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Minimising Scars after Cosmetic Surgery with Silicone Strips
Following any form of plastic surgery, scarring is an inevitable outcome, as it is the body’s natural response to healing the incision made during the procedure. While these scars can become less noticeable over time, their presence can still be of concern to many individuals. That’s why at Centre for Surgery, we encourage our patients to discuss their scar management options prior to their procedure.
Silicone strips are one of the most effective tools in the fight against scarring after plastic surgery procedures such as Breast augmentation, breast lift, breast reduction and tummy tuck. Despite their seemingly high cost, their efficacy in reducing the visibility of scars has been well documented. They provide a protective barrier that helps the skin retain moisture, an important factor in the healing process, which can reduce the thickness, colour, and texture of scars.
Moreover, Centre for Surgery is not just any plastic surgery clinic, but a leading specialist clinic situated in London, UK. Our dedicated surgeons perform an extensive range of face and body contouring procedures each year, leveraging state-of-the-art facilities at our Baker Street clinic. This vast experience combined with our commitment to patient care and well-being, positions us as a trusted choice for those seeking cosmetic surgery in the UK.
Apart from silicone strips, other scar management options such as laser treatments or Morpheus8 can also be explored at a later stage. However, the suitability of these options will depend on various factors, including the type of surgery performed, the individual’s healing process, and personal preferences.
We believe in providing comprehensive care that doesn’t just stop at performing the surgery but extends to post-operative care and scar management. This dedication to our patient’s journey, from their first consultation to their recovery and beyond, is what sets Centre for Surgery apart in the realm of cosmetic surgery.
Procedure-specific guides for minimising scars after cosmetic surgery
- What Do Blepharoplasty Scars Look Like?
- Facelift Scars: What to Expect after Surgery
- What Breast Augmentation Scars Can I Expect?
- Breast Lift Scars – what you need to know
- What Do Breast Reduction Scars Look Like?
- What liposuction scars can I expect?
- How to Minimise Scars after Tummy Tuck Surgery
Can Silicone Strips help improve the appearance of your Surgical Scars?
It’s an undeniable reality that plastic surgery leaves scars – a result of the body’s natural wound healing process. Depending on the nature of the procedure, these scars may be longer or more visible. Although most scars will diminish and become less conspicuous over a period of several months to a year, they never vanish entirely. With the passage of time, these surgical scars may undergo transformations, even becoming indented, which could impact not only your skin’s appearance but also your self-confidence. The final outcome of your scars could be influenced by a myriad of factors, including your genetic predisposition, the skill of your surgeon, and your adherence to aftercare and recovery guidelines.
In the quest for a more seamless healing process, silicone strips can be a considerable help. They have been scientifically proven to enhance the appearance of scars post-surgery. The silicone works by creating a protective barrier that retains moisture, leading to an improved healing environment. This barrier can help in reducing scar thickness, discolouration, and roughness.
Silicone strips are particularly effective on hypertrophic and keloid scars that can form after surgery, as they can significantly flatten and fade these often raised and reddened scars. They are simple to use, non-invasive, and can be easily incorporated into your daily routine.
Incision Healing Process – What does it involve?
The incision healing process is a critical part of recovery following any surgical procedure, and it encompasses several stages that can span from a year to even 18 months in certain cases. The entire process is aimed at repairing the wound made by the incision and restoring skin integrity. Let’s break down what it involves:
Initially, the body responds to the incision by triggering an inflammatory response. This is characterised by redness, swelling, and warmth in the incision area.
Then, the body proceeds to the proliferative phase, where new tissue starts to form. Collagen, a protein that gives the skin strength and flexibility, is produced to help close the wound.
Finally, the body enters the remodelling phase, where the scar starts to mature and strengthen. It’s during this phase that the scar becomes smoother and less visible.
Several post-surgery options like silicone strips, Morpheus8, and laser scar treatments can enhance this healing process. Silicone strips are particularly effective as they create a moist healing environment that helps to reduce scar thickness and discolouration.
Optimising your nutrition intake is crucial as well, as certain nutrients are involved in wound healing. Staying well-hydrated and abstaining from habits like smoking also plays a significant role in facilitating optimal healing.
Important Facts to Know About Cosmetic Surgery Scars
Scars and their subsequent healing process vary greatly among individuals due to numerous factors. It’s important to acknowledge that scar formation isn’t something that can be entirely controlled or predicted. However, the visibility of scars can indeed be minimised through various methods.
The actions you undertake during the recovery phase post-surgery can significantly influence the final outcome. Particularly, it’s vital to abstain from smoking as it can hinder the healing process and potentially compromise the surgical results.
The expertise of your surgeon coupled with your post-operative care will dictate the final appearance of the surgical site and the extent of scarring. It’s crucial to be patient, as scars typically take between 12 to 18 months to fade and become less noticeable. During this time, the scar undergoes a process of maturation where it will flatten, lighten in colour and become softer.
Impact of Genetics and Skin Health on Extent of Scarring
The role of genetics and overall skin health is pivotal in determining how your scars will evolve post-surgery.
Scars can be highly variable in terms of their qualities – they can differ in depth, size, texture (whether they are elevated, indented or somewhat smooth), and even shape. The formation of a scar is influenced by various factors, including the nature of the injury or trauma, the location, depth and length of a surgical incision, or the entry point of a cannula used for liposuction.
The appearance of a scar is significantly influenced by both internal and external conditions present during the wound-healing process. While some of these conditions can be controlled and manipulated somewhat, others are out of our hands.
Genetics plays a key role in determining your scar healing capacity. For instance, individuals with high-melanin skin types are more prone to developing keloid scarring, which is characterised by the growth of excess scar tissue at the site of a healed skin injury.
Furthermore, those with richly pigmented skin, such as individuals of Asian, Middle Eastern, or Indian descent, may have a tendency to develop more visible or raised scars. This is also a type of keloid scarring. If you belong to these groups, it’s important to discuss this with your surgeon to fully understand the implications it may have on your post-surgical scar management.
What are Silicone Strips?
Silicone strips are slender, flexible sheets of silicone material that are specifically designed for application to scars. They are available for purchase over the counter and are utilised as a form of treatment for various kinds of scars, ranging from surgical to traumatic or burn-related scars.
To reap the maximum benefits from silicone strips, they are generally worn continuously, covering the scar for 24 hours a day. These strips function by creating a moist environment which aids in the scar healing process, ultimately working to diminish the visibility of the scar over time, and help achieve a more satisfactory cosmetic result.
How do Silicone Strips Work?
Silicone strips have been backed by extensive clinical research, indicating their effectiveness in enhancing the appearance of surgical scars. They operate through a variety of mechanisms:
Promoting Wound Hydration and Occlusion: Silicone strips work to prevent the outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, from dehydrating. They help maintain moisture levels in the skin, providing necessary hydration to the newly formed, immature stratum corneum. Moreover, silicone strips create a level of occlusion, which closely resembles that of normal skin. This, in turn, diminishes the activity of inflammatory cytokines and fibroblasts – cells that play crucial roles in wound healing and scar formation.
Decreasing Wound Tension: By shifting the tension from the edges of the wound onto the silicone sheet, these strips facilitate an optimal environment for normal scar formation. This mechanism aids in lowering the potential for further harm to the scar area.
Reducing Blood Supply to the Scar Area: Silicone strips have demonstrated an ability to suppress hyperaemia, which is the body’s natural response to skin injuries, characterised by an increase in blood flow to damaged tissue sites. Consequently, this reduces the blood supply to the scar area, thereby decreasing scar formation.
Supporting Alignment of Structural Proteins: The correct alignment of structural proteins during the wound healing process is crucial to prevent the formation of raised scars. Silicone strips create a static electric field, negatively charged due to friction between the sheet and the skin, which assists in aligning structural proteins correctly.
How to use Silicone Strips Correctly
Silicone strips are thin sheets of silicone that are typically applied to the skin and worn around the clock. Here’s what the treatment generally involves:
Before you begin using them, it’s important to get approval from your surgeon or nurse. Once you have received confirmation, you can position the strip over the area where scar formation is likely.
These strips feature a self-drying technology, allowing them to dry on the skin approximately five minutes after application.
However, it’s crucial to understand that not all patients may find these strips effective, and not all types of surgery are suitable for silicone strip application. But for those who do respond well to this treatment, manufacturers of these products have reported significant improvements:
- An up to 86% reduction in scar texture, meaning the scars become smoother.
- An up to 84% reduction in scar colour, making the scars less noticeable.
- And an up to 68% reduction in scar height, which can make raised scars less prominent.
What are the Pros and Cons of Using Silicone Strips?
Silicone strips offer numerous advantages for scar management:
- They are painless to apply and use.
- They are non-invasive, meaning they don’t require any surgical procedures.
- The risk of adverse effects is low compared to other scar treatments.
- Silicone strips come in a variety of sizes to fit different scar shapes and locations.
- They tend to blend well with the natural colour of the skin.
- These strips are readily available over-the-counter.
However, like any treatment, silicone strips have a few disadvantages:
- They need to be worn consistently for 12-24 hours each day.
- The cost of silicone strips can add up over time, making them a more expensive option for some.
- There is a risk of a hypersensitivity reaction in some individuals, although this is rare.
- Visible results generally require 2-3 months of continuous application.
- Wearing silicone strips on the face or joint areas can cause discomfort due to the contours and movement in these regions.
What Types of Scars Can Be Treated with Silicone Strips?
Silicone strips can be used for the treatment of a variety of scar types:
- Hypertrophic Scars: These are raised scars that stay within the boundaries of the original wound. They can be red, itchy, and sometimes painful. They usually form within weeks after the injury and may improve naturally over time. However, silicone strips can aid in reducing their appearance more quickly and effectively.
- Keloid Scars: These are a more severe type of raised scar that can grow much larger than the original wound, expanding into the surrounding skin. Keloid scars can be itchy, and painful, and may continue to grow over time. They are more common in people with darker skin. Silicone strips can be beneficial in managing and reducing keloid scars.
- Atrophic Scars: These scars are characterised by a depression or sunken area because of damage to the collagen, fat, or other tissues below the skin. These are common in conditions like acne and chickenpox. While silicone strips may not be as effective for atrophic scars as they are for raised scars, they can still contribute to overall scar management.
- Surgical Scars: These are a result of incisions made during surgery. Depending on how the wound heals, these can develop into hypertrophic or keloid scars. Silicone strips can help prevent this transformation and improve the appearance of surgical scars.
Silicone Strips FAQs
When is the Appropriate Time to Start Utilising Silicone Strips?
You should only start applying silicone strips once your wounds have completely healed and there’s no remaining bleeding or discharge. For scars resulting from surgery, you might be able to start using them about 1 to 2 weeks after your stitches are taken out.
Can Silicone Strips Be Applied on Any Part of My Body?
Indeed, you can use silicone strips on most parts of your body, provided the area has healed adequately.
What is the Ideal Duration to Use Silicone Strips for Optimal Results?
The duration of treatment varies among individuals and depends on the severity and size of the scar as well as your skin’s healing process. In some instances, it’s recommended to use silicone strips for 8 to 12 weeks for new scars or 3 to 6 months for older ones. Following this lengthy protocol may lead to less visible scars.
Is It Safe to Use Silicone Strip Scar Treatment?
Absolutely, silicone strips are generally safe for scar treatment and have even been endorsed by the FDA for scar reduction. Since they are made from non-toxic, medical-grade silicone, no side effects have been reported.
Which Types of Scars Respond Best to Silicone Strips?
Silicone strips are particularly effective for raised scars and can be used to prevent or treat hypertrophic and keloid scars.
Hypertrophic scars are raised but remain within the confines of the wound. Keloid scars extend beyond the wound and into the surrounding skin. Both types of scars can cause itching or pain and, in severe cases, may affect mobility.
Can Silicone Strips Be Used on Old Scars?
Definitely, silicone strips are beneficial for both new and old scars.
What is the Correct Way to Use Silicone Strips?
Your surgeon or our nurses will provide instructions on how to properly use your silicone strips. Here are some additional pointers:
Gently massage only around the scar. Remove strips before showering. Replace strips weekly (each strip typically lasts about one week). If you notice any changes in your skin, such as itching, redness, irritation or abnormalities in the scar tissue, immediately report these to your surgeon for further medical examination.
How long should I wait after surgery to start using silicone strips?
You should wait until the incision has completely closed and is no longer raw or bleeding, typically 1 to 2 weeks after surgery or when your sutures are removed.
Can silicone strips be used on scars from burns?
Yes, silicone strips can be effective for reducing and preventing hypertrophic and keloid scars, which can often form after a serious burn. They should only be used once the burn has fully healed.
What happens if I stop using the silicone strips too soon?
Stopping the use of silicone strips before the recommended treatment duration may result in less optimal results. It is important to follow the treatment instructions, which typically involve wearing the strips for a few months.
Do silicone strips help with scar itching?
Silicone strips can help to alleviate the itchiness that often accompanies scar healing by keeping the scar moisturised and protected from external irritants.
Can silicone strips be used on sensitive skin?
Yes, silicone strips are generally safe for all skin types, including sensitive skin. However, if you have a known allergy to silicone or experience any irritation or adverse reaction, discontinue use and consult with our specialist team.
Can silicone strips be used on facial scars?
Yes, silicone strips can be used on facial scars. However, they may be more noticeable and potentially uncomfortable in this location, especially when speaking or eating.
Can silicone strips be reused?
No, each strip is typically designed to be used once and then discarded. Reusing a strip may decrease its effectiveness.
What do I do if I experience a reaction to the silicone strips?
If you experience any adverse reaction, such as increased redness, itchiness, or a rash, stop using the strips immediately. You may have a sensitivity or allergy to silicone.
Can I use silicone strips if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?
Yes, silicone strips are generally safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Can I use silicone strips with other scar treatments?
In some cases, silicone strips can be used in conjunction with other scar treatments, such as creams or gels.
Why choose Centre for Surgery?
Choosing Centre for Surgery for your medical needs comes with a host of advantages:
- Expertise: Our team consists of highly skilled and experienced medical professionals. Our surgeons are specialists in their respective fields, ensuring you receive top-quality care.
- Patient-centred care: We believe in providing personalised treatment plans tailored to each patient’s unique needs. This approach allows us to provide optimal results and a better patient experience.
- Advanced techniques: We utilise state-of-the-art surgical techniques and equipment to ensure safe procedures with excellent results.
- Comprehensive care: We provide a complete spectrum of care from initial consultation to recovery. This includes pre-operative preparation, surgery, and follow-up visits to ensure successful outcomes.
- Reputation: Our strong reputation is based on the positive experiences of our previous patients. We are committed to maintaining our high standards of care.
- Location: Conveniently located in London, our clinic is easily accessible to patients across the UK.
Choosing Centre for Surgery means you are choosing quality, care, and commitment to your health and well-being.
