Scars

[Lil_ol_me9306]

Ok, I need some advice.  I absolutely hate t-shirt weather for one simple reason:

My arms are COVERED in scars!  They're bad enough that they can easily be seen from 10 feet away.  I feel horribly self-conscious and I have good reason.  I'll go out into public where people don't know me and don't know the story behind them and people will literally stop and stare at me.  I HATE IT!!! I actually wear light weight long sleeved shirts in triple degree weather to avoid it. 

Well, my DH has suggested getting some concealer make-up to cover them up and make them at least less noticeable.  The scars are actually a different texture then the regular skin, so there is no way that I can really hide them, but it would be so nice to wear a sleeveless T and not have people staring and pointing at me!  And this isn't my brain being weird.  Last summer, I was out and about and it was 106F outside, so I wore a short-sleeved shirt and this woman stopped, grabbed me by the arm and asked me what had happened to me.  She didn't even know me and she grabbed me!  I told her to mind her own business and left the store in the middle of my shopping trip to go home and put on a long-sleeved shirt.

So what do you think?  The bottles of make-up that can cover up the scars are like $37 a pop!  They're 15 mL bottles and I'm sure they can last at least a few months at a time, but I'd have to get two different shades (front and back of your arms are different colors, go ahead, look!) and I don't even know if it will work.  Any suggestions or comments?

[Mommy_Ray]

I had a friend who had the same problem she rubbed vitamin e on it and they got better. than of course, you can talk to a doctor too, they may have a solution

[tericared]

 I cant stand people who think they should be up in your business....Strangers.....

[offrdngal]

I've seen the ads for Mederma, maybe you can try that.  I don't know if it works though, as I don't know anybody who has used it.

[Lil_ol_me9306]

Don't they need to be fresher scars for that to work?  I've had these for about 3 years now and they're pretty major.

Quoting Mommy_Ray:

I had a friend who had the same problem she rubbed vitamin e on it and they got better. than of course, you can talk to a doctor too, they may have a solution

[maciymommieof3]

expensive but worth every penny

Quoting offrdngal:

I've seen the ads for Mederma, maybe you can try that.  I don't know if it works though, as I don't know anybody who has used it.

[sherry132]

 A few years ago I fell into a wire rack, which resulted in my arm and my side being deeply gashed. The cuts were so deep that I required 700 stitches.

For three years I rubbed Vitamin E OIL on my scars. It was not a quick fix. It was sticky and uncomfortable. I had to wrap my arm and side in gauze to keep from running my night clothes. (I only used it at bedtime) 

Today there is almost no sign of scaring. I am still using the oil on my foot that was burned in 2001. While my foot still bares scars it looks a lot better.

I suggest Vitamin E oil. Not the cream as it does not work as well.

[sherry132]

 No it just takes longer. That's why my foot is still scarred. My doctor recommended the oil for my scars on my arm. By then the burns on my foot were nearly five years old. It is helping quite a bit but it is taking a lot more time. The scars on my foot were also much, much deeper.

Quoting Lil_ol_me9306:

Don't they need to be fresher scars for that to work?  I've had these for about 3 years now and they're pretty major.

Quoting Mommy_Ray:

I had a friend who had the same problem she rubbed vitamin e on it and they got better. than of course, you can talk to a doctor too, they may have a solution

 

 

[Mommy_Ray]

She has them for awhile and it worked. My other friend actually has to go in for some sort of surgery thing :( I'm not much, I'm sorry. But best of luck to you

Quoting Lil_ol_me9306:

Don't they need to be fresher scars for that to work?  I've had these for about 3 years now and they're pretty major.

Quoting Mommy_Ray:

I had a friend who had the same problem she rubbed vitamin e on it and they got better. than of course, you can talk to a doctor too, they may have a solution

[Lil_ol_me9306]

Q. I think you have alarmed people unnecessarily with your thoughtless remarks on vitamin E. You said that applying vitamin E oil to scars did not help them heal faster. You should print a correction because pure vitamin E on incisions promotes healing.

A. When we find research demonstrating that putting vitamin E on wounds helps them heal without scarring, we will be prompt to write about it.

We found a review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (Dec. 2006) that stated "vitamin E has complex effects on wound healing," and concluded, "the evidence that topical vitamin E alone improves the cosmetic appearance of scars is poor. It is also associated with a high incidence of contact dermatitis. The use of vitamin E should, therefore, be discouraged."

If a person plans to use vitamin E oil on the skin, she should test it first on the inside of the forearm to make sure she will not react badly.

http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2008/03/31/can-vitamin-e-h/

[CallieLynsMommy]

Have you tried Mederma? It works pretty well. I've had 3 leg surgeries and am about to have a 4th, I have two huge scars that run down from my knee to right above my ankle...Mederma has helped them a lot!