About 8 years ago, I had scar treatment through the nhs that was plastic surgery. I say treatment, because it's not possible to actually get rid of the scars. By the time I had the surgery, I had been SH free for 3 years or so, and they were extremely stringent on this - at the end of the day this is extremely expensive and time consuming surgery, and they don't want to feel like they are wasting resources. Not to mention, it was fairly major surgery, so it wouldn't have been right for me to have had to go through that if I want just going to continue SHing.
I'd spent a long time using vitamin E oil, beforehand. Which does help - but you need to be patient. I also used silicone sheets, which again needed commitment because they're relatively thick, and I had to hold them in place over my arms using tubifast. But I persevered.
They gave my the surgery on the nhs because my scars were becoming seriously detrimental to my mental health. It was really affecting my confidence, making me feel quite depressed, and aggravating my anorexia.
I had 4 operations in all. It should have been 3, but one of them didn't take properly and had to be redone. The skin on my arms was taken off (full thickness) "punctured", then rotated 90 degrees and put back on. So it was officially a full thickness skin graft, but it was the same skin. My surgeon said to me that grafting from another site would just give me scars elsewhere, and given the fact I had to cover my entire low forearms both sides, this would mean finding a considerable amount of spare skin on my body. The overall effect on my arms afterwards made them look much more like burns scars rather than SH, and I was pleased with the result even tough it was very gruelling.
8 years on, my attitude towards my scars, and my past SH issues,mare very different. Now, I don't think I would have even had the surgery. If I could turn back time and have perfect skin again, yeah sure I would! But back then, I was ashamed, and I'm not now. It was part of me and what I went through and it was a very difficult time, but I learnt a lot and I'm better now. People don't even notice my scars - one of my consultant psychiatrists didn't even notice my scars for over a year, and I'd often worn short sleeves infront of her! And she's trained to notice these things!! I'm certain I told her when I initially told her when I met her that I'd SH'd I'm the past, but she concentrated entirely on my anorexia and when she discovered my scars a year down the line she was shocked!
Anyway I digress. Right now you need to concentrate on becoming SH free and developing other coping mechanisms. Continuing self care for your scars, and persevering with them. Your attitude towards your scars will maybe change, when you realise it was your past, and you can realise that you are proud that you overcame it.
If not, you can revisit the idea of surgery.
Hope this helps xx
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