Are Scars Permanent? - LIVING WITH SCARS

A scar happens when there has been an injury or wound on your skin, which has then healed over. They are a natural part of the process; however, they can look unsightly and make you feel self-conscious.

One of the main questions that seem to be asked about scars, no matter where they have come from, is whether they are permanent. The answer to this really depends on the types of scars you have, how they were caused, and how deep they are in the skin layers.

For the most part, a scar will fade over time, some may even disappear altogether, but others may not.

Want to know more about whether your scars are permanent? Here is our guide to the main types and whether they will disappear over time.

Fine-line Scars

The most common type of scars that occur are fine-line scars. These scars are usually caused by a minor wound or a cut and are usually the type of scar that you will need to deal with after surgery. When this type of scar heals, it will leave a raised line. This line will fade and flatten over time.

A fine-line scar will often take as much as 2 years to shrink down; however, it is usually the case that the scar will not disappear totally, and there will be a small line or mark left there.

Keloid Scars

A keloid scar happens when the tissue overgrows at the site of a wound. This because the body has produced too much collagen. The thing to remember about this type of scar is that it can continue to grow, even after the wound itself has healed. This can even go on for several months and even years.

These scars will look raised, and they are usually a darker shade of pink or red compared to the rest of your skin. They can be painful and itchy, and if they are found near a joint, they can restrict movement.

Whilst these types of scars do not disappear on their own, they do stop spreading and growing. They can also be treated successfully to be removed.

Pitted scars

These types of sunken scars are usually formed due to skin issues such as acne or chickenpox. These scars, as well as beings sunken in their look, can also be darker than the rest of your sin. They may appear brown, red or purple, depending on your skin type.

These scars are relatively standard, and the good news is that they do lessen in their look over time; however, they may not disappear without treatment.

No matter the scar that you have, if you feel that you need some help to lessen how it looks and how it, in turn, makes you feel, then make sure that you speak to an expert about the options that are open to you.

To help with the appearance of your scars you can try out some scar creams or scar treatments.

You can find more products I use to help with concealing and managing my scars here.

The story of my scars

I decided to share the story of my scars on this website, hoping it would help others.

My scars cover a large area of my body and for a very long time I didn’t want to deal with it. I pushed it away and out of sight. But after some time I realised that my scars are hindering my life – my scars are keeping me from living the best life.

I know a lot of this has to do with your mindset. In an ideal life someone’s outer appearance should not play a big role in how they feel about themselves and their life. It might be preventing them going after the things they want. But in reality, the physical appearance of scars can cause stigma and unsolicited questions and advice from random strangers. And last but not least, seeing your own scars can trigger painful memories of traumatic events.

So I went on a mission to find a scar removal procedure that would work for the type of my scars and make a difference in their appearance. I found a scar surgery that ticked all the boxes. Furthermore, I was provided with photographs showing past surgeries of real people, and this helped me make the decision to go for it. And I have no regrets, it has been the best decision for me.

To help others I published a book called Living With Scars, where I describe everything my journey in detail.