Scar Wars: Learning just a little about what causes scarring leads to improved scar treatment.

At Stanford University, a group dubbed the “scar wars team” moved a step forward in understanding scar formation.

• They demonstrated that pulling, pushing or stretching wounded skin increases scarring.
• The doctors believe that if they control pressure on skin as it heals, they will control scar formation.
• The researchers think engineering a change in physical forces around wounds could eliminate scarring.

Previous research into the “environment” of a wound indicated that applying a silicone scar treatment to a wound within two weeks of treatment encourages faster healing by encouraging moisture retention.