Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Treat Surgical Scars

Most surgeries result in some degree of scarring. The size of the scar will depend on the scope of the surgery as well as the surgeon's prowess at minimizing scarring. If you have surgical scars, there are several things you can do to improve their appearances. While you may not be able to remove severe surgical scars altogether, you can make them far less noticeable. Be dedicated in your treatment regime and you'll experience better results.


Instructions








1. Massage the scars. Regular massage breaks up scar tissue, thereby helping the scar fade more quickly. Because massage encourages circulation, nutrients can reach the scarred skin more easily, thereby aiding the healing process.


2. Apply scar treatment cream to your surgical scars. These creams are available over-the-counter in most drug stores. They usually contain natural ingredients, such as onion extract, which help to fade scars. Generally, you'll need to apply the cream two to three times per day for at least 12 weeks before seeing results.








3. Use Retin-A creams. Retin-A encourages skin cell turnover, meaning new skin cells are more rapidly produced to replace your damaged, scarred skin cells. Talk to your doctor about Retin-A, as it is only available via a prescription.


4. Get microdermabrasion. This involves a licensed professional buffing away the top layers of skin in the scarred area. It can be a painful process, but once the skin heals, it will look younger and fresher. After several treatments, your surgical scars should be significantly improved.


5. Try laser scar therapy. Your dermatologist will use laser light to target your surgical scars. The laser will lighten areas of dark pigmentation, break up scar tissue and encourage collagen production. Lasers are effective at treating a wide variety of surgical scars, including raised and discolored scars.


6. Employ home remedies to treat your surgical scars. The acidity of fresh lemon juice will lighten dark scars. Olive oil will deeply hydrate the area, making scars less apparent as the skin becomes more supple. Aloe vera gel can work well on fresh scars, aiding the skin's healing process.

Tags: surgical scars, your surgical, your surgical scars, healing process, scar tissue, scarred skin, skin cells