Almost any surgery will result in a scar. In the case of a C-Section, the scar will be large and just below the panty-line in the front. Many new moms want to get back to their pre-baby body, which didn’t have a scar, but this is unfortunately unrealistic. The C-Section scar is going to be there, but it can be minimized with the tips below.
Recovery Takes Time
Healing from a surgery will take some time. It is recommended that patients wait a few months to a year after surgery before embarking on any big scar-corrective action. The body has to have the time and tools it needs to heal properly. For normal skin, the healing process will result in a flat scar. The color of that scar, just like the color of stretch marks, will improve over time.
Pre-Surgery Skin Care
The best way to take care of your skin and your scar starts before the surgery ever happens. Prepare your skin by using healthful, soothing products on it regularly. Long before the C-Section, stretch marks will become a concern for many pregnant women, so good care of this part of the skin during pregnancy is important anyway. Remember: healthy skin heals better. Your surgeon will have specifics on which products he or she wants you to use, but coconut oil and cocoa butter are great for pregnant bellies and safe for the baby.
Minimize the Scar After Surgery
After the surgery site heals, a good skin-care regimen is important. Exfoliation of the area encourages oxygen, extra blood flow, and proteins in both the upper level of the skin and the deepest level of the skin. This is important to keep the skin renewing itself and to reduce the fibrous appearance of the scar. Cleansing of the area is of course critical to keep debris away, but nourishing your skin so that it has the materials it needs to heal properly is vital. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory moisturizers are good for healing whenever scars are involved.
Extreme Measures For Extreme Cases
In some cases, post-surgery scars get out of hand. The scar may be raised, bumpy, ridged or painful. In these cases, there are still options to help improve things. Cutting the scar off surgically so that it can grow back in a more normalized fashion is one option. Laser treatment is another option. There is also a new treatment on the horizon; while not an everyday procedure yet, using spray-on skin made from one’s own skin cells is a new therapy becoming available for treating scars. First the area is treated with a laser, and then a layer of the patient’s own healthy skin cells is applied. This procedure can take several months to recover from, but the results are astounding.