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How Soon After Surgery Can I Start Scar Treatment?

asked 1 year ago by Ms G in ALLENTOWN PA
Latest answer by David Shafer, MD
Question viewed 2,014 times
Tags: scar, timing

I'm 17 days post op from. TT and BA. I Want to start using silicone sheeting I'm my.TT scar. How soon can I start? I did not have steri strips. My PS used stitches. I'm not doing anything with the scar except cleaning and putting ointment on it.

13 answers to How Soon After Surgery Can I Start Scar Treatment?

Tummy tuck scar treatment options

All wounds go through several stages of healing. There is no benefit of apply any "scar treatments" until after scars start to contract which is about 4 weeks. until then it is best to keep the skin well hydrated and moisterized.

S. Sean Younai, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.beautifulself.com

How Soon After Surgery Can I Start Scar Treatment?

I rarely recommend scar treatments to my patients. There is little or no evidence that they work. The various silicone products may slightly speed up scar maturation but I don't believe they are worth the time or expense in most cases. They serve mainly to give people something to do while Mother Nature goes about her work. She takes at least a year and, depending on the skin type, two years or more to produce the final scar result. The only exceptions would be in... more

Eric Pugash, MD
Vancouver Plastic Surgeon

www.vancouvercosmeticsurgery.ca

Scar treatment after surgery

I recommend starting scar treatment 10 days after the surgery, as long as the scars are healed and there are no open areas.

Frank Agullo, MD
El Paso Plastic Surgeon

www.elpasoplasticsurgery.com

How Soon After Surgery Can I Start Scar Treatment?

As soon as your wound is no longer having any drainage you may start using topical scar creams as well as silastic sheeting. Watch out for any signs of skin maceration that may be caused by excess moisture under the silastic. Good luck!

Mark Preston, MD
Columbus Plastic Surgeon

Scar Treatment

In most cases, I suggest patients wait about a week before starting any specific scar treatment. Silicone sheets can be used as well as Maderma, ScarGuard or other similar products. However, you should discuss any scar treatment with your plastic surgeon. I had a patient who had a persistently irritated incision and I found out she was using Tea Tree and Garlic Oil on the incision. Within a few days of stopping these self-prescribed treatments, the patient's... more

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

When to start scar treatment following tummy tuck surgery

You should inquire of your plastic surgeon when to begin with the silicone gel sheeting for scar treatment as he/she was the operating surgeon. In general, my recommendation is to start at around 3 - 4 weeks postoperatively asl long as your wounds are "healed".

Steven Turkeltaub, MD
Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon

www.turkeltaub.com

As soon as all the scabs are gone

Scar formation is the end result of healing process. You can start scar treatment as soon as the surgical incisions are completely healed. Make sure to talk to your surgeon during the follow up visit if you are ready to start recommended treatment. There are many products that can be used to reduce the appearance of the scar. There are special creams, silicone gels and silicone strips that help to soften, smooth the scar, and improve its color and texture. It is important to use the... more

Gregory Turowski, MD, PhD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Ideal timing for scar treatment

Once your wounds are fully sealed you can start applying various treatments. However, whether you start a few days or a couple of weeks after surgery will make little difference on the final outcome. In the initial days after surgery you want to keep your wounds clean to avoid infection, and avoid tension to keep the scar nice and thin. After that initial period scar treatments help to keep the scar from rising and widening. Silicone has been shown to be effective. In my patients I... more

Martin Jugenburg, MD
Toronto Plastic Surgeon

www.torontosurgery.ca

Scar Treatment after Tummy Tuck

Once the skin is sealed, usually about two weeks after surgery, Silicone scar sheets may be applied. Sheets should be lifted daily and the incision inspected for any sign of irritation or infection.

Stephan Baker, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Scar Treatment After Tummy Tuck

You should be able to start your scar therapy using silicone sheeting at this point (17 days post-op) since you have no steri-strips, but I agree that you should ask your surgeon about this. I would allow my patients to begin scar therapy once the steri-strips come off on their own (I almost always will use steri-strips).

John Whitt, MD
Louisville Plastic Surgeon

Tummy Tuck Scar Treatment

Once your sutures are out and the incision is healed and you get the go ahead from your surgeon, you can start your scar therapy. As your plastic surgeon probably told you, you can wash and reuse your silicone sheeting.

Miguel Delgado, Jr., MD
San Francisco Plastic Surgeon

www.dr-delgado.com

Timing of scar treatment after TT.

If I have a concern that a patient of mine may get an active, raised scar after TT or Breast augmentation, I will start using silicone sheeting early, at about 5-7 days, after surgery. The wound only needs to be closed for the sheeting to be placed on. There is little downside to this besides some minor skin irritation from increased moisture beneath the sheeting.

Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

Tummy Tuck, Abdominoplasty

Always follow the advice of your plastic surgeon. This is general information only. I use steri strips for a few weeks then I have my patients rub vitamin E on the incision site. After this time (one month) my patients use a silicone sheeting. I have found Dr. Blaine's Silicone pads works well.