What influences scar formation?

The risk of developing abnormal scars depends on your age, the location of your scar, genetic factors (such as skin type) and complications arising from exposure to wound infections:

Age
Keloids tend to develop most likely between the ages of 10 and 30 years.^1,2,3 Also younger people are more frequently subjected to trauma.²
Skin healing is slow in older people, and their skin is less elastic, while younger skin tends to “overheal” forming larger, thicker scars.²

Genetic factors – skin type
People with darker pigmented skin, are prone to abnormal scars, particularly keloids.^1,2,3 Higher risks also appear to people with ginger hair and freckles and to those with previous pathological scarring⁴ or with a family history of such scarring.

Hormonal influences
Scars tend to develop larger during pregancy and puberty.^1,2

Scar location
Scars over or near muscles that are particularly active, such as the chest, back, legs, shoulders (e.g. deltoid muscles) and joints, often spread or become more visible than scars formed on less active areas.² Earlobes, shoulders and pre-sternal skin have a high predilection of developing keloids.²

Wound infection or complications
Wound infection increases the likelihood of abnormal scarring. Some surgical procedures have an increased risk of scarring (e.g. breast surgery etc.)⁴