Summer is the perfect time to hop on a personal watercraft and ride the waves, or go water skiing with friends at the lake. Taking the right safety precautions is key, but even so, accidents can and do happen. From scratches to gashes to cuts, those minor injuries can have a lasting effect if not taken care of properly. Here are some tips on how best to prevent scars that may arise or at least reduce their appearance.
Why Scars Form
A natural part of the healing process, scars form from the process of wound repair in the skin, according to WebMD. They occur when the dermis is damaged, which is the deeper, thicker layer of skin. As collagen fibers are created to mend the wound, scar tissue develops featuring a different shade and texture.
Water Sports
There are many water sports that are fun to partake in during summer. They include:
- Water skiing
- Wakeboarding
- Boogie boarding
- Inner tubing
- Personal water crafting
- Canoeing
- Jumping off docks and rocks
- Stand Up Paddleboarding
Lacerations are a common injury with any of the above sports. It’s fairly easy to misjudge a jump and scrape your leg on a rock or get whacked with a canoe oar while paddling. Wakeboarding can result in cuts to the head while personal watercrafts often cause scrapes to the lower extremities. Deep cuts, scrapes, and puncture wounds must be cared for right away as the first line of defense in avoiding scarring.
Fireworks
After a day on the lake, perhaps you’ll enjoy some fireworks displays. Many backyard barbecues, especially around July 4th, center around home fireworks displays. These can be extremely dangerous, causing much more damage than small cuts and scrapes. But even those harmless-looking sparklers can cause burns and scarring. The AAP says that so-called “safe” fireworks for kids such as sparklers, can reach temperatures above 1000 degrees Fahrenheit, causing burns to the hands if held too long. Burn scars often result in contracture scars, which can tighten up the skin.
Treatment
Many superficial burns, cuts, and scratches can be helped by over-the-counter or prescription creams, ointments, and gels. Sometimes prescription-strength steroids or antihistamine creams are needed, so talk to your doctor. In extreme cases, surgical removal or treatment is needed on deeper scars, such as skin grafts, laser surgery or dermabrasion.
One cost-effective, easy way to reduce the appearance of scars is to use topical ointments like Scarfade, which works to reduce scarring on the skin thanks to a medically-proven silicone scar gel that slows down production of collagen. You can use it on a variety of summer mishaps, such as cuts, burns, deep scratches, and sports injuries.