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[carebearstare]

I scar badly. I am wondering if other forumites have recommendations of procedures for scar removal or treatment.

I tried steroid injections last year, but it resulted in depigmentation and was only partially successful. I'd like to try something else.

[spork]

I keloid fairly badly, but I've never had any plastics work done.  I have noticed that over the years the convex scars flatten out and become paler until they are difficult to notice.  Right now I have a concave trench and I'm waiting to see what happens with that.  It looks like either end has started to smooth out.

Probably not the answer you want though.

[southerntransplant]

Can't help there. I have a massive surgery scar from below the ribcage to near the breastbone, from both sides. It's been 10 years and I still look like a Pillsbury Croissant rollup gone bad.

Uh, well, I guess you probably didn't want to turn this into "Discuss your scars here" thread...

(slinks off)

[carebearstare]

Scars are interesting, if people want to discuss them. I have had the one in question (a keloid) for close to 20 years. It never bothered me until, for some reason or another, people really started mentioning it to me all the time. Now that I've gotten rid of part of it, I'd like to lessen its appearance more.

[barred_owl]

There are dozens of different scar creams and topical solutions, but I know virtually nothing about them, I'm sorry to say.  Have you spoken with a dermatologist, CBS?  Kind of an expensive route to go, depending on your insurance coverage, but a dermo-doc might have some good recommendations.

Barring that route, though, maybe what you need is a really good story to go with the scar, kind of like that scene from Jaws where Richard Dreyfuss' and Robert Shaw's characters are comparing their shark-inflicted scars!

[mdwlark]

A family member of mine gets keloids.  She found out the hard way that plastic surgery often makes them worse.  They just form a new larger keloid.  Plastic surgery that cuts then at angles just spreads out the scarred area.  She had very good luck using a topical cream.  I think it had silicone in it.  Do talk to a dermatologist.  She had to use it consistently.

[carebearstare]

A family member of mine gets keloids.  She found out the hard way that plastic surgery often makes them worse.  They just form a new larger keloid.  Plastic surgery that cuts then at angles just spreads out the scarred area.  She had very good luck using a topical cream.  I think it had silicone in it.  Do talk to a dermatologist.  She had to use it consistently.

I did go to a dermatologist, and he is the one who was administering the steroid injections. He warned me about surgery and though injections would be a better choice. The real issue was that it caused very noticeable depigmentation, so I stopped the treatment only to have the scar mostly return.

Has anyone tried any of the creams?

[peppergal]

I cover mine with makeup, but from what others have said here, I gather mine is probably smaller than others'.

Still, if you are interested in going the makeup route...  I use pancake makeup designed for theatrical use, which is waterproof.  The pancake makeup just goes on the scar, then I use loose powder over my whole face to even out the tone.  I've been told that it's not noticeable when I do that, but it is quite noticeable when not covered up (2" scar over my eye, resulting from an accident).

The surgical scar on my hand, which is quite noticeable, I've just given up on ever hiding or fading.

[mdwlark]

Has anyone tried any of the creams?

My family member had very good luck using a topical cream with silicone in it on a keloid.  The scar still shows but it was a dramatic improvement.  She has to use it consistently.  They use silicon sheeting for burn victims to lessen scarring. 

[grimple]

My mother has a keloid - going on 55 years now.  Surgery didn't work.  She's now using a cream called Clobex.  It's very expensive but it works very well for her.  It's not going away, but it's stopping the itch and pain.

[anthroid]

I have had loads of scars.  A Stress B vitamin once a day has helped a great deal (it's also strengthened my hair, not surprisingly).  Take massive amounts of forms of Vitamin B--that really has helped me (plus it's great for cardiovascular health).

[biomancer]

Keloid scars run in my family, and I get them.   I (and my family members) use a homemade cream that is 75% cocoa butter and 25% vitamin E oil (no silicone - it really doesn't help with healing, it just makes lotion stick to skin through washing).  It's worked wonders at softening my scars (and Dad's, and my brother's, and...).  They're still visible - the fresh ones are white and raised, the older ones are not quite white but paler than my usual skin and are sunken - but at least they're not stiff or painful.

In fact, I get them not only from surgeries and from injuries, but I seem to get internal keloids where organs rub against each other.  Last summer I had surgery for some reproductive plumbing problems that turned out to be caused by a 4" keloid that glued my uterus to my bladder at odd angles.  That has me wondering if some of my other health issues might be due to internal scarring.

That being said, several of my physicians have warned me that surgery to remove external scars will just become a never-ending downward spiral and I shouldn't go there.  The internal scars that were removed will probably also re-appear in time.

[sequoia_sun]

I had a keloid scar on an elbow from an injury. Strangely enough, another injury in the same area years later and the docs were able to cut some of it away before they stitched it up. The new scar healed well with no resulting keloid. 

I have so many scars, I feel like a battlefield. The last one (from a year ago) is the largest and runs from just above the ankle to below my knee. I did use some cream on it for a few months. Not sure if it helped much as it is such a monster scar, but it seems to have blended into my leg color somewhat.  Mederma is the ointment. It was recommended by fellow scar-ees.  I once considered writing a book of my life based on my scars. It would be interesting, that is for sure!

What a scary story biomancer!

[chaosbydesign]

I realise this thread is a few months old now, just wanted to add my advice for temporary scar covering. I have a lot of visible scars in obvious places which I cannot get rid of, and in situations where I don't want them to be seen I use Vichy Dermablend make-up. It lasts for 16 hours if you use the setting powder on top of the liquid foundation, and there are so many shades that it's easy to match to your skin tone. Also, they make some specifically for the body rather than facial foundations so it doesn't look like a thick layer of make-up. Nobody has ever noticed that I have make-up on my arm when I cover the scars with it. So if removal or treatment isn't working, you could consider using this as a temporary solution.

Bio-oil is apparently meant to help reduce the appearance of scars, but it has done absolutely nothing for mine.