White Scars On Arms, History Of Drug Addiction. Is There Anything I Can Do To Remove Or Lessen The Appearance Of The Scars?

Posted on Sat, 19 May 2012

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 19 May 2012 Answered on

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 Last reviewed on

Question : I have been clean since 2006. I had a bout with addiction 2004-2006. I have white scars on my arms, some as big as quarters. Is there anything I can do to remove or lessen the appearance of these scars? I think that the scars are from a skin infection - possibly scabies - I remeber the skin peeling off in circles, but when I go to the doctor and I tell them I am a former addict - they tell me there is nothing they can do. Will these scars be a visible reminder forever? of a very difficult time in my life? I am 43. can I cover them with XXXXXXX tattoo or will this cause further damage? I always hate summer because of the marks on my arms. Is there any product that will help rejuvinate normal skin growth?

Answered by Dr. Sudarshan (1 hour later)

Hi,

Thanks for writing in.

Scars are the result of healing process after tissue damage which leads to excessive fibrosis and whitish appearance.

Scars are very difficult to treat. Response is very slow and unsatisfactory in majority of cases.

However medication for scars can be :
a. Topical retinoic acid application
b. Topical heparin , silicone gel, allium cepa extract, allantoin, placental extract application.
Combination of the above mentioned agents is more useful than single agent.

Also some dermatosurgical procedures like microdermabrasion, chemical peeling with glycolic /salicylic acid can be helpful.

A XXXXXXX tattoo can only cover the scar superficially. You may want to speak to a dermatologist to see if the above mentioned treatment can work for you.

If you need any further assistance, I will be available for follow up.

Regards
Dr Sudarshan

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Aparna Kohli