Scar is healed, but having an issue-

[FrogFeathers]

I searched the forums for a topic like this, but there were soooo many hits with the word "scar", "scar tissue" in it that I thought I'd start a new thread.

I'm almost 10 weeks after my surgery. My scar looks ever-so-lovely in a thick dark pink line (looks like a fat earthworm to me).

It still itches from time to time (on the inside). But, it also hurts like its a big bruise or a scrape. You remember being a kid, running along, falling and scraping your knees or hands? Kind of like that- a burny, bruised feeling.

I put lotion on it every day after I shower and if I can, a few times throughout the day. I'm really sick to death of wearing track pants so I've been wearing my jeans a lot. I have a pair of loose jeans and some that are loose but not as much. Either pair I wear, when I sit down, the jeans get pulled tight against the scar. When I change from my jeans at the end of the day (be it mid-day or evening, depends on how sore I am), the scar has patches of dry skin- so I lotion it up.

I normally use "Hempz" brand lotion (love the smell and the non-greasy feeling), but till I can get to the store, I've been using "moisturizing body cream with aloe and Vitamin E". (my daughter uses it on her face, but it isn't a face cream specifically).

Last night, I was laying on our sofa (our wee Chihuahua is due to have puppies any day now, so I'm sleeping down here till she has them) and I was using the arm of the sofa to brace my leg against. I was bending and straightening like a good little post-op patient. This morning, after my shower, there were a few spots on the scar that looked red and open (no oozing or blood though). I put Neosporin (triple antibiotic ointment) on the scar and am wearing a loose, billowy skirt today instead of jeans or track pants.

Is there any other regular lotion I can use to keep this dry-skin/open-ish areas from happening? I certainly can't stop bending the knee!

 

[Texas]

I used Vit E oil works great. I wouldnt put anything with perfume on it, on it !!Thats is funny I just wrote on my thread the scar is very sensitive. I dont want anything to touch it as well. I was told this will go away. Opening of the scar is that what you mean, not sure at 10 weeks. Maybe someone else knows. Do yoy mean cracking because of dry skin, or some of it opened up? Maybe NOT wear the jeans for now as much as you want to. Hope its gets better soon........

 

[ship4]

I used a triple antibiotic ointment to massage my scar and to keep it moist in the AM and PM. I also used Dermatone, (in the blue tin), an ointment I use on my face during ski season with sunscreen in it. The Dermatone worked great! I will also use it this summer when my scar is exposed to the sun.

 

[FrogFeathers]

My scar gets a bit dry in a couple of places and in those places, it looks like a papercut. It isn't bleeding or oozing, but it looks open. When my scar isn't bent, it gets bumpy.

I've always scarred ugly and the scars stay red-looking and thick for years. I have an old-fashioned gall bladder surgery scar that looks hideous and its 20 years old.

Till I can get to the store, I'll keep doing the Neosporin. I'm going to take a picture- get a close-up.

 

[Texas]

Crystal you can put antibiotic cream on the scar? I f I can will. I have a few spots that to the touch feel raw but they are not. I didnt know that, that is actually fantastic.........................You are full of information as well !!!!!Thank so so much.....

 

[Josephine]

I have a suggestion - have you tried not putting anything on the scar for a while? I can't help thinking that a lot of these problems arise from the scar being poked and prodded and massaged. I've never touched mine and it's faded at 10 weeks, only been a little bit itchy but is no longer and is about as close to normal skin as you can get. And I've never put a thing on it!

 

[Judles]

Which proves that Mother nature works best!

 

[Josephine]

Exactamundo!

 

[ship4]

I used an OTC triple antibiotic ointment on my scar and massaged it in both in the AM and PM and I used considerable pressure to break down the scar tissue. Then decided to use the Dermatone as it always made my face soft and supple. So, I decided to use it on my scar and it has been great! The very bottom of my scars are invisible!
I had surgery to remove a ganglion on the pad of my left thumb prior to my BTKR. My incision was just shy of an inch long and the ganglion was huge! I massaged that scar and have no visible mark as a result......

 

[FrogFeathers]

I have a suggestion - have you tried not putting anything on the scar for a while? I can't help thinking that a lot of these problems arise from the scar being poked and prodded and massaged. I've never touched mine and it's faded at 10 weeks, only been a little bit itchy but is no longer and is about as close to normal skin as you can get. And I've never put a thing on it!

I've only gone a couple days without doing anything and it stays dried and flaky-ish. This is the most arguementative scar I've ever had! :hehe:

broken link removed: https://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b80/psexypsychic/Tattoos/SCARmay30.jpg. I took the photo and then before I could upload it, my kids were all ready to go visit my mom at the nursing home, so I left. We took one of the dogs with us to visit too.

Anyway, I posted a link to the photo because I kept it big, to better show detail.

 

[Josephine]

That, my dear, is keloid. What a shame. Often they still fade and shrink with time but it takes a while.

 

[FrogFeathers]

I don't think it will stay that way. My gall bladder scar looked ugly like that at first. I didn't pay attention to how long it took, but it went flat. It still looks newer than 20 years old, but it isn't bumpy.

I looked at the store today (grocery store, that is) for some scar creams and some brands that some nursing home folks told me about today. Other than a brand I've never heard of for stretch marks, the store didn't have much. I'll check the pharmacy next week. (I did find Vitamin E oil, but it was a tiny bottle for close to six bucks- my husband would have flipped for that!).

 

[backbay38]

Frogfeathers -- I use cocoa butter with Vit. E and Aloe. From the drug store.Made by Palmer's. been around forever. also there are various products which clain to fade scars - like Merderma ( think that's the spelling). It all takes months though. The cocoa butter or vit. E just keeps the scar soft... which would help with the dry skin areas. Some people are just lucky with scars, others aren't. Mine take a very long time to turn white. I'm more than 4 months out now and the scar is still kind of a faded deep pink with some staple marks still showing. But the ends are beginning to fade now at least. I DO massage a couple of times a day -- but just with a medium pressure. using my index and 2nd finger on both hands. and small, circular motions.

 

[Josephine]

And does it actually work, backbay? I mean really work?

 

[FrogFeathers]

Since I posted the original issue, I got Neosporin cream (instead of the greasy ointment) because that was all I could find at the grocery store. I also stopped wearing jeans (I'm soooo tired of track pants, but I've been mixing it up with skirts). I use the cream twice a day (after my shower then again before bed) and throughout the day, I've been rubbing it vigorously- either through my trackies or directly. It seems to have helped some and now it doesn't hurt like a scrape. It still feels bruise-ish, but I think that's because it tightens up every time I sit still and when I bend it, I have to sort of stretch it out again.

We have a big scarring problem in my family- and I may have said it before, I'm the first one to have a scar over a bendy place, so I'm the "test case". My dad's sisters are very interested in how this scar "behaves" as at least two of the four of them will need knee work soon.

ETA: I'm still going to the pharmacy in the next few days to see if I can find some of the recommended stuff you all mentioned. From there, I suppose cost will be the deciding factor on which I get.

 

[Texas]

Are you talking about that it feels a lil raw lil a scrape, because if so me to and if that cream works I will try it. Do you rub it right on the scar?

 

[Joyan6642]

Hello everyone,
Just thought I would put my two cents worth in on the scar issue. I have described the feel of my knee the same way. I told my husband it felt like it use to when you fell and scraped your knee and the scab you bend you knee and break the scab. My PT did massage my scar with biofreeze and coco butter. after pt it really helped the stretched feeling. She said it had a few bumps and she massaged them out. I use the coco butter whenever I felt like I needed to. the scar still looks red sometimes but I am still working with the tendon and nerves damage and I still have a lot of swelling.

 

[Texas]

Last few days I dont even want the ice pack, blanket anything touching my scar, it hurts. When will that go away.?

 

[Gringo]

The bottom two thirds of mine feels funny, but not painful. Just like a fresh scar. But the upper third, from the patella up into the quad, feels like a fresh burn. I can't even stand it when my shorts brush against it.

 

[Texas]

Hey Frog. Just wondered if your knee was getting any better. Did that lotion work at all?.....Just checking.!!!!!!!!!!!!!