Have you recently had surgery? Do you think a scar will form? This is common. Scars resulting from surgery actually manifest themselves differently from other types of scars. You can’t really avoid a surgical scar that results from a scalpel cutting through flesh (total knee, C-section). And not even the best surgeons can control skin quality, genetics, age, or chronic illness.
Of course, the more obvious factors that will determine scar formation are the depth of the cut and the precision of the incision.
Surgical Scarring and Healing Rates
It stands to reason, then, that surgical healing and scarring rates will differ by individual. Several factors put a person at risk of developing wider and thicker scars despite how clean the incision was as part of your surgeon’s technique.
On top of that, what you see isn’t always what you get. That’s because surgical scars tend to change throughout the healing process. In fact, all types of scars do this. During the first week, you can expect to see a large and red scar (inflammatory stage). But once in repair mode, this is when the proliferative stage sets in, followed by the remodeling/maturation phase. During these phases, even more changes occur with collagen alignment. This cycle can take several months.
This is why you can’t tell with any certainty what a scar will end up looking like in six months to a year.
How to Best Reduce Chances of Surgical Scar Formation
What can you do at home to fade your surgical scar? Here are some tips.
- Don’t smoke, as it’s well known that tobacco slows down healing, putting you in a higher risk category for scarring.
- Get lots of sleep and rest so your body can heal properly.
- Eat plenty of fruits and veggies, boosting your protein intake and vitamin consumption.
- Exercise: While minimal activity is OK with the beginning stages of healing, don’t do anything strenuous to pull apart the surgical incision, reopening the wound.
- Cover the incision when venturing into the sun. Why? UV ray exposure darkens scars. Wear 35 SPF sunscreen and protective clothing for a year post surgery.
- Care for your wound well to reduce the risk of scars and infections.
- Don’t soak in a tub until your doctor gives you the OK. He or she may have you apply a waterproof dressing for a couple weeks when in the shower. Avoid bath tubs and scrubbing the wound using soap until full healing has occurred.
- Apply silicone sheets or gels after initial healing from your surgical incisions. Using gentle circular pressure, massage it into the area to help the scarred tissue break down and weaken.
Try not to be discouraged if results don’t come as quickly as you’d like. It’s not uncommon for surgical scars to take two years to fade. Why not get started with some our excellent products online? You can also call us at 800-771-2215.