By Staff Reports
(DGIwire) – Dermatologists use lasers to treat wrinkles, acne scars and pigmented lesions. But do they also have the power to rehabilitate the most disfiguring of burns and other scars? Yes, according to Dermatology Times, which recently spotlighted how scar therapy can make a tremendous difference in the lives of burn and trauma patients.
The goal of scar therapy is the restoration of the patient to his or her pre-injury state, reported Dermatology Times, which added that the surgery not only improves severe scars but can also relieve severe contractures and improve contour abnormalities. In contrast to the traditional practice of waiting at least 12 months to treat burn and trauma scars, newer research suggests early intervention with a laser may produce superior results. According to study presented at the Orlando Dermatology Aesthetic and Clinical Conference in January 2016, for example, the best time to begin laser treatments for these types of scars is as soon as the epithelium is intact, which is usually around three months after the trauma.
Treating scars more quickly might not only address the physical challenges they present but also help patients avoid the psychological and social challenges—along with the aesthetic issues—that scars can bring, according to research published in The BMJ.
“The challenge of scar rehabilitation is encouraging researchers to develop innovate therapeutics using a variety of new approaches,” said Dr. Geert Cauwenbergh, President and CEO of RXi Pharmaceuticals. “One of the most interesting and novel approaches involves not lasers but harnessing the power of the RNAi mechanism to reduce the proteins that ultimately overproduce scar tissue and cause unsightly and potentially debilitating hypertrophic scars.”
“Work involving RNAi-based therapy could one day translate into effective treatments for those with hypertrophic scarring and other types of scarring—including trauma surgical patients and even those with organ fibrosis—who have had little success with existing treatment options,” added Dr. Cauwenbergh.