Everyone has a different opinion to what a scar is. Some people carry it with pride while others are ashamed to show their scar in public, but whatever characteristic you associate to your scar, there is a biological and undeniable fact - a scar is the body's way of protecting itself from further damage.

A scar can also affect children. As a matter of fact, children are quite vulnerable to scarring because their epidermal and dermal layers tend to overcompensate for an injury. In 2008, a study was performed showing a visible increase in the rate of scarring in older adults.

Find your Type of Scar

Scars are all different. That's why each scar falls into a different category. Here we've created a short list with the most common types of scars to help orient you:

*Childhood scars: Children are accident prone making them vulnerable to all types of scarring. Childhood scars are peculiar because they will change as the body grows.

*Acne scars: This type of scar can affect anyone that has suffered from acne. The types of acne scars that may result from an acne breakout are varied. There are ice pick scars, rolling scars, atrophic scars, boxcar scars, and hypertrophic or keloid scars.

*Hypertrophic scars: A type of raised scar that is very similar in appearance to keloid scars.

*Keloid scar: A result of an overly aggressive healing process that results in scarring and is most commonly seen on black-skinned individuals.

*Contracture scars: This type of scar is caused by burns. That is why it is directly associated to burn victims and requires a very special type of treatment. In severe cases a contracture scar may go as deep as muscles and nerves. In the US, 70% of all burn victims are children.