Treatment of Deliberate Self-harm Scars with Rotated Thin-skin Graft and Minced-skin Graft

Scars developing after wrist cutting (a deliberate action of self-harm) have various patterns and are difficult to treat. In addition, they can occur at anatomically prominent sites and are easily recognized as caused by self-harm; thus, scars can cause lifelong regrets. However, there are no standard treatment guidelines for wounds inflicted through self-harm. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of our novel technique using 90-degree rotated skin grafts, which were thinly collected at a thickness of 250 μm from a wound site, together with minced-skin grafts. METHODS: Five regions on the forearm of 5 Japanese women (age, 19–29 years) were treated from July 2011 to April 2012. The skin at the scar site was cut with an electric dermatome at a thickness of 250 μm. The scar contained therein was excised, and the skin was rotated 90 degree and transplanted. The scar remaining in the dermis of the wound was resected and resurfaced. At the site where the skin graft was insufficient, the skin was processed into a minced shape and then transplanted (minced-skin graft). RESULTS: In all cases, skin grafting was performed. The scar was successfully camouflaged and transformed into a socially acceptable appearance. At the wound site, the skin texture was reproduced. Following skin grafting, nodules, pigmentation, and redness around the graft transiently occurred, which then disappeared over time. No scar contractures were observed. CONCLUSION: A combination of thin-skin graft rotated 90 degrees and minced-skin graft is useful in camouflaging a wide variety of deliberate self-harm scars.