Scars are a part of the skin’s natural healing process after it has experienced an injury, including accidents and any type of surgery. The new skin forms quickly as a way to protect the body from any additional threats such as bacteria and germs. There is often an overgrowth of collagen, which is one reason scar tissue looks different than other skin tissue. Furthermore, many of the skin cells become damaged, which can affect their ability to perform their regular functions.
Initially, most scars are red or purple in color because of the injury to the skin tissue and the underlying blood vessels, as well as the natural inflammation response that is part of the body’s healing process. As the scar continues to heal sometimes the tissue turns white, which is known as hypopigmentation.
What Causes Hypopigmentation?
Pigmentation in normal skin tissue is controlled by the protein melanin. Melanocyte cells produce melanin, and these cells are typically located in the deeper layers of the skin. The damage caused by a wound can damage the skin cells, and if it goes deep enough, it will also damage the melanocyte cells. When these cells are damaged, they cannot function properly, which means they do not produce the normal amount of melanin, which results in a lighter patch of skin or white skin.
How Long Does it Take for a Scar to Turn White?
The length of time it takes for a wound to heal depends on many variables, including a person’s overall health, the size and depth of the injury, the care taken during the initial healing of the wound, and more.
Read: What Affects Wound Healing?
Will a Scar Turn Back to the Normal Skin Color?
The body has a phenomenal amount of healing powers. When an injury to the skin occurs, the body begins to repair itself and protect the body, often resulting in a scar when the injury is deep enough. Over time, the scar turns different colors as the skin continues to regrow and heal, and new skin cells replace the damaged skin cells. However there are instances when the scar will overgrow its bounds, known as a keloid scar, or when it becomes hypertrophic (or raised.) The final color of your scar also depends upon if it was exposed to the sun without protection during the healing process.
Is a White Scar Permanent?
Depending on your normal skin color and the extent of the damage to the melanocyte cells, the whiteness of a scar and the surrounding tissue may or may not be noticeable. Those with darker skin will have a more obvious hypopigmented scar than those who already have a paler skin tone. If your scar results in a white scar, then it is permanent and there is nothing further that a scar treatment can do.
When you initially have a skin injury, using a scar cream that stimulates the body’s natural healing activity can help to normalize the process until the scar fades. Creams like InviCible Scars can help reduce the appearance of scars and fade hyperpigmentation of the area.
Have a question about your scar? Leave a comment and we’ll be happy to answer!
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