The History of Scar Treatment

Scar treatment has always depended on the current state of science and knowledge and reflected society’s view of the world. In ancient times, it was honorable to have scars like a warrior, demonstrating the fights survived and the opponents defeated. If the wounds were too heavy to survive, people died as heroes. The remaining problem was disabling or disfiguring scars. These scars were considered a punishment that should not be interfered with by beliefs in god(s); therefore, the treatment of scars was often considered dishonorable and outrageous, such that the range of methods was limited to conservative and spiritualistic ones. Surgery has been an outlawed business for centuries. It took the age of enlightenment to create the preconditions and toolboxes for advanced treatment. The history of scar treatment reflects the development of modern medicine. It requires the prerequisites of high-level knowledge of human anatomy at the macro- and microscopic level as well as knowledge of physio- and pathophysiology, the functions of vessels, and nourishment processes of skin and muscles. In addition, the improvement of adequate analgesic and anesthetic methods at the local and systemic level was required as well as the development of mechanical tools used for advanced surgery. With all the tools for flaps, plasties, skin and tissue transplants artificial dermal and epidermal substitutes, it should not be forgotten that the reconstruction of scars is a long endeavor that will never reconstitute the state of unhurt skin; rather, it will only ameliorate the consequences of a trauma. The demand for function before aesthetics has changed to function and aesthetics; the level of success is often determined by patient satisfaction.