The body’s ability to heal is nothing short of a miracle. And when it comes to your skin, your body’s healing properties are even more amazing. Even after experiencing trauma or injury, skin can bounce back over time. It may not look exactly the same, but the healing process works its magic so that what was a deep cut a few weeks before could be just a faint line now.
Wondering how the process of skin healing works? Let’s explore.
The 4 Stages of Wound Healing
Wound healing is an organized progression that follows these four processes.
1. Hemostasis Phase
This is when the wound initially closes up via clotting. Hemostasis begins when blood is emitted from the body. The blood vessels restrict that blood flow, then platelets stick together to seal up the break in the blood vessel wall. Lastly, coagulation occurs, reinforcing the platelet plug with fibrin threads. This part of the process happens fairly quickly, usually in seconds or minutes.
2. Inflammatory Phase
This stage starts right after the injury, when the injured blood vessels cause localized swelling. Inflammation controls the bleeding and staves off infection. This fluid engorgement sends repair cells to the wound site. A natural part of the healing process, inflammation often causes swelling, heat, redness and pain.
3. Proliferative Phase
This is when the wound is rebuilt with new tissue comprised of collagen. The wound will contract as new tissues are being built. A new network of blood vessels will start to generate healthy tissue that will be able to get enough oxygen and nutrients. Myofibroblasts grip the wound edges, pulling them together, leaving granulation tissue that is pink or red in color and uneven in texture. Healing at this stage happens much faster when wounds are hydrated.
4. Maturation Phase
Also known as the remodeling stage of wound healing, this is when collagen is remodeled and the wound fully closes up. The repair cells that that are no longer needed will be removed. The new collagen is often disorganized and thick. Cross-linking of collagen occurs at this stage, which reduces scar thickness and makes the area stronger. This phase begins about 21 days after the initial injury and may continue for a year or even longer. These healed wound areas will be weaker than uninjured skin, as they only have 80 percent of the tensile strength that unwounded skin has.
As you can see, the stages of wound healing make up a fragile and complex process. If your body can’t progress normally through these wound healing stages, or you don’t hydrate and massage the area, chronic wounds can result. Careful wound care is key in speeding up the stages of wound healing, which helps to keep wounds moist, protected and clean from re-injury and infection.
Scarfade is an important tool in the fight against scarring. Try some today and you will notice the difference! Use as directed, massaging into the affected area on a daily basis.