This process can take up to two years and there will always be some visible evidence of the original wound. When a normal wound heals the body produces new collagen fibres at a rate which balances the breakdown of old collagen. Hypertrophic scars are red and thick and may be itchy or painful. They do not extend beyond the boundary of the original wound but may continue to thicken for up to 6 months. They usually improve over the next one to two years but may cause distress due to their appearance or the intensity of the itching, also restricting movement if they are located close to a joint.
Hypertrophic scars are more common in the young and people with darker skin.
Some people have an inherited tendency to this type of scarring. It is not possible to completely prevent hypertrophic scars, so anyone who has suffered one should inform their doctor or surgeon if they need to have surgery. Scar Therapies are available which may speed up the process of change from a hypertrophic scar to a flatter, paler one. Like hypertrophic scars, keloids are the result of an imbalance in the production of collagen in a healing wound. Unlike hypertrophic scars, keloids grow beyond the boundary of the original wound.