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Health

How do I Choose the Best Hypertrophic Scar Treatment?

By Angela Crout-Mitchell
Updated May 17, 2024
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There are several methods available for reducing the appearance of hypertrophic scars, such as first aid, over-the-counter treatments, and dermatology treatments. Each type of hypertrophic scar treatment is designed to reduce or eliminate the appearance of red, raised tissue caused by various types of trauma to the skin. Acne, cuts, and burns are possible contributing factors to the occurrence of hyertrophic scars. Hypertrophic scarring is the direct result of some kind of injury or condition. Many experts believe that hypertrophic scars typically respond better to scar treatments than other types of scarring.

The first option for hypertrophic scar treatment is first aid administered as quickly as possible following any kind of trauma to the skin. Most medical experts recommend immediately cleaning the lesion or wound with soap and water and applying an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment, if the injury is minor. It is also suggested to cover the area with a bandage to protect the skin during the healing process. Burns and more severe cuts and scrapes should be treated by a trained medical professional to limit skin damage and scarring. In these cases, the doctor or nurse will clean, treat, and cover the injured area as well as provide additional information on further care to the patient while in the office or emergency room.

In addition to antibiotic ointments, there are several other over-the-counter hypertrophic scar treatment options available, such as special lotions and creams as well as products designed to lighten the scar. Most of these products contain synthetic collagen intended to plump up the surrounding skin and provide needed nutrients to the damaged skin. Hydrogen peroxide is often a key ingredient in reducing the red coloration of the scar in lightening products. Especially when used soon after the appearance of the scar, these treatments are considered to be fairly effective.

When first aid and over-the-counter scar therapy is ineffective or the injury is too severe, it is recommended the affected person seek the advice of a qualified dermatologist. These professionals have several hypertrophic scar treatment options, including prescription strength medications and creams, as well as surgery options if necessary. The most effective hypertrophic scar treatment will depend on the age, severity, and type of scar to be treated. In most cases, after the consultation visit the dermatologist and patient will decide on the treatment plan and begin to implement it as soon as possible for the best results.

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Discussion Comments

By titans62 — On Jan 03, 2012

@jmc88 - I think chin scars are a pretty common injury for kids. My son had the same sort of thing happen, except it was a normal bike wreck. I actually did know about the peroxide treatment at that time, and we used it on him, and it actually did make the scar less noticeable. The problem is, you can usually never get rid of the actually scar tissue without a medical professional. You can just reduce the red color to a normal skin color.

Now, though, my other son has had pretty bad acne for a couple of years. We have been to see the dermatologist, and she has given him a couple of prescription medicines that are helping out a lot. We both want to make sure, though, that he doesn't have any long-lasting scars from it. Does anyone know of any good at-home acne scar treatments, so we might be able to use them as soon as possible and eliminate any permanent damage?

By jmc88 — On Jan 03, 2012

@jcraig - I think maybe your scars would classify as hypertrophic. I was curious about my own scars as I was reading this, so I looked up the different types. Basically, a scar will be hypertrophic, keloid, from acne, or from a burn. If you want, you could do an image search for the different types, but don't do it if you're squeamish. I'm pretty sure the most extreme cases of each are what pop up at first. If you wade through them, though, I think most "normal" scars are hypertrophic.

What I am really wondering about is facial scar treatment, and whether you can do the same things. I know a lot of times the face as to be treated differently than other body parts for whatever reason.

When I was a kid, my friend and I had the bright idea that he would ride a bike and pull me behind it on roller blades. We were going down the sidewalk, and got to spot where a sidewalk square was uneven, and it caught the toe of the skates and I hit my chin, and it left a scar there that I have been wanting to get rid of for several years.

By stl156 — On Jan 02, 2012

@jcraig - I'm not really sure what the differences are between the different types of scars. The only kind I have heard of besides hypertrophic are keloid scars. I'm not in the medical field, so I might be way off here, but I think keloids are kind of like an more extreme form of hypertrophic scars.

As far as getting rid of scars, I have had mixed success with antibiotic ointments at the time of the injury. Obviously, that isn't going to help you much now after the fact, but just for anyone else who might be interested. I had one injury where I had to get stitches, and I think the ointment may have actually made things worse, but by my own fault.

The doctor told me to keep the area dry and to put some of the ointment on every day. I think I might have put too much of the ointment on and made the area too moist, so the stitches didn't hold as well as they should have. It still healed fine, and the stitches didn't come out, but I have always wondered if maybe there would be less of a scar if I had used less ointment.

By jcraig — On Jan 01, 2012

So, what exactly makes a scar a hypertrophic scar? I was a pretty adventurous kid, so I've had my fair share of cuts and scrapes, and I have had to get stitches twice. I have recently thought about having something done to get rid of the scars, but I don't really know the right way to go about it, and I don't want to schedule a dermatologist appointment if I don't have to.

One of the scars is kind of raised, but it isn't red. It is white along the line where the stitches were. The other one is red like the article mentions, but it is kind of sunk into the sink a tiny bit. Do either of these sound like they would be candidates for this type of treatment, or would they need something else? Which of the treatments here are things you could do at home without seeing a doctor, and has anyone ever tried any of them? Are they effective at all?

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