Management of incisional scar is intimately connected to stages of wound healing. The management of a surgical incision does not end when the sutures are removed. Surgical scar care should be continued for one year, according to PubMed.
Continue reading to learn more about the wound healing phases, the best wound care practices to reduce scarring and, most importantly, how silicone gel like Nourisil™ MD can manage severe post-operative scarring.
Wound healing phases and proper care
WoundSource indicates that, regardless of etiology, all wounds will progress through the four phases of hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Hemostasis follows the initial insult and can take seconds to minutes to hours; it includes platelet aggregation and leukocyte migration. Inflammation occurs over hours to days (in uncomplicated wounds) and includes phagocytosis for removal of foreign material and pathogens; it also produces tissue edema from platelet degranulation and mast cell or histamine responses. Proliferation lasts from days to weeks, where collagen is synthesized by fibroblasts to form granulation tissue along with angiogenesis. Remodeling can last from weeks to months, even years; extracellular matrix is remodeled, and wound tensile strength increases.
Wound healing phases are not discrete. Proliferation phase begins even before the inflammation phase has completed and continues even as remodeling has begun. The remodeling phase itself continues long after the sutures have been removed and dressing abandoned. Because of this, the care of an incisional wound should be considered as a continual process, and minimizing scar formation should be a long-term goal.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), these are the best wound care practices for reducing the appearance of scars caused by injuries such as skinned knees or deep scratches and surgeries:
- Always keep your cut, scrape or other skin injury clean. Gently wash the area with mild soap and water to keep out germs and remove debris.
- To help the injured skin heal, use petroleum jelly to keep the wound moist. Petroleum jelly prevents the wound from drying out and forming a scab; wounds with scabs take longer to heal. This will also help prevent a scar from getting too large, deep or itchy. As long as the wound is cleaned daily, it is not necessary to use anti-bacterial ointments.
- After cleaning the wound and applying petroleum jelly or a similar ointment, cover the skin with an adhesive bandage. For large scrapes, sores, burns or persistent redness, it may be helpful to use hydrogel or silicone gel.
- Change your bandage daily to keep the wound clean while it heals. If you have skin that is sensitive to adhesives, try a non-adhesive gauze pad with paper tape. If using silicone gel or hydrogel sheets, follow the instructions on the package for changing the sheets.
- If your injury requires stitches, follow your doctor’s advice on how to care for the wound and when to get the stitches removed. This may help minimize the appearance of a scar.
- Apply sunscreen to the wound after it has healed. Sun protection may help reduce red or brown discoloration and help the scar fade faster. Always use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and reapply frequently.
Clinically-proven scar management
Scars vary greatly in quality, depending on individual and racial patient features, the nature of the trauma and surgery, and the conditions of wound healing [1]. Keloids and hypertrophic scars resulting from excessive collagen production, are suboptimal consequences of skin wound healing, and are believed to be unique to human skin. If you are left with excessive scarring from a surgery or injury, there are products designed to help reduce the appearance of your scar.
Silicone gel contains long chain silicone polymer (polysiloxanes), silicone dioxide and volatile component. It spreads as an ultra- thin barrier and works 24 hours per day. It has a self drying technology and itself dries within 4-5 minutes , even within 60 seconds like Nourisil™ MD silicone scar gel. Silicone gel increases hydration of stratum corneum and thereby facilitates regulation of fibroblast production and reduction in collagen production, which results into softer and flatter scar. It allows skin to “breathe”.
Additionally, silicone gel protects the scarred tissue from bacterial invasion and prevents bacteria-induced excessive collagen production in the scar tissue.
Silicone gel technology is a clinically-proven treatment option for reducing scars with over 30 years of evidence to support its effectiveness. DTPmedical supplies the high quality silicone-based scar products such as Nourisil™ MD, Bapscarcare Gel, Bapscarcare Sheet. Ask your doctor which therapy option is right for you.