Prevalence of scars: USA results of the first international study

Scars are visible marks secondary to skin injury, burns or inflammatory dermatosis, such as acne or chicken pox. Surgical procedures systematically induce scars, that are more or less visible depending on several factors, and it is often a criterion of success or desappointment for the patient and the surgeon. Some scars can however be embarrassing depending on their location, their size and their aspect. Some may induce itching or a feeling of tightness or pain. Indeed, scarring depends on multiple factors: age, topographic location, genetics and phototype, type of injury, surgical technique…. Therefore, it was very interesting to better understand scarring prevalence and impact around the world. For this purpose, an epidemiological survey on the prevalence, origin, location and side effects of scars, was conducted in 5 countries (China, Brazil, USA, Russia, France). Data collected in the USA are presented hereafter.