Timing of your scar treatment varies depending on the type of injury or surgery. Some scars take up to a year to mature. Therefore, some scar revision procedures (a surgery that minimises a scar so it blends in) may not be offered until a year after injury/surgery. Scars have completed the healing process when they are light in colour, smooth, and no longer sensitive to touch. A fresh, healing scar (pink, red, raised, thick, and sensitive) should be protected from sunlight; sun exposure can darken it. Scar management treatments may include:
- Scar massage can help loosen any deeper areas that seem “stubborn”. Scar massage helps to produce a smooth, moveable scar and help decrease sensitivity. You can use any type of over-the-counter cream such for this. The tissue should be massaged in the direction of the scar for ten minutes twice a day.
- Silicone gel can be placed on the scar in sheets or in liquid form. Silicone sheets can be washed and re-used. Silicone gel dries as a very thin layer and will stay on curved skin surfaces that move throughout the day. Silicone therapy is best used 12-24 hours a day for 3-6 months. Taping/wrapping of the scar can help reduce swelling and tension.
SILICONE ANTI-SCARRING GEL TREATMENT
Silicone anti-scarring treatment are either:
– self-adhesive sheets (the patients apply onto the scars)
– silicone gel (the patient rubs it onto the scars)
They can be applied 2-3 weeks after surgery once the wounds have fully healed.
(NOT on scabs, NOT on open wounds)
Both works the same, but the sheets last longer and is more cost effective because they can be washed and re-used.
The gel tubes are usually small, expensive and run out quickly specially on long wounds. They need to be applied twice daily, while the sheets are applied for 12 hours a day.
Any brand of silicone dressings works well because they are all made of the same material.
They can be purchased online or over the counter.
