ABSTRACT
Nonsurgical trauma to the skin encompasses several situations, including injury from accidents, factitial disease or additional manipulation of the wound by the patient. Other common examples include the use of acids, such as trichloroacetic acid or phenol, for the purpose of creating a skin peel and the use of lasers. A fundamental difference of acute wounds not caused by the scalpel is their propensity for hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation. In general, patients with dark skin are more susceptible to these complications, and this fact has to be kept in mind when discussing prognosis after trauma, treatment options, and possible side effects. In a therapeutic situation involving an elective procedure, it is often wise to fi rst test a small area of the patient’s skin to determine how it will repair in terms of hypo-or hyperpigmentation.
