An unfortunate slip of the foot at age 3 left Christine with a lightning-bolt-shaped scar across her forehead. More than 30 years later, she still hates looking in the mirror because of it. Ana's severe acne scars are an unpleasant reminder of painful teen years. Rebecca's surgical scar along her jaw line is a souvenir of a procedure that saved her life, but to casual acquaintances it's a distraction.

My own scar on my leg leads people to believe that I had been burned by a motorcycle, which couldn't be further from the truth. Still, I don't say anything to correct them; the real story isn't nearly as interesting.

What is interesting, however, is that my friends and I no longer have to live with unattractive, and sometimes downright emotionally debilitating, scars. In fact, thanks to medical innovations, we can even begin to see improvement the day of treatment.

Anyone with a wrinkle has, by now, heard of Restylane. It's a coveted filler that makes years disappear off your face. According to the pros at DermaCure Medical Aesthetics (257-8400 www.dermacurevalencia.com), it can also significantly improve the appearance of deep, indented scars. The cosmetic filler is injected by Dr. Ingber, a board-certified plastic surgeon and clinical instructor of sugery at UCLA School of Medicine, under scars to help raise the indented areas and eliminate the look of "craters." With no clinical down time, Restylane is a quick solution to a problem that has haunted many of us for years.
DermaCure also has the answer for mild to deep indented and discolored scars. Fraxel Re:store causes a controlled injury to the scarred area, forcing the skin to regenerate new tissue. This can fill in indented areas and blend away discoloration. Fraxel also boasts a "no down time" recovery. DermaCure offers free consultations to help you determine which treatment may be right for you.

Treatment of scars has also proven extremely effective with the Vbeam laser, especially in the early "bulking up" phase, reducing the length of time a scar is red, raised and thickened and accelerating the transition to the maturation phase of wound healing. This treatment actually modifies scar growth by interfering with some of the blood vessel development into the scar and the collagen-based characteristics of a prominent scar on the face or body. Blood vessel overgrowth in scar tissue usually leads to collagen overgrowth, which can eventually lead to scar prominence. With the Vbeam laser, Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Care (254-3686 www.creatingbeauty.com) professionals are able to improve early scars by making them less visible much sooner in the healing process. In addition, they treat older, thickened scars and red acne scars.
Perhaps the best treatment for old, troubling scars is to not get one in the first place. Also available from Advanced Dermatology & Cosmetic Care: Skin Medica Scar Recovery Gel. This first-of-its-kind scar recovery gel with Centelline is clinically tested to reduce the appearance of new scars by supporting the key phases of scar formation.

No matter what course of action you choose, it's good to know that none of us are "scarred for life!"