Hypertrophic scars occur when
the body overproduces collagen, which causes an area of fibrous
tissue to replace normal skin and is a natural part of the healing
process
These scars take the form of a red raised lump on the skin
and do not grow outside the wound area, and are not as prominent as
Keloid scars. They are also minimised by the use of a pressure
garment.
I believe that my scars were also helped by the liberal
application of Aloe Vera Gel prior to putting the pressure suit back on
after bathing.
A recently developed Spray-on
Skin Cells process invented by Dr
Fiona Wood, head of the Royal Perth Hospital Burns
Department shows great promise in the treatment of extensive full
thickness burns, which will greatly reduce the occurrence of scarring
in burns patients
In 1992 a
schoolteacher was admitted to the hospital with petrol burns to 90%
of his body and Dr Wood used the newly invented US technology of
Cultured Skin to save his life.
Working with scientist, Marie
Stoner, they moved from growing sheets of skin to producing sprayable
skin cells, and gained worldwide acclaim.
Dr Wood had found
that burns scarring is greatly reduced if covering skin can be
provided within 10 days
Previous techniques needed 3 weeks to
produce enough material to cover major burns, but Dr Wood has reduced
that to five days by culturing small biopsies into larger volumes of
skin cell suspensions.
The sampling kit sent out for surgeons to take a biopsy
and grow it into a larger volume of skin cell suspension
These spray-on skin cell suspension kits
are being used by
surgeons in Australia, New Zealand and Great
Britain.
A Prototype Skin Cell Spraygun currently being developed
