form to provide nutrients to the site. The increased blood flow gives the scar its discoloration.
7. It takes a while for a scar to settle. The "hasn't it gone yet?" stage.
After a wound closes and a scar begins to form, it continues changing for two years. A scar may look different days, weeks, and months after. They heal in three stages: the inflammatory stage, the proliferative stage and the remodelling stage. The inflammatory stage is when the scar is red and inflamed and only lasts a few days. The proliferative stage (my stage) lasts a few weeks, this is when collagen begins to form. The remodelling stage is the final stage and it is when scars begin to fade and thin out.
So what now? Well after about two years my scar will have completed it's remodelling stage and I'll be used to it. I'll be close to 65 and still a year away from retirement unless we're all shafted again. Lockdown might be over. Foreign borders and airspace might be open and there'll be lots and lots of 15 month old children running about.
Now I need to get my skates on and pop off to Tesco before everything runs out.
Enjoy your Monday
N
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