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When to start treating your scar?

5 min read
Home Advice When to start treating your scar?

Whether it is following an injury or surgery, it is likely that your skin will form a visible scar as part of the natural healing process. If you want to minimize its appearance and feel, it is important to treat it. Read on if you want to learn more about when is the best time to treat your scars.

Scarring is part of the natural skin healing process when the skin is injured. A scar is nothing more than the mark left by a healed wound. It will evolve over time and most of the minor ones will fade away. However, depending on the cause or location of the injury, the scar may be more visible and become hypertrophic scar or keloid.

Don’t rush into scar treatment right after your injury. Take good care of your wound first and wait until the skin has completely healed (no scab) before starting to apply any topical products such as Mederma® Scar treatment. Proper care, is always the first measure to take in order to help prevent or minimize scarring [1].

If you are not sure if your mark is an actual scar (e.g. you don’t remember any event or condition that could have led to a scar), don’t hesitate to talk to a dermatologist about it [2].

Injury/surgical scars

In case of skin injuries you should always wait until the newly-formed skin has finished scabbing before using Mederma® scar treatment. Scabbing may not occur in case of surgical incisions but wait until the incision is done healing before using Mederma®.

As the wound is healing, keep the wound moisturized in order to prevent scab formation and help shorten the healing time. If a scab does form, refrain from picking your scab as this may result in the wound reopening, thereby delaying the time to healing and will likely lead to scar formation.

Once there is no more scab and the wound is visibly closed, which means that the skin has healed, you can start treating your scar. This is the right time to use Mederma® Scar treatment products!

At first, be gentle while applying any Mederma® Scar treatment product because the new skin may not be strong enough to withstand excessive pressure. Beyond 2 weeks after the injury, your skin will be strong enough to start massaging your scar [3]. Scar massage is proven to increase the effectiveness of scar treatment and may help prevent the development of a hypertrophic scar or keloid by degrading excessive and non-pliable collagen [3]. Treat your scar for at least 6 to 8 weeks for best results.

Burn scars

Depending on the severity of the burn and its extent, it could take a long time to heal completely. Keep in mind that Mederma® is not intended for burn wounds but for burn scars. Once the healing is complete, it is best to treat your scar as soon as possible in order to prevent a contracture scar from forming. If your burn does leave a scar, Mederma® can help improve the look and texture by helping it appear softer and smoother. Like any scar, do not apply any Mederma® Scar treatment product before the burn has completely healed, which takes about 2 weeks for a second degree burn [4]. Healing time is also dependent on the extent of the burn, i.e. the larger the burn, the longer it takes to heal. Burn scars are particularly sensitive to sunlight, so it is best to cover them [5]. When this is not possible, be sure to apply a product with an SPF such as Mederma® Scar Cream with SPF 30. Alternatively, you may choose to use your Mederma® Scar treatment alongside a sunscreen.

Acne scars

Most acne scars are atrophic scars. As previously stated, scar treatment should not start on an open wound, i.e. in the case of acne, when the acne is still active. Wait until your acne clears up before starting to apply a topical product such as Mederma® Scar treatment. Do not pick or squeeze your acne pimples as they are likely to burst, which breaks the skin barrier and delays the start of scar treatment [6]. Once your skin is cleared of acne and there are no scabs left, then it is perfectly acceptable to start treating it with Mederma® Scar treatment.

In short, treat your skin wounds first, this may help prevent scarring in the first place. Once you wound is closed and your skin has healed, don’t waste time and start applying Mederma® Scar treatment. By doing so, you will increase your chances of getting your scars to fade away.

Topical Scar treatment should be started as soon as the wound is formed
Correct

In case of skin injuries you should always wait until the newly-formed skin has finished scabbing before using any topical treatment

How to Remove Old Scars
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In case of skin injuries you should always wait until the newly-formed skin has finished scabbing before using any topical treatment

How to Remove Old Scars
Effective scar treatment for old and new scars

Mederma® Advanced Scar Gel

References

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