After getting a bad cut, BasementDweller3 had some questions about how to best prevent scarring:
I’d love it to heal with minimal scarring as it’s easy to see. Can’t feel any solid scar tissue underneath yet. Had a physical therapist tell me to massage scars, worked on a less visible deep slice type wound but I don’t know about this type of cut. Thoughts?
A lot of people had advice, but BasementDweller3’s favorite answer came from a fellow Questionlander who’s also apparently a plastic surgeon:
I’m a plastic surgeon and get asked about this all the time. The first thing to know is that the scarring you’re describing is normal healing. After a brief inflammatory phase, the wound produces a bunch of collagen to form the initial scar. You get exaggerated collagen production, which is why the scar is lumpy. Also, some people just form heavier scar than others. Some people form hypertrophic or keloid scars. There is precious little in the medical literature that is actually proven to work. Scar massage helps to soften the scar and keep it supple and can help flatten the scar if it’s persistently raised and lumpy.
If you’re really concerned, silicone sheeting is the one thing shown to help. Not a gel or lotion, but a simple sheet of silicone that you can cut to the size of your wound. You have to leave it on as long as possible (at least 10 hours a day, more if possible) for 3-4 months after your laceration happened. You only need one sheet because you can wash the piece of silicone and reapply it. You have to find it online because it’s typically not sold in stores. It takes 12-18 months for a scar to mature completely and take on it’s final appearance.
You can read three_fourths’ full answer to the question here.
That’s this week’s Answer of the Week! BasementDweller3 and three_fourths both win a $25 gift card to Pagliacci Pizza. Congratulations! And don’t burn yourself on the pizza… it might leave a scar.
There are so many more questions and answer in Questionland—go learn something!
