What is a scar?

The skin is the largest organ of the body, with an average surface area of 1.8 square metres in adults. Our skin helps to keep us cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather and it also prevents us from dehydrating. Our skin is constantly shedding old cells and creating new ones, enabling it to repair itself if damaged. It is the repair process that can result in a scar.

A scar is an essential part of this natural healing process following an injury to the thick layer of skin (the dermis) or the outer layer of skin (the epidermis).

Damage to the outer layer of skin is healed by rebuilding the tissue, and in these instances, scarring is slight. When we damage the thick layer of tissue beneath the skin, rebuilding is more complicated.

Our bodies lay down collagen fibres (a protein which is naturally produced by the body) and this usually results in a noticeable scar. After the wound has healed, the scar continues to alter as new collagen is formed and the blood vessels return to normal. This is the reason why most scars will fade and improve in appearance over the two years following an injury.

However, there will always be some visible evidence of the injury and hair follicles and sweat glands do not grow back.