Heeding the advice of health professionals, increasing numbers of children and adults alike are getting involved in sports and fitness activities. The health benefits are great, but being active also comes with the potential for injury, especially when participants overdo it, don’t warm up properly, or experience falls or other types of accidents. The good news is that most sports injuries are easily treatable, and most people who sustain them are able to return to their full level of physical activity after treatment, whether that means slapping on a bandage and getting right back out there, taking a few days off to rest a particularly sore muscle, or recovering from surgery.
However, one of the lasting effects sports injuries can sometimes have are scars. Many sports injuries involve bones, muscles, or ligaments, and leave no lasting visible scars. However, some sports injuries involve cuts, scrapes, or other instances where the skin is broken – for example, an acute fracture where the bone pierces the skin. Because of the wide variety of types of sports and the unpredictable nature of accidents, sports injury scars vary tremendously and may involve any part of the body, including the face, and may range from barely visible marks to extensive, disfiguring scars.
Surgery Scars
When your sports injury involves surgery, the surgery will leave a scar behind. The first thing to do is prevent infection by following your doctor’s instructions for care of the incision site. Preventing infection is extremely important in minimizing scars, because infection can make healing take longer as well as worsening the final appearance of the scar, so keep the area completely clean. As soon as the wound is closed, you can begin using a scar treatment product that contains silicone as well as other natural and safe ingredients that have been proven to heal and fade scars, such as aloe vera, vitamins A and C, and licorice extract. Get back to your sports activities – or other physical exercise – as soon as your doctor gives the okay and you feel able, since exercise improves your circulation, bringing more oxygen to the wound and promoting healing.
Other Types of Sports Scars
Even if your injury is less severe and does not require surgery, you should still be sure to keep the area clean to avoid infection. Keeping the area covered is a good idea – not only during healing when this helps to prevent infection, but also later to protect the scar from the sun. Sunshine may be one of the most enjoyable things about outdoor sports, but it can darken a scar, sometimes permanently, so wear sunscreen or keep the area covered with clothing when you go outside.
As soon as your injury is healed enough that you can return to your sport or activity, do so, because the exercise will help speed healing and fading of your scar. Your scar treatment product should be applied directly to your skin, so put it on first, and once it’s dry, put sunscreen, makeup, or other products you want to use over it. With the right care, your sports injury scar can be much lighter, flatter, and in some cases, barely noticeable.
Have a question about your scar? Leave a comment and we’ll be happy to answer.
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