Question:
Mederma or vitamin E oil
I had brachioplasty on 10/17. I am still taped and wraped but I go back on 11/10. When the tape comes off I want to use the best thing I can for the scars. Some say vitamin E and others have said mederma. Any input will be most helpful. — Tawnda C. (posted on October 30, 2003)
October 29, 2003
I haven't tried Mederma, but Vit E did nothing for me...in fact, made the
scar worse. But, the theory is that it's the massage that breaks down the
scar tissue, not the oil. My personal fav is Jojoba oil (bought it at
Vitamin Shoppe). It's thinner and less greasy than Vit E oil, and it's
good for the hair and skin, too. Some people use cocoa butter, too.
— Leslie F.
October 29, 2003
My mom told me that when she had her mastectomy and reconstruction that the
plastic surgeon said not to use vitamin E oil on it...that it makes the
scar more visible...not less...or something like that. What he did
recommend was coco butter.
— eaamc
October 29, 2003
the best thing to use is something with vitamin A (retinol). this will heal
the under laying tissue, not just lubricate the top of the skin like alot
of lotions do. i used this on my breast surgery and 1 year later you can't
see anything at all. i am very fair skinned also and i scar very easy. i
was soooooooo happy that the scar is gone i am now using it on my wls scar.
— franbvan
October 30, 2003
I had my brachioplasty and abdominoplasty on August 18. I am still taping
the scars. My surgeon says that the pressure applied to the scars from
taping is the best thing...better than any cream or oil. I change the tape
about twice a week. It is a breathable, non-allergenic, brown tape that is
very durable and stands up well in the shower. I have to say I am quite
pleased with how my scars look. He has been a PS for years and he knows
what he's talking about. He wants me to keep taping for several months.
— Danielle M.
October 30, 2003
Be warned: Mederma stinks. It's made from onion extract.
— Cosmo K.
October 30, 2003
I used a silicon strip on my RNY scar and it looks great! Supposedly, this
is the latest, greatest thing for scars. I have no idea how it works but
it definitely does. It keeps the scar at skin surface level and doesn't
allow it to get thick. Also, it keeps it smooth. A friend who works in a
clinic cut me a piece from her stash and it has lasted for months and
months and months. In fact, they say that the longer you wear it the
better it is. I've seen them for sale in Walgreens but they are in smaller
patches and I guess you would have to put several together if your scar was
long. For some areas, they will stick to the skin but since my scar was
long and thin it wouldn't stick so I used tape to hold it on. Good luck!
— [Deactivated Member]
October 30, 2003
Have you thought of Aloe Vera to help? It helps with burn scars so I would
guess it would help with other types of scars. I may be wrong but thought
I would suggest it anyway. :o)
— Renee A.
October 30, 2003
Do <b>not</b> use Vitamin E Oil. I have recently been doing
research on the best method to diminish the visibility of my RNY scar, and
ran across several reports on medically-based websites that saying Vitamin
E actually makes it <u>worse</u>, as one of the earlier posters
testified in her situation. I've also hear Mederma isn't all that great
either. I'm using Curad ScarTherapy (which you can buy at any drug store or
WalMart), and have seen a difference in both the color of my scar and how
much it protrudes from the skin in the six days I've been using it.
Basically, it's an adhesive strip (it might be silicone) you plaster right
on to the scar, and they also have tape that goes over the scar and
attaches to either side of your scar, to keep the adhesive strip on your
skin. You wear it 24 hours a day, and change it once every 24 hours. You
may want to try this before you go the way of Mederma (which I continue to
hear does virtually nothing for scars). Go to Epinions.com and do a search
on Mederma for several people's opinions on Mederma; one reviewer tells
about another OTC therapy she got which worked quite well on her stretch
marks (however, it was quite expensive). Good luck!
— sweetmana
October 30, 2003
Mederma burned me and made me peel. Vit E felt nice, did nothing. Reecent
reading makes me think it is not a good thing on the outside, either. I
used Scargo (after 4 weeks) to fade the scars. It is to be massges it, so
that helps break up the scar tissue. However, I'm a keloid former, so I
still took the series of injections to make it lie down flat & take the
"rope" out of it. The Scargo has faded the scars nicely,
including some old ones.
— vitalady
October 30, 2003
I have just recently purchased a tube of Maderma. The first thing I will
say is that it's expensive. I think the small tube was about $18.00. I
haven't used it long enough to know yet how it works, but I can tell you
that it's kind of a pain in the butt to do it correctly. The directions
say to apply it four times daily for six months. I don't know about anyone
else, but one or two times daily is about all I have time for.
— kristynush
October 30, 2003
Thank you all for the great help. It sounds like the best thing may be the
tape strips and I plan to buy some before the doctor removes them for good.
— Tawnda C.
October 30, 2003
I have had a scar that is 3" X 1" which I have had cut out twice
with no luck at all it always comes back. This has not been done by a
plastic surgen but was necessary because I had a port a cath. I found a
homeopathic treatment that is working wonders for me and believe me I have
tried everything else without the response I have gotten with
Scars-Adhesions by N.E.T. Remedies After just one bottle my scar is now
regular skin color, before it was an angry red. It is also soft like the
rest on my skin. Below is the website for these products.
http://www.netmindbody.com/remedies_net_remedies.html
— dimccoy
October 31, 2003
I don't know about brachioplasty, but my son had stitches in his forehead
when he was 2 years old. I used vitamin E religiously on the scar 2x a day
for nine months, and it did nothing. I didn't bother with my RNY. I have
not heard much success with Mederma either. I guess it can't hurt but it
is expensive.
— Fixnmyself
November 1, 2003
All the professionals I queried with this tell me to not waste my money on
fancy creams or potions...rubbing is what does it. Use a good moisturiser
and massage the area a couple of times daily.
— [Deactivated Member]
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