- Scars take 6-12 months to mature, meaning soften, fade, and become less visible. Scars are normally pink/red in color and slightly thick during this period which gradually improves with time.
- Massage your scar(s) with clean fingers several times daily starting with light pressure and increasing the pressure as the tenderness decreases to help promote softening.
- If you choose, you may use a scar cream to help reduce the appearance of the scar and massage in firmly. The best topical scar treatments are silicone-based, meaning silicone is listed as the first ingredient. We carry Biocorneum which is a silicone based product plus SPF, so a 2-in-1 treatment. Other brands Dr. Jack recommends are: Kelo-cote or ScarGuard which can be purchased on-line directly or through sites like Amazon.
- Sun is bad for scars so please avoid direct sun exposure! Use daily SPF directly on scars to hep prevent sun damage to scars which worsen their appearance!
- Scars on areas with a lot of movement and tension, such as the back, shoulders, lower legs, and over joints tend to widen as they heal because of the pull on the skin edges. Although this may be inevitable even with the best suture closure, you can help avoid this by taping your incisions for the first 3-4 months after surgery. Dr. Jack suggests purchasing 3M Micropore paper medical tape (light brown or tan color) from your drug store, medical supply store, or online. This tape reduces tension on the scar and helps to keep it thin and flat. It's really preferable to tape all scars but especially ones in areas as listed above. This tape can be changed every few days as needed.