The human body is a fantastic machine; much like any machine, it can break down and recuperate. While depending on how broken down the machine is, the injury can affect how fast the machine can be repaired. The healing process is complicated, to say the least, but the tools at the body’s disposal are always the same. Irritation, inflammation, and fever to find out about infection. While an oversimplification of a complex process, the goal is always the same. To help heal the body. Yes, it even helps heal scar tissue. However, not its original intention, the use of tape keeps down swelling and other potential symptoms that might leave behind traces on the skin while it heals.
Prominent athletes and sports enthusiasts have used kinesiology or athletic tape for years. The tape became prominent during its use by Olympic-level champions during the London Olympics of 2012. The tape was applied to support the athletes’ joints and muscles for peak performance. It took the health world by storm. Gyms suddenly exploded with frequent users wearing the brightly colored tape that stretched across the body.
Fortunately, K-tape was much more than a passing sensation; the tape proved to help people not only by providing support during their exercise if injured it helped them heal while still being able to participate in their sport. This made the athletic tape a staple tool for sports enthusiasts and even helped provide relief for individuals that injured themselves at home.
Using Kinesiology Sports Tape to Accelerate Scar Healing: What Is a Scar
A scar is a blemish or a mark left on the skin; these appear after the body has healed from a wound or an injury. Scars are part of the healing process; most will fade, while others will leave behind some level of trace or blemish. There are several types of scars that can be developed along the body. Straight line or fine line scars are wounds that will heal and lease a slightly raised line; the line will, in time, fade and reset over the surface or flatten over time. The entire healing process might take up to 2 years. The incident will not disappear entirely and will leave behind a tiny line. These types of scars are usually associated with superficial wounds and are considered part of medical surgery. While not painful, they may irritate in an itch for several months.
Keloid scars are an overgrowth of tissue that occurs when the body produces too much collagen around the wound site. The scar keeps expanding even after the wound has healed. This type of scarring maintains the skin raised and can be colored pink, red, and darker, tinting the surrounding skin in slightly more transparent tones. These are itchy and even painful. The scar growth near a joint or articulation can restrict movement.
Hypertonic scars are similar to keloid scars. These blemishes result from excess collagen, but unlike the keloid scar, these do not grow beyond the original injury site. However, these scars tend to continue to grow and think up, eventually improving and slightly disappearing after a few years.
Skin conditions cause sunken or pitted scars; think of the blemishes left by acne or chicken pox that leave indentations on the skin. Pitted scars can even occur due to the quick loss of underlying fat.
Scar contractures appear when the skin is burned. These scars appear when the skin contracts leading to an apparent tightening of the skin and restriction in its elasticity and movement.
Types of Scars List
- Normal Fine-line Scars: small lines similar think knife cuts.
- Keloid Scars: scar tissue continues to grow due to too much collagen around the wound site. It grows even after it has healed.
- Hypertrophic Scars: similar to Keloid that both are the result of collagen around the injury; this one does not grow beyond the wound but tends to get thicker
- Pitted and Sunken: these types of scars are the result of skin condition and look like small craters on the skin.
- Scar Contractures: scars produced by burns.
Using Kinesiology Tape to Accelerate Scar Healing: How Are Scars Treated?
The most common form of treatment for a newly formed scar is to keep the area clean to avoid infection while the body stitches itself back together. Ointments and salves can be applied to help with scarring and even prevent scars from overgrowing. Yet these don’t always work, and other care is required to see any traces vanish.
Keloid scars: Normally, the removal of these will require surgery, a steroid injection, or the use of a silicone sheet to help press and flatten the scar. More minor keloid scars can be removed by the use of liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy). Keloid prevention is simply implementing the use of pressure through gel pads after injury.
Hypertrophic scars: Unlike treating Keloid scars, though not usually treated through surgery, hypertrophic scars see steroid injections at the scar location to reduce inflammation or use silicone sheets to flatten the scar.
Pitted and Sunken: These require the care of a dermatologist to decide the best course of treatment for these types of scars.
Contracture Scars: Burn scars treatment usually depends on the severity of the injury. Burn scars can affect muscles; nerves and might require the revision of a specialist.
Fine-line Scars: these are usually treated with the use of over-the-counter ointments, gels, or prescription creams. Fine-line scars usually disappear with time and care with the use of these supplements.
Using Kinesiology Tape to Accelerate Scar Healing: What Is Kinesiology Tape?
K-tape was invented by a chiropractor named Dr. Kenzo Kase, during the 1970s while treating an athlete that could not rest while injured and insisted on training. The medical tape available at the time would immobilize the athlete and force him to miss the event.
Kinesiology sports tape was composed of a combination of cotton fabric and elastic material. Compared to the medical tape available at the time, k-tape was breathable, while the medical tape was notorious for its stifling sensation over the skin. The elasticity meant that kinesiology tape provided stability while still being flexible enough for athletes that wore the material could still train. Several brands of k-tape provide an anti-inflammatory salve included within the wrapping that helps with swelling and provides pain relief.
The tape caught worldwide attention during the 2012 Olympics held in London. Several athletes were seen sporting the tape across the field of competition. Soon after, athletes from around the world were sporting the tape across their bodies, hoping the support would allow them to perform at their peak levels despite injuries.
Using Kinesiology Tape to Accelerate Scar Healing: How K-Tape Helps Healing
The use of Kinesiology sports tape can help treat a scar with its application over the tissue. The athletic tape can protect the wound by covering the affected area. The stretchy tape aids in Healing and inflammation by applying pressure over the area, thus increasing blood flow. These qualities help people that are going through the healing process to shorten their recovery time.
- Provides compression to the area
- Protects the scar
- Increases blood flow for faster Healing
Kinesiology tape also comes in several color tones. Kinesiology tape is available in bright festive colors and solid colors that can match formal clothes. There is a tape for all occasions. The application of the tape might make the user slightly self-conscious due to the attention the brightly colored tape might cause. Fortunately, some tapes are similar to several skin types.
Using Kinesiology Tape to Accelerate Scar Healing: When Not to Use Kinesiology Tape?
Using kinesiology tape over an open or fresh wound can cause more harm than good. The strong glue that comes on the tape is notorious for its solid adhesions and needs to be safely removed. The tape is placed on an open wound to protect or stifle blood flow and can be re-opened when pulled. Use the k-tape to shield a scar once it is formed.
Using Kinesiology Tape to Accelerate Scar Healing: How to Safely Apply and Remove Kinesiology Tape
The adhesive of the kinesiology tape activates when warmed. Once the proper application of the tape is determined and how many strips are to be applied, the tape is placed upon the skin. Then once the shape is done, a quick rub with the palm of the hand can activate the glue. The adhesive is designed and intended to take from three to five days.
The removal of the tape should not be taken lightly. The strong glue can rip out hair if pulled, and when pulled on an open wound, it can re-open the injury and cause further bleeding. Firstly try the use of warm water and soap over the wraps. A warm shower with plenty of soap and foam can provide easy removal. The application of baby oil is another option; allow the baby oil to soak into the tape bands for 30 minutes. This should allow the adhesive to lose strength and be easier to remove. Always remove along the way hair grows.
