Psychological Impact of Living With Scars

The largest organ of the human body is part of the integumentary system and is typically the body’s first line of defence against the environment^[1].

Aside from protecting our internal organs against our surroundings, it is also an important indicator of what’s happening within the body, whether or not you have pre-existing conditions or hormonal imbalance. The skin consists mainly of three layers; the epidermis (outermost layer), dermis and hypodermis (innermost layer).

Skin conditions are also dictated by a variety of factors that include genetics, environmental conditions and dietary choices^[2].

In scientific journals investigating the relationship between scarring and the psychological impact, it shows how the resulting change in one’s appearance can negatively impact an individual’s self-esteem and perception of their own image due to old scars and current scars. In a society where physical marking is typically stigmatised, the patients often express disappointment because they feel undervalued by society when features such as disfigurement are portrayed as antagonistic or evil characters in movies and other creatives^[3a]. The public generally view those with physical scars as the ‘bad guy.

Aside from the false portrayal of disfigured members of society, other factors that can cause a decrease in morale and self-esteem is limitation to body function. Old scars or scarring such as hypertrophic or keloid scars can cause movement restriction when it affects a significant amount of skin and could give rise to career difficulties and financial problems. In those patients, depression and anxiety often emerged^[3b].

In a comprehensive study on burn injuries, individuals who exhibited physical scarring (whether visible or not) were particularly susceptible to psychosocial distress and had considerable influence on their well-being and behaviour^[4a].

This is consistent with the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) measurement. The WHOQOL takes the cultural and value systems of an individual into consideration, depending on the person’s goals and expectations^[5].

The conclusive results showed how strongly the perception of the scarred person is on themselves. This means the more severe a person thinks their condition is, the more likely they are to anticipate negative reactions from society and therefore bear a stronger societal dissociation causing psychological distress. This also applies to individuals carrying old scars. So, it is not important how the public perceives a person’s scars but the person themselves^[4b]. Perception of self remains first and foremost, the most challenging obstacle in rehabilitation of those afflicted with scar trauma, delaying societal reintegration.

The pattern is quite evident in the results of the various studies mentioned above. While society has an impact, it clearly is not as significant as how the individual perceives themselves in the mirror.

It is completely up to the individual’s judgement whether they want to wear their old scars without being too harsh on themselves or not. But should one resolve to look for the perfect solution, Dermatix Ultra and Dermatix Advance are right here!

How Does Dermatix Help?

The foundation of the majority of your body’s protein is called collagen. This protein is responsible for about one third of the body; from the structure of skin, bones and tendons, to cartilage and even your organs, arteries and muscles^[6]. A hypertrophic scar is characterised by the disturbance in collagen production, typically resulting in an inconsistent healing pattern of the skin, where it is most obvious. Because of the sensitivity of the skin, it’s important to pay special attention to wound care. The study previously mentions how a wound should always be treated by washing with saline water and hand soap or a disinfectant, followed by a dressing that is able to stay in place for approximately one week.

The study recommends a biosynthetic silicone wound dressing^[4c]. Silicone gel is a choice ingredient of dermatologists due to its effectiveness: quick drying, easily spread, prevents bacterial growth and non-irritating to skin^[7].

Once the wound is closed, indicated by the absence of redness, pus and yellow fluids, only then should Dermatix can be applied for effective scar healing^[8].

Aside from silicone gel, Dermatix is also formulated with Vitamin C ester and Vitamin E. Vitamin C ester or ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate is also known to be one of the most stable forms of Vitamin C, with effective performance to lighten scars^[9][10]. Vitamin E on the other hand, is hailed for its ability to support the body and skin’s healing function^[11].

Dermatix is clinically proven to lightens, softens and flattens scars. CPX/CP5 technology within Dermatix also provides the non-oily and quick drying properties. It is also easy and convenient to apply.   With superior properties like these, no wonder Dermatix is the choice topical product when it comes to healing old scars up to two-years old and recent scars!