What is a scar? | American Academy of Dermatology

A scar is a mark left on your skin after an injury heals.

When you injure your skin — by accident or from a surgery — your body works to repair the wound. The body creates collagen (a tough fiber in your body that gives the skin strength and flexibility) to reconnect the tissues broken apart by the injury. While the body does this work, it creates a scab over the wound. The scab protects the wound from germs as the body heals.

When the injured skin is repaired, the scab dries up and falls off. In its place, there may or may not be a scar. If there is a scar, it can be pale pink, brown, or silver.

Next: Why do we get scars?