Frequently Asked Questions

Risk factors have been determined by medical research in the field of wound healing by comparing the percentage of people who develop poor scars between those with a risk factor (such as darker skin tones or allergies) versus those who don’t have the risk factor. All the risk factors included in the ScarScore Risk Assessment have been established to contribute to an increased risk of abnormal and undesirable scarring.

Protective factors are the opposite of risk factors. Established by medical research, a protective factor decreases the likelihood of undesirable scarring compared to individuals without the protective factor.

ScarScore estimates where on the range of scar qualities your scar is most likely and most unlikely to fall based on a correlation between the current state of medical knowledge regarding scar quality and your personal risk factors and protective factors. Your Scar Calculation provides information on the average expected outcomes for people with your risk factors and protective factors, but can not predict exact outcomes on a case-per-case basis.

No, results can not be guaranteed because no model can predict scar quality with absolute accuracy. Furthermore, considerations that have yet to be determined such as surgical technique and a complication-free healing process will always play a substantial role in determining your ultimate scar quality.

ScarScore is intended for:

• individuals who’ve recently had or are considering surgery such as cosmetic surgery, skin growth removals, or other procedures that want insight into their scar likelihoods
• individuals who’ve recently had or are considering piercings or tattoos that want to assess their risk for devastating keloid scarring
• individuals who have sustained a laceration or other non-burn injury that want to know more about their likely scar outcomes
• anyone who wants to learn more about their natural scarring tendencies

Specific information to consider prior to doing your Scar Calculation includes:

• if close family members (grandparents, parents, siblings, and children) have a known history of problematic scarring such as very thick scars or painful scars
• if you have a history of high blood pressure
• your blood type (A, B, AB, O)
• your height and weight
• your current medications

Note that you can still complete the Scar Calculation without knowledge of the information listed above, but the more information you can provide, the more valuable ScarScore will be to you.