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What To Do With Scars After Plastic Surgery

By Dr Barry Eppley

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Published: 30Oct2008
Word count: 438
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Surgical incisions and the scars they create are a concern for patients of all kinds. After surgery, most people ask how to take care of a scar so that it looks as unnoticeable as possible. While time and the mature healing of wound tissue is a major element in the ultimate appearance of a scar, there are a variety of things that you can do to affect both the speed at which it heals and final look of your scars.

1) If your surgical incisions are left open at the end of the operation (usually occurring in facial procedures), keep them covered with Bacitracin ointment 2 to 3 times per day. Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of the Bacitracin is to keep the incision/sutures soft (for easier removal), not to decrease the risk of infection. Once the sutures are removed, apply a very light layer of Bacitracin ointment twice a day for an additional week.

2) If the surgical incisions are taped (usually body procedures), leave the tapes on until your plastic surgeon removes them. It is perfectly acceptable to get the tapes wet in the shower. They will not easily fall off as they are glued in place. When your tapes are removed for the first time, new tapes may be put back to cover the incisions for another week.

3) Scar management strategies, and your participation, begins three (3) weeks after your surgery. At this time, all sutures and tapes have been removed and the incision is sufficiently healed to start topical therapies.

4) The best topical treatment to apply is SCARGUARD, a proprietary blend of Vitamin E, hydrocortisone (steroid), and silicone. These are the only three topical agents that are known to improve scars. Three weeks after surgery, apply SCARGuaRD twice a day-in the morning and evening. It is easy to apply, and dries quickly and invisibly.

5) Apply SCARGUARD between three weeks and three months after surgery.

6) Scars that are exposed to the sun in the first 6 months following surgery have a tendency to darken and become rougher in texture. Exposure to UV rays does not have a positive effect on the final look of scars, so it is crucial to protect them during outdoor activities. I recommends applying a sunscreen that has both UVA and UVB protection prior to any UV exposure.

7) In some cases, occlusive taping or silicone sheeting of the scars (e.g., breasts, abdomen) may be recommended in certain body areas that are prone to poor scarring. Materials and application instructions will be provided at that time should this scar technique be felt to be advantageous.

Dr Barry Eppley, board-certified plastic surgeon of Indianapolis, operates a private practice at Clarian North and West Medical Centers in suburban Indianapolis. He writes a daily blogs on topics and trends in plastic surgery at http://www.exploreplasticsurgery.com

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