What should you know about heal hypertrophic scar?

Hypertrophic scars form during wound healing after injuries, burns, surgery, or inflammation. They can be red, darker than nearby skin, firm, itchy, tender, or tight. Unlike a keloid, the raised tissue remains within the wound edges, although only an examination can distinguish scar types reliably. Scar appearance can change as healing continues, and its position, thickness, symptoms, and effect on movement guide treatment.

Protect the scar from sun exposure and avoid picking, rubbing, or repeatedly injuring it. Keep healed skin moisturised and discuss massage only once the wound is fully closed and a clinician says it is appropriate. A dermatologist may consider Steroid Injection Into The Skin, Fractional Laser Treatment, or a surgical option. Surgical Excision or Scar Revision Surgery is not suitable for every scar and may be combined with measures intended to reduce another raised response.

Book an assessment if the scar is enlarging, increasingly painful, persistently itchy, cracking, bleeding, or restricting movement. Seek prompt care for sudden swelling, drainage, spreading redness, warmth, or fever, particularly after an operation or injury. A rapidly changing lump near a scar also deserves examination rather than self-treatment.

Ask whether the scar is hypertrophic or keloid, what outcome is realistic for its age and location, how many treatment sessions might be considered, how discomfort will be managed, and how recurrence will be monitored.