almost_hectic
Well-known member
I know it seems like surgical scars from OHS are what some consider a war wound they are proud of. I totally understand that. For me, I really don't mind the scar all that much, but I think for myself it's maybe a bit more of a personal thing. I live in a coastal community of Southwest Florida and time without a shirt on is a regular thing year round. I guess to me I'm not embarrassed or anything like that, but I feel as if it's like wearing an invitation on my chest for people who don't even know me to ask me questions. My surgical journey was a very personal thing and Im comfortable discussing it with friends and loved ones. Strangers however are compelled to ask but then seem to not know how to conduct themselves though and inevitably the end result is they always want to tell you the story about their elderly family member who had a bypass or even worse yet, died from a heart attack. It's kind of a downer and people seem to think I'm somehow old and fragile by association. Not even close. Plus it's totally not the vibe I went to the beach for in the first place. I go to the beach to relax and let my cares go, clear my head and drink in this paradise I live in.
Anyhow that was a long lead in. I wanted to share that I've been using a pretty amazing product. It's called ScarAway scar repair gel. Its a silicone based product that's often used by plastic surgeons. I really don't know the science behind how it works very well. I think it basically acts as an outer barrier mimicking your natural skin so that the scar underneath can heal back without exposure. Something like that anyway. I've been using it for something like 4 months now and my scar is barely visible, especially from a distance. I had first used a different product from the same company called ScarAway silicone scar sheets. Same principle but it's more like a bandage. I think these were also very effective but I did not like using them. They really stuck to my skin and were pretty difficult to remove, especially being the new scar area was such sensitive skin. Removing one was always A very slow and precarious effort. I stopped using the strips all together and switched to the gel. The gel is super easy to use, just apply a small dab and rub it thoroughly onto the area morning and evening. Most evenings I forget but you can tell it's still there the next day cuz it's slightly tacky, but not messy at all. I apply it every morning after I dry off from showering. I think it's pretty amazing how great my scar looks. Obviously I have no way of knowing how well it actually works because if I had done nothing my scar might look just as it does now. But from looking at so many others pics of scars I think mine is much much less visible by far.
One question I had for anyone who knows is about sun exposure. I've read for the first year scars can be very sensitive to the sun. And like a sunburn scars will get very red and that can darken the appearance of scars permanently. Has anyone found that to be the case? I've been avoiding sun exposure but like I said, in Florida it's such a common way to enjoy the amazing weather we have.
Anyhow that was a long lead in. I wanted to share that I've been using a pretty amazing product. It's called ScarAway scar repair gel. Its a silicone based product that's often used by plastic surgeons. I really don't know the science behind how it works very well. I think it basically acts as an outer barrier mimicking your natural skin so that the scar underneath can heal back without exposure. Something like that anyway. I've been using it for something like 4 months now and my scar is barely visible, especially from a distance. I had first used a different product from the same company called ScarAway silicone scar sheets. Same principle but it's more like a bandage. I think these were also very effective but I did not like using them. They really stuck to my skin and were pretty difficult to remove, especially being the new scar area was such sensitive skin. Removing one was always A very slow and precarious effort. I stopped using the strips all together and switched to the gel. The gel is super easy to use, just apply a small dab and rub it thoroughly onto the area morning and evening. Most evenings I forget but you can tell it's still there the next day cuz it's slightly tacky, but not messy at all. I apply it every morning after I dry off from showering. I think it's pretty amazing how great my scar looks. Obviously I have no way of knowing how well it actually works because if I had done nothing my scar might look just as it does now. But from looking at so many others pics of scars I think mine is much much less visible by far.
One question I had for anyone who knows is about sun exposure. I've read for the first year scars can be very sensitive to the sun. And like a sunburn scars will get very red and that can darken the appearance of scars permanently. Has anyone found that to be the case? I've been avoiding sun exposure but like I said, in Florida it's such a common way to enjoy the amazing weather we have.
