Personally, i'm not 100% sure you can make them any flatter. Possibly time? But the few raised scars i have are still as raised now as as when they were fresher.
I hope you don't find them too much of a problem, or equally find something that works for you :)
I'm sorry, but I too have found nothing to work for raised scars, however mine are less than a year old, so it may be that they get flatter with more time.
Nel
xxx
~ Instruction does much, but encouragement does everything ~
I got referred to a dermatologist through my GP. At first they tried various gels but they weren't really any help. Then I got steroid injections into the raised scars and they have definitely flattened my scars, takes time though, and you need to go back more than once to get more injections, but it's definitely worth it, mines are almost flat now.
Good luck, hope you find something that helps you.
Unfortunately nothing I have found really seems to work to make raised scars less noticeable (not that it doesn't exist, just that I haven't found it) On the plus side though, given enough time they should get better. A lot of my scars were very red and raised, but over time they have gradually lost the red coloring to become white, and become much flatter.
“Too late, I found you can't wait to become perfect, you got
to go out and fall down and get up with everybody else.” Ray Bradbury in Something Wicked This Way Comes
I've had steroid injections into my hypertrophic scars once, and I am going back for the second time this coming Thursday. What it involves is injections along the length of the scars, for me, about 14 injections all up with a few in each scar, to flatten them. It's not too painful, but the area might ache a little after, or for me it did. I have found that even after just one treatment the scars become significantly flatter and lose some colour. Results would vary though I'd imagine. You also have to consider cost. In Australia, we have Medicare so the cost for one treatment comes to about $55 after you get compensated for the intial cost, which was $90. The injections are usually done along with fractal laser treatment, but that can cost way more.
Most topical treatments, bio-oil, lemon juice, etc, will help to reduce the colour of scars but not the size, or in my experience anyway.
Good luck. :)
If you spoke to other people the way you speak to yourself, how many friends would you have?
I didn't know there was actually things to help hypertrophic scars except for creams and stuff! I use cocoa butter but haven't noticed any difference. All of mine are incredibly raised, completely changing the surface of my skin.. I sound like a washboard when I scratch haha.
I've always planned to get the areas tattooed over, but I have a feeling it's too lumpy to do so at the moment... I don't know if anyone has had experience with tattooing over hypertrophic scars?
^^ I too, think about getting a tattoo done but because most of my scarson my arms are raised I still think you would see them because they are quite raised.
I've had steroid injections into my hypertrophic scars once, and I am going back for the second time this coming Thursday. What it involves is injections along the length of the scars, for me, about 14 injections all up with a few in each scar, to flatten them. It's not too painful, but the area might ache a little after, or for me it did. I have found that even after just one treatment the scars become significantly flatter and lose some colour. Results would vary though I'd imagine. You also have to consider cost. In Australia, we have Medicare so the cost for one treatment comes to about $55 after you get compensated for the intial cost, which was $90. The injections are usually done along with fractal laser treatment, but that can cost way more.
Most topical treatments, bio-oil, lemon juice, etc, will help to reduce the colour of scars but not the size, or in my experience anyway.
Good luck. :)
This is really interesting, thank you! I just wondered if you needed a referral for the medicare rebate? I've considered a consultation about this, thanks for sharing.
Amy, I have found over time they've reduced. I think I read somewhere that placing pressure on it helped, but I'm not sure about that :/
I had to have a referral to see the dermatologist, yes. I think the waiting times are much longer without one, and some places won't even see you if you don't have one.
As for tattoos, I'd say most tattoo artists would be hesitant to tattoo over scarring that is hypertrophic, though it would depend on the extent. This is because it might not turn out well or the way you wanted and it could thus be bad for their reputation.
Oh, and I don't know about the 'placing pressure' on scars to reduce them (I doubt just 'pressing' them would work at all) but massaging them can soften the area and encourage healthy skin growth and healing, so I've heard. That's one thing about bio-oil and such: it's not enough to just put it on, it needs to be massaged in to help at all, or so I've found.
:)
Last edited by lala... : 30-07-2012 at 12:31 PM.
Reason: Remembered something to add
If you spoke to other people the way you speak to yourself, how many friends would you have?
