16 THE STRAITS TIMES APRIL 4 2013

Q I am a 12-year-old girl. I am very clumsyand fall a lot, leaving me with manyscars.

An extra layer of skin has grown onsome of the scars. I am currently using vitamin Eoil but it does not seem to help remove thescars.

Are there other ways to remove them?

A Scars are produced as a result of the skintrying to repair itself.

They are areas of fibrous tissue thatreplace normal skin – a biological process

of wound repair in the skin.There are three types of scars – hypertrophic,

keloidal and atrophic.Hypertrophic scars occur when the body

overproduces a protein called collagen, whichcauses the scar to be raised above thesurrounding skin.

A keloidal scar is formed due to an overgrowthof the granulation tissue that heals the wound,which causes a firm nodule at the site of theinjury.

Atrophic scars are flat, thin or depressed scars.From what you have described, you have

developed a hypertrophic scar.There are numerous types of treatment for

scars that can reduce their visibility.Research has shown that the use of vitamin E

is not significantly effective in scar reduction.Injecting triamcinalone (a form of steroid) into

the scar at four-weekly intervals prevents thebuild-up of collagen that grows beneath the skin’ssurface, leading to the thinning of the scar tissue.

Non-ablative lasers can also be used to reducethe amount of tissue growth in hypertrophic scarsand keloids.

Silicone-based gel, when applied andmassaged onto a scar, is able to soften thetissue and improve the appearance of the scar.

Lastly, scar revision surgerymay be done. This involvesremoving the scar partially, oreven completely, and closing thenew wound very carefully.

DR HARNEET RANU ERIKSSON,consultant dermatologist atRaffles Skin Centre and RafflesAesthetics at Raffles Hospital

Q I am in my 20s and work as a pre-schoolteacher. I have been wearing contactlenses since I was 13 years old. I wearmonthly disposable soft lenses as I

have sensitive eyes.Recently, I have noticed that whenever I

wear my contact lenses, the side of my righteye will start to turn pink or red after a fewhours.

This has been happening even though I havenot been rubbing my eyes and have beenobserving proper contact lens and eye carehabits.

My left eye does not have such a reaction tothe lenses.

When I asked my optometrist about thereddening of my right eye, I was told that myright eye was more sensitive than my left one.

I do not have dry eyes, although I have beenadvised to use both regular eye drops and eyedrops for contact lens users once a day by myoptometrist.

I previously developed an allergy to thecontact lens solution I was using in 2004 andhad to switch to another solution under theadvice of my optometrist.

I have since not had any eye problems, untilnow.

What should I do to reduce the reddening ofmy right eye?

My friends have suggested that I use eyewhitening eye drops or go for Lasik. I amconsidering giving up my contact lenses andrelying on my spectacles instead.

However, as I have to be on the go oftenwhile working, I find wearing spectacles ahassle.

What would you advise?

A It seems to me that you may have acondition called “contact lens overwearsyndrome”.

This condition is common in peoplewho have been using contact lenses for a longtime or in people who overextend the wearingtime of their contact lenses.

The condition occurs because the contact lensdamages the cornea of the eye by reducing theamount of oxygen reaching the anterior (front)cornea surface and causing microabrasions.

In serious cases, this can lead to bacterialinfections, causing cornea ulcers that may bepotentially blinding.

In such cases, patients will usually experiencesevere pain, photophobia (intolerance to lightwhere exposure to light causes the eye to bepainful) and blurring of vision.

To reduce the reddening of your right eye, Iwould advise that you stop using contact lensesfor at least one to two months and usepreservative-free artificial tears.

Eye whitening eye drops, or decongestant eyedrops, work by constricting the blood vessels inthe eye and making them less visible.

So the use of such eye drops does notaddress the underlying problem and is only atemporary solution.

Lasik is a procedure in which an excimer laseris used to remove tissue from the cornea toreshape it and correct its refractive error.

If you are keen on Lasik, you should see anophthalmologist to assess your suitability beforemaking a decision.

If there is a need for you to wear contactlenses, you may want to consider switching torigid gas permeable lenses that have betteroxygen permeability than monthly disposable softlenses.

However, there is still a need to ensure youdo not wear the contact lenses for more thaneight hours at a stretch and do not wear thelenses to sleep or swim. You also have tomaintain proper contact lens hygiene.

If the symptoms persist, youshould consider seeing anophthalmologist for furtherevaluation.

DR CHERYL NGO,associate consultant at the EyeSurgery Centre at the NationalUniversity Hospital

Scarred bymany falls

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