Polyurethane patch removes ugly scars<\/p>\n
Emmy Fitri, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The scars we carry on our body tell a lot about us. Some of these
\nstories are good, the kind we want to share with the people we
\nmeet. Other stories we keep all to ourselves because they are too
\npainful.<\/p>\n
Or, as Wolfgang Meyer-Ingold of the Hamburg-based Beiersdorf
\nAG said, \"There are scars to show off and scars to hide.\"<\/p>\n
The Mursi people of Ethiopia, for example, are eager to show
\ntheir scars because in their culture, scars on the arm are
\nsymbols of honor gained in fighting or hunting.<\/p>\n
He also told of a midwife who examined a woman pregnant with
\nher second child. The first baby was born by caesarean section.
\nWhen the midwife made a remark about her caesarean scar, the
\nwoman began to cry.<\/p>\n
\"The woman was still embarrassed by the scar. She didn't even
\nlike her husband to see her naked,\" Meyer-Ingold said.<\/p>\n
Meyer-Ingold said Beiersdorf began research in 1995 on
\ntreating scars to make them less noticeable.<\/p>\n
\"Our clinical investigations were aimed at evaluating the
\npotential of polyurethane-based patches to treat scars,\" he said
\nduring a media workshop last week.<\/p>\n
Beiersdorf is the producer of Hansaplast Scar Reducer, which
\nenters the Indonesian market in 2005.<\/p>\n
In addition to Beiersdorf's study, there have been six similar
\nstudies on the uses and benefits of the adhesive hydroactive
\npolyurethane undertaken by different groups in Europe.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Rama Tjandra, an obstetrician and gynecologist at
\nJakarta's Gatot Subroto Army Hospital, was also called to study
\nthe effectiveness of the invention.<\/p>\n
His subject of interest was the treatment of scars over a
\nperiod of 10 weeks using hydroactive polyurethane patches on the
\nscars for at least 12 hours a day.<\/p>\n
\"A hydroactive polyurethane dressing, the plaster, gives
\nrenewed hope for better scar treatment of hypertrophy and
\nkeloid,\" Rama said during the workshop.<\/p>\n
The assessment of the effectiveness of the plaster on a scar
\nincludes the scar's redness, elevation, roughness, feeling of
\ntension and itchiness.<\/p>\n
\"Basically there is a significant reduction of redness,
\nelevation, tightness and itchiness of scars after between eight
\nand 10 weeks,\" Rama said.<\/p>\n
Dermatologist Tina Wardhani Wisesa said keloids, thick scars
\nresulting from excessive growth of fibrous tissue, could occur
\nequally in both sexes.<\/p>\n
\"Colored and white skin have an equal opportunity to form
\nkeloids. The reason for their growth is still unknown but the
\nfactors contributing to their development are race, genes,
\nlocation, the tension around the scar, the type of scar and
\nhormones,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Scar trauma can result from surgery, cuts, vaccinations,
\ntattoos or acne. People may be aware of conventional treatments
\nfor scars like plastic surgery, the use of silicon gel, direct
\ninjection, radiation, laser surgery or the application of skin
\ncream.<\/p>\n
\"Those kinds of treatments tend to be expensive, take a lot of
\ntime and sometimes are too painful,\" she said.<\/p>\n
The sooner a scar is treated the better. The polyurethane
\nworks best for scars less than six months old.<\/p>\n
Treating scars is not only about how we look but also about
\nhealth concerns.<\/p>\n
\"Some scars develop and numbness develops around them. Some
\nothers might grow into elevated tissue on our skin.\"<\/p>\n
So check yourself, are there any scars you need to hide?<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/polyurethane-patch-removes-ugly-scars-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }