Library · Physiology
Scar formation
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A scar is the material the body uses to fill in a wound, and that material has a name and a timeline.
Between day five and day seven, fibroblasts, the cells that build the supporting framework of tissues, begin laying down new collagen, the protein that provides strength, along with glycosaminoglycans, molecules that fill the space between the fibers.
That collagen settles onto an earlier scaffold of fibrin, the mesh the clot laid down. When that happens, the wound starts to mature and also to contract, that is, to pull its edges together.
Then comes the long part: remodeling begins around the third week, it can last up to twelve months, and its job is to break down the collagen that is left over.
Even so, there is a limit. A scar never regains all the original strength of the wound: it stays at around eighty percent. It is a hand-sewn patch: it holds, but it is not the original fabric.
In brief
Between days five and seven, fibroblasts begin laying down new collagen and glycosaminoglycans in the wound.
Once those fibers settle onto the fibrin scaffold the wound starts to mature, and with more fibroblasts and myofibroblasts it contracts.
Remodeling starts around the third week, can last up to twelve months and breaks down the leftover collagen.
A scar never regains 100% of the original strength: it settles at about 80%.
A hand-sewn patch: it holds, but it is not the original fabric.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingWound Healing Phases, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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