Scar management after burn injury

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each year, almost 11 million people worldwide are burned severely enough to require medical attention. Fortunately, significant improvements have been made in the treatment of burns. Nevertheless, cutaneous scarring following these events remains a real challenge with few effective solutions.

Although the magnitude of the burn might vary significantly, they all leave a real mark. The most common complication is the formation of a hypertrophic scar which is developed in up to 80% of the cases. Yes, it is a complex name, but it is simple as a scar that is raised above the surface of the skin, stays circumscribed within the area of the original burn injury and often has a deep red to purple colour. Hypertrophic scars are responsible for neuropathic pain, skin irregularities, stiffness, itching, local hypersensitivity and disabling contractures. When in visible areas, they may have a strong psychological impact, profoundly decreasing the health-related quality of life.

Different approaches may be considered for scar modulation including pressure garments, topical silicone materials, massage, moisturizing and steroid injection. For many years, custom pressure garments were thought to be the best treatment for hypertrophic scars. However, due to its ease of application, comfort, and effectiveness, silicone gels are currently a commonly used treatment modality.
In fact, most of the clinical evidence reports that burn scars may benefit from treatment with silicone gels or gel sheets. A study performed by Momeni and their colleagues showed that, after 4 months of daily application of silicone gel, all scale measures - namely pigmentation, vascularization, pliability and itchiness - were significantly lower in the treated group than in the control group, except for the pain score.
More recently, a systematic review reinforced the role of silicone-based products in the treatment of hypertrophic scars. Silicone gel significantly improved at 2-, 4-, and 8-weeks scar thickness and stiffness when compared with the control.

KELO.CELL Biogel, relying on its silicone polymers composition, may help your scars to be softened! But, be careful, it should only be used on well-healed burns or grafts. KELO.CELL Biogel’s unique formulation, gathering silicone technology and extracts of stem cells, helps to reduce the itching sensation which is very common in burn scars. In addition, KELO.CELL Biogel has a comfortable silky gel texture and helps to confer skin hydration, softness and protection.

Make KELO.CELL Biogel your best ally! Discover more at our website.

References

Tredget, E. E., Levi, B., & Donelan, M. B. (2014). Biology and principles of scar management and burn reconstruction. The Surgical clinics of North America, 94(4), 793–815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.suc.2014.05.005

Tredget, E. E., Shupp, J. W., & Schneider, J. C. (2017). Scar Management Following Burn Injury. Journal of burn care & research: official publication of the American Burn Association, 38(3), 146–147. https://doi.org/10.1097/BCR.0000000000000548~

Damkat-Thomas, L., & Greenwood, J. E. (2019). Scarring After Burn Injury. In (Ed.), Scars. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85411

Van den Kerckhove, E., Anthonissen, M. (2020). Compression Therapy and Conservative Strategies in Scar Management After Burn Injury. In: Téot, L., Mustoe, T.A., Middelkoop, E., Gauglitz, G.G. (eds) Textbook on Scar Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44766-3_27

Nedelec, B., Carter, A., Forbes, L., Hsu, S. C., McMahon, M., Parry, I., Ryan, C. M., Serghiou, M. A., Schneider, J. C., Sharp, P. A., de Oliveira, A., & Boruff, J. (2015). Practice guidelines for the application of nonsilicone or silicone gels and gel sheets after burn injury. Journal of burn care & research: official publication of the American Burn Association, 36(3), 345–374. https://doi.org/10.1097/BCR.0000000000000124

Momeni, M., Hafezi, F., Rahbar, H., & Karimi, H. (2009). Effects of silicone gel on burn scars. Burns, 35(1), 70–74. doi:10.1016/j.burns.2008.04.011

Pruksapong, C., Burusapat, C., & Hongkarnjanakul, N. (2020). Efficacy of Silicone Gel versus Silicone Gel Sheet in Hypertrophic Scar Prevention of Deep Hand Burn Patients with Skin Graft: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial and Systematic Review. Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open, 8(10), e3190. https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000003190

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Scar management after burn injury

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