Palmers cocoa butter helps fade scars...I had a scar on my arm that faded when I used it. (I found out by chance that it works.)

Lemon Juice - The citric acid helps remove dead skin cells apparently.

Hiya Foxy, I didn't see this before, but a very important thing is circulation. You should gently but frequently massage the area around your op scars - it'll help improve blood-flow in the area (particularly if you're kinda laid-up and can't get around too much) and it'll help keep elasticity in the skin. I don't know where your scars are but when you are able, get that part of you moving. Often.

Oh and I know you know this, but do not not 'try to get a tan', not for this year at least (although chances of that .....*hysterical laughter*....)

scars are cool, i have two massive ones on my forearm, from about 17 years ago and i love them, they make me who are am

Sorry Han, I've only just come across this. All I can I say is that time and patience are you greatest friends at the moment. Time is a great healer and the scars will fade.

As for something more physical, at the moment I'm finding just daily rubbing in of baby moisturiser is helping to soften the scar tissue. I think it's the massage more than the cream that does it but rubbing in the cream helps psychologically for me.

if you do find a specific cream for the scarring, let me know please And I hope that even now, over a month later, that you are beginning to see a difference in the scars.

hey its a thread resurrection

thanks for all the advice its great it is still coming in as they havent really faded that much - darkle one is on ethe inside of my ankle running into my foot and the other ges from half way between my knee and ankle down to the bottom of my ankle, red i tried cocoa butter like laura said but it wasnt really doing much for me then someone recommended vaseline intensive care moisturiser and if nothing else it has just made them a lot softer as the scars and the area around was very hard and as soon as i think its right ill be at the bio oil !

thanks again
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FoxyHan - Proof that it's not all grim up north

There are 2 options ive used on my scars one is bio oil you can buy that at the chemist, the other is decleor prolagene gel, is about £20 and you would have to do a internet search to find a stockist near you but it is well worth the money. i hope whatever you use helps you with your self esteem but your a lovely girl and i know its hard when scars affect your confidence, I had a massive scar going right down the back of my leg from an accident with barbed wire a few years ago and i used the decleor for a few months and it started to fade and now you can hardly see it. You just need to persevere with whatever method you use. Good luck babe.

I have quite a few scars on my hands from work, so heres my two pence, time will reduce the redness generally your looking at quite a long period tho.

From what i understand most scars are due to the damage to the skin and damage to the collagen underneath. And, although I hate to put another feather in its cap, that boots no 7 stuff is helping quite a bit Apparently its also really good for stretch marks, so yay for the wonder cream

Finally after about a year or so there are forms of laser surgery than can help sort you out, you might possibly get it done on the NHS - just argue that its causing mental ill health, e.g. depression - but you'll most likely be on the waiting list for ages if you do actually get on it. Privately you can get it done, but its usually fairly expensive.

Oh and once its healed up nicely you can always cover em up with fake tan!

It depends on the type of scaring red, from what i understand it mainly deals with 'lumpy' (not sure of the technical name) scars by burning off the layers of skin until you get a smooth surface. I believe you can also get things like collagen injections for indented scars to help flatten things out.

If its really bothering you Red I suggest you ask your doctor to refer you to someone who does scar revision for at least a consultation. He'll probably try and not refer you because of all the government targets, but if you insist that its causing severe depression they're obligated to do so. Alternatively you can see someone privately, however last time I asked i was told it was £150 for a half hour consultation.

But if you do get in to see em they can give you considerably more advice than we can!

Sound advice Krian, thank you

The thing about laser treatment is that as ye said, it would not be suitable for some time yet. I assume your ops were reasonably recent for both of you Foxy and Red - i.e. a few months ago. Therefore, the scar tissue is likely to be in a 'proliferative' phase - it is still forming and developing. In this stage, local massage is very very important! There is also a process where compression is used (tight restrictive bands) although I don't know very much about that. But in the first few months - to a year, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of regular local massage and appropriate skin treatments. This will help determine the 'quality' of the initial scar, which in turn, may affect the outcome of any further treatments.

This is info from physio colleagues, and a little personal experience with someone close. My 'ex' had a fall 2 yrs ago and got a nasty irregular gash between chin and lower lip. She was religious about massaging the area and today you would have to look close to even see it. I would hope that you got some of this information from your doctors after the event?

My ops were 2 months ago, so the scarring is still very new. As for the massaging, I see the sense in it, but don't recall either being told or reading in all the bumpf about the benefits of massage.

Well obviously id be happy to volunteer for any help you might need with massaging