<p>A scar is a permanent patch of skin that grows over a <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/woundsandinjuries.html">wound</a>. It forms when your body heals itself after a cut, scrape, burn, or sore. You can also get scars from surgery that cuts through the skin, infections like chickenpox, or skin conditions like <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/acne.html">acne</a>. Scars are often thicker, as well as pinker, redder, or shinier, than the rest of your skin. </p> <p>How your scar looks depends on:</p><ul> <li>How big and deep your wound is</li> <li>Where it is </li> <li>How long it takes to heal </li> <li>Your age</li> <li>Your inherited tendency to scar</li> </ul> <p>Scars usually fade over time but never go away completely. If the way a scar looks bothers you, various treatments might minimize it. These include surgical revision, dermabrasion, laser treatments, injections, chemical peels, and creams. </p>