Went back to AZ yesterday for my follow up. Needless to say a very early flight & a long day has made me useless today - a but expected, just beat.
Am having more good days than bad. Driving comfortably. Eating soft foods still. Still feel things are settling and jaw not quite right. Def still pain - patience🍀
Dr. does not like my scar - very hypertrophic. Told me to massage with vitamin e oil and get scar fade. Wants to see me again in 3 months. Said too soon to discuss other side when nowhere near healed on left. Also told me to expect jaw and under to be numb for 6-12 months!
Now my questions for you experienced champions - if your suppose to use sunscreen, massage 3 times a day with vitamin e oil & use scar fade - what order do you apply? Which topical in contact with scar? Wipe off between? Also please tell me I’m not the only one who’s scar is a tender when massaging?
Thanks for the update! I would definitely do the vit e oil first, I’m uk so not sure about the scar fade, probably put that on next & then sun cream last. Isaiah is off site for a few days but I’m sure she’ll have some helpful advice, having been through it in California!
Not sure if it’s helpful, but I still massage my scars every few days as they get tight & a little sore otherwise, 3-4 years ago!
I am 6 wks out from my surgery. My scar is very tender when massaging. Ive been skipping the sunscreen and just wearing scarfs when outside. I use coconut oil and bio oil.
So glad you’re seeing continued signs of healing. Your scar will be tender & swollen for several months but keeping it moist w/ Vit E oil, coconut oil, avocado oil or Bio oil will help it heal. Dr. Samji did my surgeries, & he recommended Mederma with sunscreen. I used it twice a day for close to a year. My scars are pretty invisible now, & I have no trouble w/ them tightening up. That said, it could just be the way my skin healed or the way Dr. Samji made the incisions & closed them. Hard to know for sure.
On the topic of having your second surgery, Most doctors want at least 3 months between surgeries & 6 months is even better. This allows for more full healing of the first side so your body isn’t trying to repair 2 major wounds at once. Several of us here have found the second surgery to be much less of an ordeal than the first both from pain & healing standpoints. We’re not sure why this is but it’s definitely a blessing!
The link below is for Mederma so you can read about it. SewMomma did some research & found a more highly rated scar reducer which is sold by Walmart (online & perhaps in the store). Sorry I can’t remember what it’s called at the moment.
I think the bottom line in treating your scar is “less is more”. Too many different creams/ointments being applied topically can cause skin irritation. For the moment, I’d go with the oil or a good scar cream. If you’re going outside a lot, Agirl’s suggestion of using a scarf to cover your incision & protect it from the sun is a good one.
“Scar away” are the patches I found on Walmart’s website. I had one on at church tonight with a scarf over it and I liked that combo. Isaiah - to your knowledge is the sunscreen advice we’re all getting based on keeping the scar protected from the sun (preventing the scar tissue from turning a color you don’t want) or is there some kind of medicinal benefit to sunscreen being on the scar? I’m thinking it’s just UV protection but wanted to just check to see what you knew​:sun_with_face:.
The purpose of sunscreen on the scar is to protect the new skin which is forming the scar. I think it’s more vulnerable to sun damage & ultimately skin cancer during the first 6-12 months after it forms thus sunscreen or keeping the scar covered will help prevent those issues.
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So happy there is a scarf emoji. 