Abstract
Hypertrophic scars are caused by abnormal healing of injured skin. The scars are red and elevated and have an unappealing appearance. Moreover, they associate with intermittent pain, persistent itching, and a sensation of contraction. The inflammation in the scars is continuous and local, being mainly found in the reticular layer of the dermis of the skin. In general, scars that eventually become hypertrophic exhibit continued inflammation after injury, and the scar starts adopting a red and elevated appearance after 2–3 months. These redness and elevation continue for more than 1 year. These features generally decrease within 3–5 years. Surgery, steroid tape/plaster, and long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser therapies can manage hypertrophic scars successfully and are increasingly being used, especially in Japanese populations. Thus, there is now sufficient evidence on which to base a standard international algorithm for treating pathological scars. Treatments are likely to improve significantly as our knowledge of scar biology increases, higher-quality clinical trials are performed, and new agents are developed.
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Ogawa, R. (2019). Clinical Treatment of Hypertrophic Scars. In: Duscher, D., Shiffman, M.A. (eds) Regenerative Medicine and Plastic Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19958-6_28
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19958-6_28
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