You know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.
Hey, it’s UniScoops! We’re the newsletter that serves up knowledge hotter than Nando’s extra hot peri-peri sauce.
Here’s a taste of what we’re serving today:
Why do some wounds scar and others don’t? 🤕
PLUS: Bad People, Good Art, Exoplanet Travel Bureau, and Decolonization 🌍
MEDICINE
Why do some wounds scar and others don’t? 🤕
That scar might be a bit different…
Scars are part of life. Most people carry them - reminders of childhood falls, surgeries, or accidents. Yet some wounds fade almost invisibly, while others leave raised, obvious marks. What determines whether skin heals seamlessly or carries a permanent record?
Scarring isn’t random. It depends on the depth and type of wound, genetic differences, and the environment in which healing occurs. Understanding these factors may even pave the way for future scar-free healing.
💡 Things to consider
Depth and tissue damage: Superficial wounds that only affect the outermost skin layer often heal without scars. But deeper injuries that reach the dermis disrupt collagen fibres. When the body repairs this damage, it lays collagen down rapidly and in a disorganized way, producing visible scars. The type of injury matters too: surgical cuts often heal more cleanly than burns or abrasions, which damage tissue more irregularly.
… it might not if it’s just a superficial wound!
Genetic predisposition: Some people’s bodies overreact to injury, producing excessive collagen that forms hypertrophic scars or keloids. These raised scars are more common in people with certain genetic backgrounds, particularly among individuals of African, Asian, or Mediterranean descent. Conversely, others have genetic tendencies toward smoother healing, with scars that fade more quickly over time.
Source: Huang, C., Wu, Z., Du, Y., Ogawa, R. (2020). The Epidemiology of Keloids.
Healing environment and age: Young skin is better at regenerating, which is why children often scar less. Wounds that are kept moist and protected usually heal with finer scars than those that are allowed to dry out or get infected. Location matters too: wounds over joints, where the skin stretches constantly, are more likely to scar heavily than those in areas with less movement.
Me when I find out my skin is great at regenerating
🔎 Find out more
🍒 The cherry on top
🧑🎨 Bad People, Good Art: Is it possible to separate artwork from its creator? And if we can, should we? This fascinating YouTube video delves into the question of whether an artist’s immoral behaviour makes their art immoral as well. A great watch if you are into Art or Philosophy.
🚀 Exoplanet Travel Bureau: Take a look at NASA’s Exoplanet Travel Bureau, a collection of guided audiovisual tours of Earth-like exoplanets outside of our solar system. Great if you’re into Physics!
🌍 Decolonization: This lecture shares perspectives from global history, comparative politics, and international relations to revaluate whether the twentieth-century collapse of European colonialism was as definitive as often portrayed. Martin Thomas suggests that, while in some ways, ending European Empires remade our contemporary world, in others processes of decolonization are far from complete… A great watch if you’re into Politics or History!
👀 Keep your eyes peeled for…
Tuesday 7th October
Wednesday 8th October
Thursday 9th October
Friday 10th October
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That’s it for this week! We’d like to thank this week’s writer: Rob Folkard.
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