How to Reduce Scars From Stitches

It happens to almost everyone sooner or later: an accident occurs and stitches are needed. When those stitches come out, however, you’re often left with a scar as a permanent reminder. But there are steps you can take to reduce the appearance of a scar on yourself or your child.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Antibiotic cream
• Vitamin E
• Rich lotion
• Anti-inflammatory agent

1. Take care of the stitches while they’re in. The single best way to reduce the appearance of a scar after the stitches come out is to make sure they don’t become infected while they’re still in your skin. This means following your doctor’s instructions for keeping it clean and applying antibiotic cream if directed.

2. Massage Vitamin E into the scar. Once the stitches are removed and the edges of the skin are closed together, open a capsule of Vitamin E or apply a rich lotion to the scar and massage it into the skin.

3. Ask your doctor about an anti-inflammatory injection. To help treat a keloid (a large, firm, sometimes discolored mass of tissue that can form around some wounds), ask your doctor whether an injection of an anti-inflammatory would help.

4. Consider more aggressive treatment. If the scar bothers you, you may want to consider asking a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon whether you could be helped through surgery, a prescription cream, or laser treatment.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you apply extra sunscreen to new, delicate skin that’s revealed when the stitches come out.
• Give the scar at least 6 months before you consider taking surgical action. It takes at least that long for the skin to improve to the point where you know how it will look permanently.