What should you know about burn scar after 1 year?

Burn scars can mature slowly, but a scar that remains visible after a year is not automatically abnormal. Its texture may be firm or uneven, and pigment can differ from surrounding skin. Tight bands across a joint can reduce movement; scars near the mouth or eyelids can affect function. Ongoing itch, tenderness or altered sensation may reflect active scar symptoms. A clinician should reassess a scar that is growing, breaking down, or changing after a stable period.

Protect the scar from sunlight, moisturise intact skin, and avoid picking or friction. Gentle movement can help preserve function, but do not force a tight or painful area. A dermatologist or reconstructive specialist may discuss fractional laser treatment for selected texture or tightness concerns. Scar revision surgery can reshape a restricted or prominent scar, while a skin graft may help when the injury left limited tissue. The plan depends on the scar's depth, site, flexibility and your goals.

Book an assessment if the scar limits walking, grasping, bending, eating, seeing, or another daily activity. Prompt review is warranted for new bleeding, ulceration, rapid enlargement, increasing pain, warmth, drainage, or persistent breakdown. Seek urgent care for fever with spreading redness, severe swelling, or a serious loss of function.

Ask whether the scar is mature enough for a procedure, which symptom the proposed treatment targets, and how recovery could affect work or exercise. Ask about alternatives, expected changes in colour and texture, aftercare, and what recurrence or tightening would require follow-up.