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[Closed] Any Dermatologists in - Chicken Pox scars?
My daughter had severe chicken pox a few weeks ago that became infected requiring antibiotics. Now the scabs have come off there are around 20 indentations in her face, 3 or 4 of them are very noticeable.
There is all kinds of anecdotal advice on mumsnet and the like suggesting Bio Oil, Aloe Vera, vitamin E cream, moisturisers, sunblock etc., but I've not found any bona fida scientifically proven "medical" advice on what is best.
I'd be happy to try any of the above on my own face, but I'm a bit more cautious about my daughter. The last thing I want to do is make it worse or scupper any chance of them healing. I wonder if just leaving them is the best course of action.
Anyone have any experience in this field?
No replies, ok will throw it open to armchair dermatologists and anyone who has experience of their own kids getting this horrible illness.
Really hoping the indentations will fill in over time but I've read a lot of people saying they don't go.
I had CP when I was 32, 60 now. I've still got the odd mark from where i picked em.
My 2 both had it (just before me as it happens) & both have no marks left.
They will fade. there is something you can put on the skin to prevent / reduce scarring but I can't remember what it is. Sorry. I'll post again if I can find it.
Edit - I am thinking of silicone sheets for scarring
https://www.prescqipp.info/b161-wound-care-silicone-scar-treatment/send/354-wound-care-silicone-scar-treatment/3309-bulletin-161-wound-care-silicone-scar-treatments
I'll watch this. My two (3 and a bit and 18 months) had it recently and the youngest has a lot of little scars (he had it much worse than the eldest who basically just had a few spots and a rough couple of days).
Thanks for the link tjagain.
Not sure these would work though - after reading the leaflet they are for hypertrophic scars - i.e. Scars that stick out due to excess collagen production. The CP scars my daughter has are mini craters and I think the way they become flat again is by the body hopefully producing more collagen to raise the indentation back up.
Just anecdotally my daughter had chickenpox about as young as you can get it, just turned 1 IIRC, and got a bad dose. Maybe a level below what you are talking about with your daughter, no infections, but some pretty heavy scabbing on the face. I remember at the time we were worried about it as it did look bad, but because she was so young, and our reading suggested the scars would fade, we let them be.
Good news is that they do definitely fade, get stretched out etc, to the point it's a non-issue with out girl and you'd have to look closely to see them - I'm not sure she even knows that she has some faint scarring (she's currently 6). The less good news is that they don't disappear or get filled in IME, so it's unlikely that scars that are very noticeable at the moment will just fade to nothingness, IME. They'll almost certainly be not nearly as bad as you fear right now, but you're right to look for things that might help. I don't know what they might be, sorry to say, hopefully others will post with direct experience of ameliorating the chickenpox marks.
Silicone is the only thing I'm aware that helps scarring