Eli5: What causes scars to be different textures? Like some are raised, some indent, some are rough, some are smooth, etc
In: Biology
Scars come in different textures because of how your skin heals after an injury. When your body repairs a wound, it replaces the normal skin tissue with scar tissue, which is made mostly of collagen. The differences in scar texture depend on several factors:
1. Amount of collagen: If your body produces too much collagen, the scar can become raised (like in keloid or hypertrophic scars). If it doesn’t make enough collagen, the scar can become indented or sunken.
2. Wound depth and size: Deeper or larger wounds tend to heal with more visible scars. Shallow cuts may leave smoother scars, while deeper ones might cause rougher or raised scars.
3. Healing environment: If a wound is stretched or doesn’t heal properly (like if it’s constantly moving), the scar might be thicker or rougher. Scars on areas with more movement, like joints, often heal differently than scars on less active areas.
4. Skin type and genetics: Some people are more prone to certain types of scars due to genetics, which can influence whether a scar becomes smooth, rough, raised, or indented.
In short, the way your body responds to the injury and the healing conditions can lead to different scar textures.
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