Red Scars

What are red scars?

Injuries to the skin may heal leaving persistent redness behind. This can occur after things like acne, or for instance a cat scratch. Persistent redness week to months after an injury is termed “postinflammatory erythema”, or PIE for short. Though this is not scarring itself – which is great news! – it may take weeks to months to improve. 

After significant injuries that result in scarring, redness may be a significant feature of the scar that makes it more visible and distracting. Blood vessels within the area were needed to send oxygen, nutrient and cells to repair the initial injury, but they may remain within a scar and no longer serve their purpose. Their presence can make a scar appear pink, red or purple.

What treatments are available for this condition?

Both persistent redness and red scars may be improved by treatment with vascular laser. The laser light is absorbed by the hemoglobin within blood vessels to seal them selectively, minimizing injury to the surrounding skin. Multiple treatments are often needed, and persistent redness tends to respond faster than red scarring. The body site will also affect the number of treatments needed – treatment on the face offers the best response, with sites further away from the face (chest, arms, legs) improving more slowly. Your consultation is the first step to making a plan to improve red scars.