Post surgery wound/scar care.

I had a chunk of my nose taken out on Tuesday to remove a basal cell carcinoma, still looking pretty gnarly with steristrips over the dissolvable stitches. My aftercare sheet from the hospital amounts to “chicks dig scars” and “you could put a dab of vaseline or E45 on it now and again”.  Since it’s front and centre and pulling the skin tighter than it was I want to do my best to heal as well as I can. Google suggests silicone is the done thing. There’s also Bio Oil and other odd stuff. Any experience here? Cheers.

Pick the scab to stop it pinching the skin is what was suggested to me at 15 after a compound fracture of the leg, much to my mum’s annoyance 😆. Used this as justification for scab picking since.

Oh I’ve been itching (literally) to pick at it, but was leaving the strips alone so they could help the tension out of the stitches and keep the sides together as long as possible.

I used something called Heal gel on my surgery scar (wrist) and the scar isn’t really visible unless you are looking for it (no redness, just a bit more pale than the skin around it). I couldn’t say for sure that it works though as I have nothing to compare it to.

Cicaplast Baume B5 has been recommended to me, haven’t used it yet, but a few other people seem to like it.

Bio oil is good but not sure it will be best for a small area on the nose (my wife used it years ago on her c section). Maybe one of the specific scar gels/creams from somewhere like Boots, but can get expensive. LRP Cicaplast (and even bepanthan) are good for tattoo healing so may also do the job and can be cheaper than the specific scar creams.

My wife had a thyroid surgery last year and her surgeon suggested coconut oil for the fairly gruesome scar.  He also suggested “massaging” / kneading it while applying it.  It has gone quite flat considering it looked. Grim initially.  Clearly you / your doc know if that’s an option and when it’s healed enough for that.  he wasn’t keen on bio oil.

I had 35 stitches in my face 14 years ago after using a parked car as a brake. ( yes, I know…)  I was told to put some salt in hot water, let it cool long enough so it didn’t scald, then dab the cuts.
After that, dry it with a hair dryer. Keep the cuts as dry as possible, the salt water was just there as a disinfectant, leave it all well alone, let the healing process take its time.
10 days after the crash I went back to the hospital ( I had broken my nose, they wanted to see if it was healing straight) the cuts were just starting to heal nicely, but needed someone of the stitches in for a little longer. I took them out as the skin healed myself with sterilised scissors and tweezers. After that I was told to keep moving the skin as much as possible, it helps to stop the scar tissue buildup. I used rosehip oil.
I can’t see some of the scars even if I look closely, some are more visible, but only just..

The bit of skin above my front lip didn’t move for 6 months, that cut was deep. I smashed the back window of the car with my head.. Moral of the story, look where you’re going…

Just noticed how old pic was taken with a regular camera, modern one as a selfie, so reverses image 😂

I am an adherent of germolene on any scabs scars. And keep doing it long after scabs fall off. Docs have recommended lanolin in the past as well.

Germolene has antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties so keeps it healthy and reduces redness. Facial scars and other places too. Important I think to keep it well hydrated so body can keep natural process going…

My wife just reminded me that after an operation she had recently she was recommended cicaplast gel B5 (as recommended by Skippy above) and she really rated it.  When I had an operation the scar was liberally covered in Betadyne gel (an antiseptic) nearly all the time while it was healing and it is close to invisible and the scar was huge initially.

I would recommend going to your nearest pharmacy and asking as well, this is right up their alley

Thanks all. A big face scrunching yawn popped the last of the dressing off half an hour ago. Slightly weepy underneath but nothing to suggest infection. On with a good smear of Germoline now until it seals properly then I’ll give the Cicaplast B5 a go. Looking at a bunch of close up photos makes me think I need to do a lot more on skincare generally.

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter is what I use on my tattoos during, and after the healing process, and it’s as good as anything else I’ve used for cracked, injured and dry skin. Plus it smells of chocolate, so what’s not to like. 😁

I was told to do the vaseline thing to help reduce scarring (10 stitches on my face). I did it every morning for a couple of weeks but can’t really say if it helped or not as I don’t have anything to compare it with, the scar is pretty minor though.

I was recomended bio oil by surgeon

I was told to do the vaseline thing to help reduce scarring

Me too, for a BCC on my back

can’t really say if it helped or not as I don’t have anything to compare it with

+1

I’d imagine that for a wound on your nose with minimal fat layers and minimal excess skin that it’s a whole level of greater complexity than mine.

I was recommended bio oil by my surgeon after having a growth removed from my face.

Was told to massage the oil into the scarring every day.

It definitely works.

Plastic surgeon who operated on my neck advised Bepanthen – it’s designed for nappy rash I think but I’d say it worked wonders.  Kept using it for 4 weeks after stitches out & scabs gone.