How to maximise healing after a wound-inducing skin treatment!

Here are the top 3 important factors that influence our ability to heal and reduce the likelihood of stimulating scar tissue after a wound inducing treatment procedure like skin needling, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, laser/IPL, plasma pen and radio frequency:

1. Keeping the wounded site protected from pathogenic bacteria and other microorganisms (also known as biofilms) that can cause infection and delay the wound healing cascade, potentially affecting the condition of the healed tissue.

2. Ensuring that the wounded site has adequate nutrient and oxygen supply to ensure rapid re-epithelisation where the epidermis has been compromised (new keratinocytes) and the synthesis of new extra cellular matrix (new fibroblasts or better supported existing fibroblasts that have been stimulated to produce collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans).

The depth of wound and potential damage caused to the dermal-epidermal junction are important considerations here, afterall, our mother cells receive their nutrient supply via this basement membrane, and without their optimised function, there will be a lag in the re-epithelisation phase of wound healing.

3. An individual’s innate immune response will govern their ability to respond to any given trauma or stimulation. This includes an ability to produce the necessary mediates that guide the healing process and ensure a timely and effective healing response at the site.

Consultation, treatment and lifestyle history and patch test response are important markers that will enable us to better map out a safe treatment program that minimises the risk of prolonged inflammation, delayed overall healing and undesired scar tissue.

Check out Take 133: Wound Healing over on the Behind the Scenes X Facebook page for more info: Facebook