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lmost everyone has at least one scar – from a vaccination, cut or laceration, burn, acne, boil, chicken pox, shingles, or surgical procedures.
Scars come in two varieties – the depressed variety and the raised ones. Some hucksters would have you believe they have “proven” products that will flatten out or eliminate scars. Don’t believe them! Massaging scars with creams and potions containing such magical ingredients as turtle oil, placenta extract, cocoa butter, or vitamin E is useless and expensive.
Certain medical procedures, however, can make scars less conspicuous. For the depressed scars, these include dermabrasion (skin planing), treating them with various acids (chemical peels), a type of plastic sheeting (for raised scars), and, for more serious scars, plastic surgery and laser resurfacing treatments.
A relatively new method is being used by dermatologists to treat certain types of depressed scars and defects resulting from scarring diseases such as chicken pox and acne, birth defects, injury, and depressions left after surgery. This procedure is the Zyderm and Zyplast Collagen Implant, and it has been tested in thousands of patients in the past few years.
Collagen is the generic name for a family of proteins that are the major fibrous component of skin, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and bone. Accounting for about one third of the total human protein, it acts as the so-called glue of the bodily tissues. (The name is taken from the Greek “ ola,” meaning glue.) This jelly-like protein complex is responsible for the smooth, pliable texture of the skin and gives the skin its proper tone, resilience, and elasticity.
In the Zyderm (or Zyplast) Collagen Implant, a physician uses a fine-gauge needle to inject collagen directly into depressed or scarred areas of the skin – areas where the original collagen has been lost or destroyed. The implant fills in lines, crags, and depressions, thus raising the skin to the level of surrounding tissues.
Once injected, the implant becomes stationary, and takes on the same texture as normal skin. What is particularly remarkable is that the body accepts this implanted collagen. In fact, it appears that cells and blood vessels actually grow into the implant, making it a living part of the skin.
The number of treatment sessions – and the success of the results – will vary with the size, depth, and nature of the depression or scar. Hardened scars may require several injections to soften the tissue so that subsequent injections can correct it. And occasional “touch-up” implantations may be necessary to maintain the correction.
Adverse reactions to Zyderm are rare. To determine if you are sensitive to the implant material, your dermatologist will administer a test implantation in your forearm. You will be asked to watch the site for four weeks for any signs of sensitivity.
Very deep scars, such as those resulting from severe acne, chicken pox, and other viral infections, do not respond well to the Zyderm Implant. But for many patients this implantation procedure can provide a simpler, safer and less expensive alternative to plastic surgery or laser therapy.
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For further information about scars, log on to: www.aad.org or phone: 1-888-462-DERM x22 |
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