Preparing for Cruise - Scar Cream

Preparing to look my best in my beach clothes for our upcoming cruise! I have some burn scars on my arms and hands from a hot coffee spill. Can anyone recommend a Scar Cream or other technique to get rid of these red scares?

Have you spoken to your doctor? I would do so before using anything on a burn scar. My daughter used Mederma cream (recommended by the plastic surgeon) very successfully on a scar that resulted from trauma and resulting stitches on her face and lip. It is available over the counter, but I am not sure if it is used for burn scars or not. Her scar is not visible any longer after using that for a few months, and it was a bad scar.

I've used mederma (over the counter) for the past couple scars I had--on fresh scars (have to wait until the scab is completely gone) I've had very good luck reducing the size (& especially redness) of the scars. I haven't tried it on older scars but recommend it for fresh ones! I followed the directions on the box. I know the directions are slightly different for older scars. Mederma is a thick gel. There are also silicone bandaid-like strips you can buy--my surgeon gave me some years ago (when they were still testing them) and I didn't like them but they might be much improved these days! (also available over the counter) Good luck!

I'm looking up mederma online (drugstore.com, $24.99) and it does say it can be used on injury burns, acne & stretch marks, as well as "regular" scars....

some facial acne scarring and I love the products on http://www.makeupartistschoice.com

I do at home peels, the type you can usually spend 200 dollars to get...amazing results...my friends have me do their peels now!

Good luck...

Dawn

Dermablend.....been around for years. ;)

http://www.dermablend.com/index.aspx

Thanks for that link! My teen daughter has rosacea and we have been looking at treatments and products. This might help. The before and afters are good for rosacea on that site.

I have a surgery scar from the nape of my neck to my "asphalt" that my husband deemed too large for expensive treatments (yeah, I know, but that's a whole 'nother thread). We had amazing luck with just plain old stretch mark lotion from the baby/pregnancy aisle in the grocery store.

1 1/2 years later, in an evening gown, if you're not looking for it - you don't notice it!

Thanks for that link! My teen daughter has rosacea and we have been looking at treatments and products. This might help. The before and afters are good for rosacea on that site.

EMD1 - is your daughter going to a dermatologist for her rosacea? My rosacea was diagnosed when I was in my early 30's (I'm in my late 30's now). I use Metrolotion. It's a prescription but it really keeps it under control. It also comes in a gel form that might be better for a teenager. You have to use it every day though or the little bumps and spots come back.

You daughter will need to experiment and see what kinds of things trigger a reaction. For me, it's stress or heavy exercise. When I exercise now, I'm careful not to overheat and I put a cool cloth on my face afterwards. Too much sun can also trigger it.

I find that regular makeup is usually good enough to cover up my redness. I like Maybelline Shine Free.

I hope you find something that works for her.

Thanks for that link! My teen daughter has rosacea and we have been looking at treatments and products. This might help. The before and afters are good for rosacea on that site.

DEfinitely get your daughter to a dermatologist.

I don't have rosacea but I had some broken capillaries around my most and on my cheek that were removed with the IPL Laser (intensive pulse light) and I've read that it's also used to rosacea. It removed my capillaries in one treatment.

Jane, do you mind if I ask how much the laser treatment cost and if insurance helped cover it? My rosacea has left lots of broken capillaries on my cheeks and I hate it. I would love to get rid of them. Was it painful at all?

My plastic surgeon told me that it is not the actual product (such as Merderma) that causes your scars to fade, but the massaging you do to rub the product in. He said that any dense lotion like Eucerin cream works just as well at a fraction of the cost. I didn't really like the Eucerin cream so I bought some Scar Slop off of eBay and I LOVE it! It was $16 and I've been using it a couple of months and have only used 1/4 of it. I use it every day. Good luck!!

Bare Minerals makeup is wonderful for coverage!

Bare Minerals makeup is wonderful for coverage!

I agree with that too! I used Mederma. It worked very well

Thanks for that link! My teen daughter has rosacea and we have been looking at treatments and products. This might help. The before and afters are good for rosacea on that site.

Definitely see a dermotologist. I have rosacea and have tried various treatments including Metrogel and antiobiotics. I had the best results using a sulphur treatment from the dermotologist. I also had to stop spending time in the hot sun, not get overheated, eat fewer super-spicy foods, and stick to Cetaphil and other very gentle skin cleansers and lotions.

Your daughter will also have to try different sunscreens and lotions. I was doing very well last year until I tried a particular 30 spf sunscreen. It caused a dramatic outbreak within 30 minutes of application. Since then I have found another sunscreen that doesn't cause a reaction. When I did have my worst reaction (on a cruise), I found that my Bare Minerals makeup did the best job of covering ... but that is not a cure.

My daughter carved an obscenity in her thigh. I wanted to cover it with a tattoo but she was too young.

Ended up using 3 remedies - silicone patches, Mederma and some vitamin E oil (with aloe and other stuff in it). Faded it to near non-existent. Since I did combine remedies I couldn't tell you which one worked the best.

My daughter carved an obscenity in her thigh. I wanted to cover it with a tattoo but she was too young.

 

My gosh, I hope your daughter is getting help, not just for her skin! My sister cut herself too as a teenager and it was because she was depressed. I know this is a fasion and beauty thread but I just had to say something.

My gosh, I hope your daughter is getting help, not just for her skin! My sister cut herself too as a teenager and it was because she was depressed. I know this is a fasion and beauty thread but I just had to say something.

Yes she did, thank you for your concern. She's doing a lot better now.

I'm so glad to hear that. When my sister went through her depression, my parents either didn't recognize the signs or didn't know what to do so they ignored them. She had a hard time but she is better now too. When I read your post, my heart went out to you both.

My plastic surgeon told me that it is not the actual product (such as Merderma) that causes your scars to fade, but the massaging you do to rub the product in.

Hmm, my plastic surgeon would disagree with that, and so would I but glad it seemed to work for you:p Perhaps it depends on type, size & age of scar....

Hmm, my plastic surgeon would disagree with that, and so would I but glad it seemed to work for you:p Perhaps it depends on type, size & age of scar....

That's why my surgeon said the stretch mark cream worked. Maybe using the real product is more important on delicate facial skin?

My best friend burned herself badly on the oven yesterday and is going to use Vitamin E oil because she's afraid of her baby licking her hands with anything else on. I will try and remember to report back here in a few months with the results :-)

I used Mederma about a year after major surgery on my wrist. I was left with a 9" scar from the beginning of my wrist to almost my elbow.

I was worried I started the Mederma too late, but after a couple of months of use, the scar is nearly impossible to see.

One thing to keep in mind, scar tissue doesn't usually tan as well as your regular skin. That scar, and another surgical scar on my ankle, are always more noticeable once I have a little color in my skin.

Definitely see a dermotologist. I have rosacea and have tried various treatments including Metrogel and antiobiotics. I had the best results using a sulphur treatment from the dermotologist. I also had to stop spending time in the hot sun, not get overheated, eat fewer super-spicy foods, and stick to Cetaphil and other very gentle skin cleansers and lotions.

 

Your daughter will also have to try different sunscreens and lotions. I was doing very well last year until I tried a particular 30 spf sunscreen. It caused a dramatic outbreak within 30 minutes of application. Since then I have found another sunscreen that doesn't cause a reaction. When I did have my worst reaction (on a cruise), I found that my Bare Minerals makeup did the best job of covering ... but that is not a cure.

I've tried every sunscreen out there on my face, mainly the ones for sensitive skin and the ones for babies....and had exactly the same reaction to it as you. Unbelievable burning and redness even from products that are supposed to help acne rosacea. Bare Essentuals mineral makeup was the absolute worst for me, even though it is highly touted here and in many published articles. It took days for the itching and burning to stop after I tried it once.

I have found that Clinique Superdefense moisturizer in the oily skin formula, it contains a 30 spf and works great for me. I use it every single day now, even if I don't expect to go into the sun. Never would I say it will be perfect for you too, if you tried every suggestion on these boards you would end up with a very expensive shoebox of useless creams. But, it may be worth a try with your rosacea, see if you can get a sample from them.

I'm not even a big Clinique fan, but found this when I was speaking with a Clinique counter person and describing my problem with sunscreen. She told me there is and ingredient in most sunscreens that some people have a reaction to. I'm sorry I don't recall the name of the ingredient :o

I don't believe in covering up acne rosacea, I'd rather treat it and get rid of the redness. I've found (at least for me) that makeup only irritates it more and the less I do to my skin, the better it looks. Too much cleaning and stimulation only make the redness worse. Cetaphil is good, I use it in the morning, but at night I use a cleanser that is a little more deep cleaning than that. I avoid anything with a dye or fragrance.

I also use a prescription cream for Rosecia called Finecia. It keeps it under control. I also use Bare Minerals and for vericose veins on my legs, or as DH calls them very close veins.......the Bare Minerals do a good job covering and acts as a sunscreen. The proof for coverups is looking at them in the sunlight not just the bathroom mirror, and I think the minerals do a good job. PS a month before my last cruise I fell backwards into my swimming pool and had a large scrape from my wrist to the elbow. Concrete didn't break my fall............anyway, my chiropractor who put me back together said "don't let the scrape get a scab over it, keep it moist with vitamin E oil, and keep it covered. It healed beautifully, no scabbing, no scarring, you couldn't even notice where it had been a month later. I was thrilled. The secret is not letting it scab, gotta keep it moist as it heals and the E oil from the drug store cost about $2.99!

There is no scientific evidence that shows Vitamin E works (and I'll cite the literature;) )

Background: Vitamin E is a generic term used to describe the many derivatives of tocol and tocotrienol. It is the major lipid-soluble antioxidant in the skin and has been used as treatment for many skin conditions, including scarring. Studies have shown that vitamin E provides no benefit to the cosmetic outcome of scars.

 

Conclusions: Without scientific basis, health professionals continue to recommend vitamin E for use on scars. Such recommendations should not be made in the absence of evidence-based medicine.

AuthorsCurran JN. Crealey M. Sadadcharam G. Fitzpatrick G. O'Donnell M.

Authors Full NameCurran, John N. Crealey, Miranda. Sadadcharam, Gaitri. Fitzpatrick, Gareth. O'Donnell, Margaret.

InstitutionDepartment of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin 4, Ireland. curranjn@eircom.net

TitleVitamin E: patterns of understanding, use, and prescription by health professionals and students at a university teaching hospital.

SourcePlastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 118(1):248-52, 2006 Jul.

This study shows that there is no benefit to the cosmetic outcome of scars by applying vitamin E after skin surgery and that the application of topical vitamin E may actually be detrimental to the cosmetic appearance of a scar. In 90% of the cases in this study, topical vitamin E either had no effect on, or actually worsened, the cosmetic appearance of scars. Of the patients studied, 33% developed a contact dermatitis to the vitamin E. Therefore we conclude that use of topical vitamin E on surgical wounds should be discouraged.

Baumann LS. Spencer J. The effects of topical vitamin E on the cosmetic appearance of scars.[see comment]. [Clinical Trial. Journal Article. Randomized Controlled Trial]

Dermatologic Surgery. 25(4):311-5, 1999 Apr.

Authors Full Name Baumann, L S. Spencer, J.

Other recent literature:

Zurada JM. Kriegel D. Davis IC. Topical treatments for hypertrophic scars. [Review] [56 refs] [Journal Article. Review] Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 55(6):1024-31, 2006 Dec.

Authors Full Name

Zurada, Joanna M. Kriegel, David. Davis, Ira C.

Khoosal D. Goldman RD. Vitamin E for treating children's scars. Does it help reduce scarring?. [Review] [13 refs] [Journal Article. Review] Canadian Family Physician. 52:855-6, 2006 Jul.

Authors Full Name

Khoosal, Dipen. Goldman, Ran D.

Chen MA. Davidson TM. Scar management: prevention and treatment strategies. [Review] [45 refs] [Journal Article. Review] Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head & Neck Surgery. 13(4):242-7, 2005 Aug.