How to Get Rid of Surgical Scars

Surgical scars are a source of discomfort and embarrassment for people. No one wants their scars to be noticed. You can reduce the appearance of scars through a variety of methods.

Things You'll Need

• Scar treatment cream
• Scar treatment sheets
• Dermatologist
• Microdermabrasion
• Laser treatment

Instructions

1. Apply scar-treatment cream to your scar two to three times a day. Creams such as Mederma contain onion extract have been shown to reduce the appearance of scars, with regular use. People generally see improvement in their new scars after eight weeks of use. Older scars take longer to improve, with people seeing results in three to six months.

2. Use silicone-based scar treatment sheets. Neosporin makes such sheets which should be applied over the surgical scars and then left there for several weeks. The treatment sheet will cause the scar to soften and fade over time.

3. Massage the area. When you apply scar treatment cream, massage the scar for one to two minutes. Massage helps to break up the scar tissue, thus reducing the scar's appearance more quickly.

4. Talk to your dermatologist about prescription creams that encourage cell regeneration. Retin-A creams encourage cell turnover and collagen production. This means that your skin will more quickly produce new skin cells to replace the older, scarred cells. Alpha hydroxy acids also help this process.

5. Consider microdermabrasion. When you receive microdermabrasion treatments, a licensed professional will use a mini sandblaster type device on your scar. This device will essentially buff away the top layers of skin. After the skin heals, newer, younger-looking skin will be revealed. Regular microdermabrasion treatments help to significantly fade scars.

6. Discuss laser scar treatment with your dermatologist. This involves treated the surgical scars with laser light. The laser removes damaged skin cells and encourages new collagen production. Lasers are effective at treating pitted, discolored or raised scars.

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient with your scar treatment process. It takes a while to get rid of surgical scars. You will see results over time if you stick to your treatment plan.

• Keep skin protected from the sun while undergoing laser therapy or microdermabrasion treatments.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish