so - for a new scar - is there any benefit to using those specialized OTC topical treatments (e.g. Mederma) for minimizing the scar? What about the old stand-by Vit E oil?
so - for a new scar - is there any benefit to using those specialized OTC topical treatments (e.g. Mederma) for minimizing the scar? What about the old stand-by Vit E oil?
No literature--that is, no peer-reviewed, double-blinded, controlled and randomized trials--support Mederma (made from onions, btw). Same w vitamin E oil.
A scar is a scar. You can decrease the redness of new scars via pulsed-dye laser (585-595 nm) treatments. Other than that, there isn't anything that will make a scar NOT a scar. Incidentally, it takes two years for the skin to complete remodeling, so...
One last aside--if it's a particularly symptomatic scar, or if it's extremely thick and painful, intralesional steroid therapy can help flatten it out.
when i used to work in a psych hospital it was very common for many of the adolescents to have lots of scars from self injury. they were usually given mederma daily and, while the jury is officially still out on its effectiveness, for some of the kids there was a marked improvement. of course that is purely anecdotal so i won't say yes it works buti would say that unless its a serious issue it might not be worth the cost. that stuff is expensive and if it doesnt work it might be a waste. not sure if that is any help at all.
__________________
I intend to live forever, so far so good.
Swim! Bike! Run!
1.5k!, 40k!, 10k!
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in fruit salad.
I'm pretty sure that there is a prescription treatment available, somewhat similar to certain stuff used for acne, which speeds up cell turnover and thus scar healing. Ask your dermatologist.
I'm pretty sure that there is a prescription treatment available, somewhat similar to certain stuff used for acne, which speeds up cell turnover and thus scar healing. Ask your dermatologist.
would scar treatment be the same as stretch marks? im kind of worried the ones on my chest/delts are going to break open one of these days.
They won't.
They are signs that your muscle growth in the area (or fat growth, depending.... ) has exceeded your skin's capacity to stretch without damaging the elastic fibers beneath. Think of it this way--if a woman can carry a baby to term and not have her abdomen explode, your pecs are safe.
Ha! You should have seen how big my belly was with Hayley!! I thought for sure it would rupture!! Anyhoo ...
Tina, I remember the OTs where I used to work a long time ago (15+ years) using silicone on bad scars (keloid). It was this sticky backed stuff that they would stick on there for an extended period of time (2-3 days) I think. Is that something still in use for flattening a really thick scar?
__________________
Life's a Journey ... Enjoy the Ride!
It's hard to get enough pressure for it to be effective, but, yes, silicone sheeting is still out there. I haven't had any success with it, though. Best outcomes for me have been via intralesional kenalog injections, usually 4-6 treatments. The skin never looks normal again though, just flatter than the keloid or hypertrophic scar.
I think it just depends on your skin and your healing tendencies. Some people scar more easily than others and they might can benefit from some ointment. But I don't think there is a big difference between Mederma and Vitamin E Oil. I had a really bad scar from a dog bite and used Mederma for about the first 6 months. The scar is hardly noticeable, but its hard to say if the Mederma helped. But I can say that if you have really red scard and use mederma daily, it will keep the red down, which can make a huge difference in the noticeability factor.
__________________ Give Truth About Abs a try. It's working really good for me.
scars - what's the current thinking?
) has exceeded your skin's capacity to stretch without damaging the elastic fibers beneath. Think of it this way--if a woman can carry a baby to term and not have her abdomen explode, your pecs are safe.
Linear Mode
