Skin Atrophy Scarring

Scarred skin atrophy is a pathology characterized by the gradual loss of the skin's previous volume and the appearance of rough scars that occur as a result of healing of skin damage caused by injuries, burns, chemical and radiation injuries, infectious diseases, connective tissue diseases or hereditary metabolic disorders. Scars can be of various sizes and shapes - linear, stellate, tree-shaped, stagnant, spiral - and worsen the appearance of the patient’s face and body, disrupt his physiological and psychological state. The article below discusses the causes of skin atrophy, the symptoms of this pathology and methods of its treatment.

Causes and mechanisms of development Atrophic cicatricial degeneration of the skin is a progressive replacement of normal tissue by epithelial stroma with the replacement of fibroblasts by different types of cells with a decrease in their number. Burns, infections, radiation and chemical damage to the skin occur according to a common mechanism, including the inflammatory reaction of edema, the formation of a blister and wound, recovery and replacement of the defect with scar tissue. The consequence of inflammation and wound healing is a disruption of metabolic processes, tissue damage, trophic disorders - a drop in the intensity of cell division, a decrease in the levels of protein synthesis and proliferation. The progression of degenerative processes can be caused by impaired immunity, impaired neurovascular processes, the appearance of autoimmune reactions, and the presence of several foci of chronic inflammation.

Classification of atrophic scar processes of the skin Depending on the cause, the following types of scar processes of the skin are distinguished:

Post-infectious scars - occur after inflammatory diseases, such as ulcers, boils, carbuncles, etc. Thermal and chemical burns - the cause is thermal and chemical injuries to the skin. Ischemia and thrombosis - can develop as a result of circulatory disorders or thrombus formation in small vessels of the skin. Traumatic scars - formed after mechanical trauma to the skin. Functional disorders of the skin barrier function lead to loss of resistance to various adverse environmental factors. Scleroderma and Sjogren's syndrome lead to degradation of organs and connective tissue systems.