scar removal?

[beau]

how can you get rid of scars from your chest and arms...all possibillities pls? thanks

[Jocasta]

Well, there are laser treatments that can help (see HArley Street) but scars are scars and mostly they can't be wiped...sorry

[Hamish]

Smith and Nephew make a silicone gel which apparently can aid in scar redution. I think it needs to be applied to freshly healed wounds though.

[Tat]

scars are cool - learn to love them?

[shanley]

I had a major operation in Jan 04, and was told to use vitamin e cream, scar is still relatively new so not sure of its success rate though. Silicone gel is also good, but very hard to find. If the scars are old, I don't think gels or creams will make much difference. Hope this helps?

[beau]

scars are only cool if they are minimal....can laser surgery do anything or is that still too dodgy to try!

[AllYourBase]

The silicone products are called cica care (S+N), and I think there is a another version from a company called Molnycke called mepiform. Cica care is about �20 for a month, the other one is cheaper sightly I think. They work only on certain types of scars, called hypertrophic or keloid scars. To you and me, this means raised pink scars. They can be used whether the scars are recent or old and have a good success rate (marginally higher if new). The molnlycke one is available on the NHS, though I do not know about cica care. They both require an extended period of treatment, (2months+) and nobody really knows why/how they work, despite what the manufacturers say! If the scars are of a different type, these products will NOT help.

[Tat]

sorry if i offended you - i didn't mean to. it's just that i have many scars and (now) like them all! how new are they? because as with most things prevention is better than the cure. i have a scars from surgery 15 months ago and although they are still very visible they have faded and are no longer dark red. i put on lots of vitamin e oil and stayed out of the sun. laser removal can work i think but it depends on the severity and type of scarring. book a consultation with a plastic surgeon? xx

[beau]

basically when i was about 15 i developed a rash on my stomack, upper chest and arms which also hit me on my knees, the docror i went to who was my local gp gav me some cream..the cream did not work and the rash turned into a scar...bit of a butterfly pattern but they are white as i have tanned skin and noticeable if you are up close! most of my life ive used camo make up to conceal them but would like to get rid of them once and for all! u have not offended me! i have always thought plastic surgery was for monkeys and i do not wish to go down that route buy i will defo check out all the creams and oils u guys have advised on! thanks for the advice!

[nicola_red]

I too have many scars from hipbone to knee on my left leg which are all keloid to some degree. I have also learned to love them and even have a tattoo around them, but they tend to be very itchy and for that reason i have investigated some treatments. My consultant actually told me that cica care are nothing to write home about and just advised massage, with any oil or cream, although I have heard that vitamin E or patchouli oil can be beneficial. I have also heard good reports for a product called Bio-oil (available from Lloyds chemists or Sainsburys pharmacies) and there is an American product called Elicina cream which you can pick up on ebay, which is made from snail trails (eww!) and meant to be miraculous. Laser treatment is expensive, rarely performed on the NHS and won't work for keloids as they simply raise up again.

[jos]

Hi! There is a new treatment on the market called beautytek. This system is state-of-the-art and painfree. It will help get rid of scars, stretch marks, acne etc.. however it's not cheap. Treatment starts from �45. Well worth it though if the scars are really bothering you. Check it out on the web www.beautytek.co.uk

[beau]

hi how can one check the quality of a company? any ideas? thanks for the info

[vilmos]

Check out Pfizer's Neosporin� Scar Solution� They say that scars from burns, surgical procedures and minor skin injuries can show significant improvement - even when they're over a year old. More info at: http://www.skinstore.com/store/product.asp?catID=2577&prodID =2576

[kumparak]

Over the last three years I've had to have three surgeries for a hernia. The first two left me with a scar that was 2 and half inces long, and very red and raised. The third surgery the doc removed the old scar, 9 days after the steri strips fell off I started a product called Band-Aid Scar strips. It's been just over two month's and the scar is amazing. It is not raised at all, so smooth you can't feel it to the touch. The scar still has some red/purple color which is normal per the doc for about 6-8 months. I am very prone to keloids. This is the best result I've ever seen. I tried all the others including scar zone. Did not do thing. The stip stays on for three days, one hour per day you take it off. The size of my scar requires 1 sheet to be cut into three treatments. I intend on following the treatment for another 8 months. So simple, each sheet ends up costing 2.51 each which lasts 9 days each. The full 1 year treatment will cost me 125.00 and well worht it. I'm also very sensitive and have not reacted to the strips at all. They are hard to find. For some reason band-aid is discontining them yet their still available at some longs and walgreens. <i>[Email address removed as per site policy. - AB Editor]</i>