What are ways to treat flea bite scars?

Doctor's Answers 2

Looking from the photo, the skin lesions can be the result of flea or insect bites. The initial itchy red spots will heal over time and will form these dark marks. These marks can take many months to fade. The treatment will include:

  • Topical steroid and antibiotic cream for the active bites
  • Medical grade lightening cream for the brown marks. This will help the marks to fade faster
  • Anti-itch tablets. Take these if necessary to help with the itch

It is always advisable to see a trusted doctor or dermatologist for a proper assessment as well as early management. Hope this helps!

The scars that you have are pigmented scars due to inflammation and injury to the skin caused by the flea bites.

Treatment will be a combination of:

  • lightening creams and
  • pigment lasers.

Untreated, these scars will eventually fade. However, these scars can take a long time to do so. It may take up to several months or even, more than a year.

Medical treatments (as mentioned above) are aimed to quicken this fading process. Thus, improvement can be seen as quickly as within a month. There are many types of pigment lasers available. Therefore, you should always consult a doctor.

Similar Questions

How can I prevent or minimise scarring after an insect bite?

In general, after an insect bite, it is important to minimize picking and scratching at the rash as this can aggravate the swelling and increase the risk of scarring. It is also important to prevent infection and keep the area clean. Topical antibiotics may be helpful especially of there is a wound and overlying redness. Some people may develop an exaggerated insect bite reaction and the area of the bite can become very inflamed. Topical steroids can help reduce the inflammation. For the current scar, this should usually get better with time. Silicone based scar gels may help in the healing.

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