Pressure techniques for the prevention of hypertrophic scar.

No ideal or all-purpose method of scar control exists. Successful management of hypertrophic scar depends on early and aggressive treatment. The creative use of available products facilitates the production of a cosmetic and functional scar. Selection of the appropriate contact media will be influenced by the size, location, and depth of the injury; the scar's ability to tolerate shear and pressure; the availability of various products; and, most importantly, the patient's involvement in his or her own rehabilitation. The use of pressure is only one segment of the total rehabilitation of the thermally injured patient. Its use in conjunction with exercise, splinting, positioning, and reconstructive surgery allows an optimal level of function and cosmesis to be achieved.