HEALTHY HEALING AND SCAR REDUCTION
Find out how attending to your wound with the right dressing or plaster can prevent lasting damage to your skin - and even scars.

ABOUT

A fall down the stairs, a car accident or surgery: many of life‘s events leave their marks as small or large scars. Nearly everybody has one or even more scars to remind him of such situations. Scars cannot only cause considerable pain when near joints and hinder mobility, but can also reduce self-confidence particularly when located on visible parts of the body.

How scars are formed

Scarring is a natural process that happens when the skin repairs itself, for example from a cut or an abrasion. (also see: Instant Help Cuts and Grazes)
They occur when the outer layer of the skin, the epidermis is cut and the injury extends to the dermis. The organism is not able to replace the destroyed, highly specialised tissue in the same way.
Instead, the wound is “repaired” with connective tissue: In order to heal this wound or injury, the body produces a larger quantity of collagen to repair the broken and damaged skin tissue. Collagen serves to ‘bind’ the broken skin together, helping to close and heal the area.

AS SOON AS YOU GET A
MINOR WOUND OR SCRAPE,
YOUR BODY WILL START
HEALING IT.

Even after the wound has healed the body continues to direct collagen to the site resulting in changes to the size and shape over time. The resulting scar does not have good blood circulation, is sometimes uneven and is less elastic.
Scars can sometimes be raised areas (hypertrophic scars) or have a sunken appearance, depending on the damage done to underlying layers of skin and tissue. Also, variations in colour are possible.

Wound closure with newly formed, pink skin and vessels © Hansaplast
Raised or hypertrophic scar; © Hansaplast
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TREATMENT

How to best treat a wound and prevent scarring

Leaving wounds uncovered or using standard plasters and bandages usually leads into formation of a scab which can lead to unsightly scars. Nowadays there is a lot can you do to ensure fast and speedy recovery if you have suffered from an impairment to your skin – all thanks to new technologies and medical insights. Be smart and make the best of these scientific insights. We have integrated them into our Hansaplast Fast Healing plasters, so that you don’t have to worry about scarring anymore.

Healing wounds the advanced way –
with moist wound healing
The best way to treat a wound is to keep it covered with a plaster that provides moist wound healing conditions at all times. Why is this better than letting your skin heal in dry air?

  • It will speed up the repair of your skin.
  • It will prevent scabs from forming. 
  • Because it will keep your wound supple.
  • Because it will reduce the risk of scarring and ensure beautiful healing.
  • Because it is skin friendly.

Want to know more? Read “5 good reasons for moist wound healing” here.

How does Fast Healing support wound healing, prevent scabs and reduce the risk of scarring?

Pre-clinical and clinical studies have shown that under moist conditions, wounds can heal faster and scab formation is prevented. This is because moist wound healing (see 5 good reasons for moist woundhealing) promotes cell growth and migration and ensures that essential proteins stay in the wound. Hansaplast Fast Healing is based on this advanced technology permitting control of the moisture level and temperature of the wound.

Several studies have shown that moist wound healing helps to prevent scars and is an advanced technology used in hospitals worldwide, as it recreates the natural, moist wound-healing environment skin needs to repair itself.

Moist conditions can lead to faster healing and less scarring © Hansaplast

So moist wound healing is the optimum treatment to repair your skin, because...

  • it provides a moist environment so that no scab forms, allowing cells to move and divide quicker
  • it allows the wound to heal up to 50% faster
  • it improves the overall healing process, since it keeps the wound moist, the skin flexible and any movement pain free.
  • it is proven to reduce the risk of scarring, leading to a better cosmetic result after small injuries (and even after minor operations or mole removals.)

     

    (also see: 5 good reasons for moist woundhealing)

Creating moist wound healing conditions is easy: With the Fast Healing Plaster; © Hansaplast

Clinical Studies

The efficacy of Hansaplast Scar Reducer has been proven
in several clinical studies. Interested in knowing more?
Download the complete comprehensive pdf:
Download Studies
Klopp R et al., Journal of Wound Care 200; 9(7):319-324
Mensing H. et al., Aktuelle Dermatologie 2003; 29:230-235
Schmidt, A. et al., Treating. Journal of Wound Care 2001;10(5):149-153
Wigger-Alberti W et al., Journal of Wound Care 2009; 18(5):208-14
A Hansaplast Fast Healing patch can stay on safely for two days or more. Changing a plaster too often interrupts the wound healing process. Hansaplast Fast Healing plasters are designed to be comfortable to wear, as they are breathable, waterproof, very skin friendly.

Learn how to reduce scars

It is still not possible to completely remove scars once scarring occurs, but there are some effective methods to reduce them so that you can feel `happier in your own skin´ again.
Here are some things you should know:
Avoid solariums or UV-rays when the scar is still fresh. The influence of light can affect the healing process and change the skin’s colour and structure.
Always keep your damaged skin soft and smooth after wound closure with the help of skin cream.
Applying Scar Reducer to an existing scab will also help. If used regularly and according to instructions, it will reduce the visibility of raised and red scars within eight weeks.

Expert Tip - Hansaplast Scar Reducer

“No scar can ever be completely removed and treatments will always leave a trace. However, Hansaplast Scar Reducer offers a product designed to reduce thickened and reddened scars and to make them less visible. The Hansaplast Scar Reducer plaster will reduce elevated and coloured scars if applied regularly over a period of eight weeks. They encourage the skin‘s own regeneration process by creating an ideal skin climate: The temperature level produced in the scar tissue increases. Enzyme activity and metabolic processes are stimulated to activate restructuring in the scar tissue.The Scar Patches are made of skin-friendly polyurethane material and breathable.“

“HANSAPLAST SCAR REDUCER
WILL EVEN WORK ON OLDER SCARS. TRY IT!”

Treatment can be started as soon as the wound healing is completed. However hypertrophic (raised) scars can be reduced even if they are very old.”

* Klopp R et al. Effect of four treatment variants on the functional and cosmetic state of mature scars. Journal of Wound Care 200; 9(7):319-324

Carsten Hartkopf, Research & Development Beiersdorf AG
Scar reducer remodels scar tissue by activating temperature and pressure
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SOLUTIONS

You might want to try these products:

Fortunately, it’s not difficult to prevent some scars and reduce others. Keep your wound covered and moist. Hansaplast has a range of specially developed plasters to choose from:

The Hansaplast Scar Reducer minimizes the visibility of new and old scars by flattenign, lightening and softening scars permanently.

To promote faster healing and prevent scarring, consider the Hansaplast Fast Healing Plaster for all types of wounds – even those right after minor surgery.

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PREVENTION

It’s not easy to prevent minor wounds and scrapes. Trip over a curb, mishandle a dull kitchen knife, and before you know it you‘re bleeding.

Tips

  1. When using sharp tools, be especially careful and if necessary, wear protective gear.
  2. In the kitchen, chop away from yourself and remember that sharp knives are actually less dangerous than blunt ones as they will pass through the object smoother.
  3. Pass scissors with the sharp ends pointing away from the person you are giving them to.
  4. It is not possible to avoid all cuts and grazes, so make sure to have a well-stocked first aid kit at home. Find tips on what it should contain here.
Don't pick at scabs. Right after you get a cut or scrape your body starts healing the wound. White blood cells attack infection-causing bacteria. Red blood cells, fibrin, and platelets create a clot over your wound. And in no time, a scab forms. If you pick off the scab, you may not only reopen the wound and introduce bacteria, you could also create a larger scar.
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Always see your doctor if the wound is deep, bleeding or shows signs of infection like reddening, swelling or warmth. 
Also make sure to seek medical help if you are not able to clean the wound properly.
In case you have diabetes a proper wound care is of special importance. Always discuss any concerns you may have with your doctor and/or podiatrist, even for the care of minor wounds and skin cracks – especially on your feet.
 
Please note that none of the above given tips or recommendations substitute medical advice. Carefully read the instructions for use given in our products‘ packages. Important: consult a health professional in case of any uncertainity of treating your wound properly.
 
The information provided through this website should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care or advice. If you have or suspect a health problem, you should consult your doctor. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it, because of something you have read on this website.

For further information regarding Hansaplast products, please contact us via email on phc@beiersdorf.com. Carefully read the instructions for use given in our products‘ packages.

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