Clinical sheet · Face treatments
A scar is the visible portion of a dermal lesion: repair cells concentrate on the injured area, multiply there and leave a particular texture on the skin. At the Photoderma clinic in Laval, we distinguish four families of facial scars and choose the treatment according to the texture, the colour and the depth.
Technician experienced in reading the dermis Injections under the responsibility of Dr. Yoel Moyal Medicard financing available
Four recognized families
The Photoderma clinical sheet names four categories of scars. Recognizing them guides the choice of treatment: smoothing a raised area, filling a depression, evening out pigmentation or reviving a too-pale zone.
01
Thick dermis.
They form a raised texture, often wider than the original wound. Scar tissue is produced in excess, creating a small firm bump that can be felt on palpation.
02
Form a depression from a lack of dermis.
On the contrary, they result from a deficit in tissue production. They hollow the surface: acne scars are the best-known variant on the face.
03
Darker dermis.
The scar area appears browner or redder than the surrounding skin. The texture is sometimes minimal, but the colour remains visible long after the wound has closed.
04
Dermis paler than natural pigmentation.
This is the mirror of the previous type: melanin is missing at the site of the lesion. The scar remains lighter, sometimes pearly, and contrasts with the surrounding complexion.
Two scars on the same face can belong to different families. The in-clinic assessment verifies this zone by zone before building the care plan.
Why scar healing is uneven
The production of collagen and elastin is responsible for scar healing. These proteins restore the firmness and elasticity of the skin by encouraging the reunion of skin fibres in the body's call to action for healing. Several factors influence the speed and the quality of the result.
a
Young skin heals faster but sometimes produces too much collagen, creating hypertrophic scars. With age, the dermis makes fewer support fibres and repair takes place more slowly, more readily leaving a depression or a mark.
b
Smoking, nutritional deficiencies, short sleep and chronic stress slow collagen induction. These factors cited in the clinic explain why the same injury can leave very different scars from one person to another.
c
Some areas of the face are very mobile — around the mouth, chin, forehead — and are subject to constant tension on the dermis. This mechanical pull stretches the forming scar and alters its final texture.
d
A superficial incision often leaves only a fine mark. A deep burn, a wide wound or a surgical procedure affecting several layers of the dermis produces more pronounced, sometimes irregular, scar healing.
It is the combination of these factors that explains why it is now possible to soften scars, without promising their complete disappearance. The realistic goal is to make the texture, the colour or the depression less visible to the eye.
Before / during / after the treatment
The clinical sheet speaks of "softening your unwanted scars." The realistic goal of the protocols is to make the texture less visible, even out pigmentation and give the skin a more regular look — rarely to remove every trace.
Scar healing is a long biological process: most softening protocols require several sessions spaced several weeks apart, to give collagen and elastin time to rebuild between two stimulations.
Every first visit at Photoderma starts with reading the skin and classifying the scar in one of the four families. Only then does the technician select the best-suited protocol.
Medicard financing is available on all medical-aesthetic treatments, including scar-softening plans: payment in 6 or 12 months, with no upfront fee, application processed in the clinic with a reply generally the same day.
Before the consultation
A scar is the visible portion of a dermal lesion after the tissue has repaired itself following an injury, a burn, a surgical incision or a medical procedure. Repair cells concentrate in the area and then multiply. This action leaves a particular texture on the skin.
Photoderma distinguishes four families: hypertrophic scars (thick dermis, raised), atrophic scars (depressed, from a lack of dermis), hyperpigmented scars (darker dermis) and depigmented scars (dermis paler than natural pigmentation). Each family calls for a different care strategy.
Scar healing depends on the production of collagen and elastin. Several factors influence its quality: age, lifestyle, the location and the severity of the injury. When these conditions are not met, the lesion leaves raised texture, a depression or a different tone.
The clinic uses several complementary options: IPL photorejuvenation for colour, mesotherapy and microneedling for texture, AHA/BHA peels for the surface, dermal fillers for atrophic scars and Potenza for deep collagen induction. The plan is set after the assessment.
An experienced technician welcomes you in the clinic to read the skin, identify the scar family and give you all the information needed on each option. For injectable procedures, Dr. Yoel Moyal validates the protocol. Medicard financing is available on all treatments.
Next step · reading the skin
The consultation identifies the family, measures the texture, checks the pigmentation and selects the right sequence: mesotherapy/microneedling to redensify, IPL for colour, Potenza for a deeper dermis, peel for the surface, filler for a specific depression. Medicard financing is available on all medical-aesthetic treatments.
Scar reading by appointment · Photoderma clinic, 4672 Blvd. Saint-Martin Ouest, Laval, Québec H7T 2X9 · ste-dorothee@photoderma.ca