Scar maintenance

Hu Binny I have flap surgery and skin graft sugery on my face too, which was now 12 months ago.  I was told to use vaseline t start with to get ride of scabs and dried blood etc.  At my 6 week review consultation was told to massage quite hard with bio oil or nivea and keep it moisturised.  He never told me to use any of the creams you mention.  A year on the scars are visible to me, but not to other people.  Like you I was surprised when I saw them when dressings were removed.  I think we aren;t prepared enough of what to expect.  It is early days for you, but sorry I can't help you really as I wasn't told about these silicone gel things.  Good luck xx

Hi Harlyn

thanks for getting back to me. How do you feel about your scars emotionally after 12 months? The silicone gel sheets improve the look of scars up to about 2 years old apparently. It sounds as if the massage is important though. Thanks for your help. 

You are welcome Binny.  Where do you live, did plastic surgeon do the operation.  Where do you get these silicone gel sheets from please.  My scar is ok, obviously I know it is there, but friends say they wouldn;t know if I hadn't told them. Some days I feel it is worse than others.  If I am tired or it is windy I think it is more pronouced.  The skin flap the surgeon cut down my facial line and took the flap from there and just dug the lesion out which was on my face but right by my nostril.  The skin graft was right up as far to my eye as he could go which did affect my tear duct and my eye watered for a few months after and the scar from this was awful a huge black scab, but he told me in time it would go and it has, He has later told me he was worried the skin graft hadn't taken so don't know what would have happened if it hadnt settled down.  It isn't perfect but ok.  I am 74 so my skins has lines etc so not as bad as if I was a younger person.  I massaged mainly with bio oil all the time which I am sure helped to flatten them out.

Hi Harlyn 

Yes a plastic surgeon did my operation, he has been very clever using the natural lines on my face to cut so hopefully in a few years the scars won’t show at all. The silicon gel sheets can be ordered from Amazon which is really good as you can read the reviews to find the one that will suit you best. I have a scar under my eye down the side of my nose and diagonally from nostril to mouth. The bcc on the surface was 1cm long under my eye next to nose. My scar is going a bit lumpy in places as I work so find it difficult to fit the massage in.