labiaplasty - what's best for scar treatment?

[Marcie237]

Just had a partial labiaplasty on the outer labia a couple weeks ago(excess tissue removed). So the stitches have all dissolved and PA is happy, I'm happy, and it's not uncomfortable, but I thought I'd ask to see if folks have a special thing that's really super good for softening scars. I have Boiran Calendula cream, Dragon's Blood pure sap(Sangre de Drago, Croton lechleri), and Mederma. I have googled and read all that stuff. It's not clear to me that those (google sites) folks have ever had a scar or are just parroting each others' sites! Each has a different feel and each is supposed to be good. The Dragon's Blood sap is best at night when I'm not moving as during the day it causes a slight "dry" feeling in the area. I had done that for a couple nights before getting-it-checked-day(+17) and she commented that it was soft, so maybe I already have my answer... Calendula doesn't last. I just now put on Mederma to try it, then thought I'd ask here. I don't recall having scars when Stanford did what I have now, but that was sooooo long ago. Thanks to all and hugs to all! This journey goes on forever!!!

[AnonyMs]

Try a silicone based gel like Kelo-Cote, and don't use one with vitamin E.

[Linde]

Use any skin cream high in vitamin E, and start with a gentle scar massage.  All the other stuff is more or less quackery and a waste of your money.  I got pretty good results with the vitamin E skin cream from Walmart, but the major thing is breaking down the scar tissue as soon as possible!
I am starting now with, massaging the scar of my recent orchi.

Just for your info, I made my living with surgical stuff!

[Marcie237]

Thanks Dietlind! never thought of vit E - I'll go grab some.
Yeah, I thought you were a doc of some sort! Thanks!

[Linde]

Thanks Dietlind! never thought of vit E - I'll go grab some.
Yeah, I thought you were a doc of some sort! Thanks!

You a re welcome.  I use the Walmart stuff with very good results on my self!  And it has one great advantage, it is cheap!
The major purpose of it is to be used as lubrication and skin softener, the vit E is just an additional benefit.
You want to break the scar tissue down, depending on how your scar looks like, by either rolling it between your finger (like I do with the one of my orchi), or with massaging movements along the fiber and cross fiber.  You want to do it as hard as possible, but you do not want to jeopardize the scar by being to rough!

Good luck!
Linde

[Marcie237]

I can use your massage suggestions but unfortunately my skin reacted a bit with the cream so I will use something else. Thanks. It's a relatively straight line about 3" along the length of the labia.

[AnonyMs]

Here's a couple of interesting papers on this subject

The effects of topical vitamin E on the cosmetic appearance of scars.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10417589
RESULTS: The results of this study show that topically applied vitamin E does not help in improving the cosmetic appearance of scars and leads to a high incidence of contact dermatitis.

The Efficacy of Silicone Gel for the Treatment of Hypertrophic Scars and Keloids
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2918339/
CONCLUSIONS: Topical silicon gel is safe and effective treatment for hypertrophic and keloidal scars. It is easy to apply and cosmetically acceptable.

[Linde]

I can use your massage suggestions but unfortunately my skin reacted a bit with the cream so I will use something else. Thanks. It's a relatively straight line about 3" along the length of the labia.

You might want the silicone gel, described here.  The main purpose of this stuff is lubrication and skin softening!
The mechanical action of your fingers is doing the break down!

[Colleen_definitely]

According to my surgeon a vibrating massager can help break down scar tissue as well.

It's definitely more fun than plain old massage.

[Marcie237]

Here's a couple of interesting papers on this subject

The effects of topical vitamin E on the cosmetic appearance of scars.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10417589
RESULTS: The results of this study show that topically applied vitamin E does not help in improving the cosmetic appearance of scars and leads to a high incidence of contact dermatitis.

The Efficacy of Silicone Gel for the Treatment of Hypertrophic Scars and Keloids
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2918339/
CONCLUSIONS: Topical silicon gel is safe and effective treatment for hypertrophic and keloidal scars. It is easy to apply and cosmetically acceptable.

Yes, I ran into that E one a few hours ago.
I can't post links yet but if you go to the ncbi link with pmc/articles/PMC2918339/ you'll see one for Dragon's blood. just found that.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4737969/

Silicon gel (and tape), as well as good old vasaline  holds moisture in the wound area. as to healing, not sure...

Thanks for your thoughts, though!

[Marcie237]

According to my surgeon a vibrating massager can help break down scar tissue as well.

It's definitely more fun than plain old massage.

You may laugh, but that was what I was doing a few hours ago, with a Wahl variable vib with different heads - it has a nice tapered cone shaped head that I found fit nicely between the labia and against the scars so will def use it again. I def gigled when I read your post!!!  Many thanks for the doc confirm of what I suspected!

By the way, was it you who was talking about using foam in condoms for dilating? That made me remember that the first thing they gave me after op was basically a nice silicon tube with opencell foam in it. So I started playing with that idea with a condom (I wash off lube and use my own) and found it MUCH easier to dilate - none of the hard and painful! (even wih soulsource silicon) - and much more effective!

[Colleen_definitely]

Nope, I've been mostly using the regular soul source ones and a couple of slightly more flexible silicone ones that I bought.

[Linde]

According to my surgeon a vibrating massager can help break down scar tissue as well.

It's definitely more fun than plain old massage.

This makes sense, but massage is not to be fun, it is a medical necessity!  And everybody know all things that are good for you are not supposed to be fun!

[Marcie237]

right!

[Ellement_of_Freedom]

Strataderm gel. It will change your life.

[Marcie237]

Thanks.

I picked up some scar away a couple days ago but haven't tried it.
My problem is that part of the scars touch each other so anything I put on them (like the dragon's Blood I suggested above) tends to stick them together, even if you try to let them dry first.  I may try the silicon today just to see but I have little hope for it. Using the calendula cream at the moment. The vibrator angered it so I will try again with my smaller one. Thanks all!!!

EDIT: I just tried the silicon scar away and though to touch it feels tacky a bit after it dries, it does not actually stick the labia together so I will try that for a few days. So the strataderm would probably be fine, though 4x the price of what I paid for the scar away ($12 for 10g Target)(I'm a cheapskate!!!).

[AutumnLeaves]

I've had one session of V-Beam laser combined with Fraxel Dual for my surgery scars. The V-Beam treats the red, itchy, raised scar tissue and the Fraxel helps repigment the white scar I had from a previous orchiectomy done (badly) years ago. I also had a few other red scars on my body zapped and I will soon start on my breast implant scarring. At first it looked like nothing happened, but after a few weeks I noticed that the red scars looked less red and irritated, and the white scar was slightly more normal skin tone. I have to have another 3 treatments before I am "done" though, after which I may end up doing cosmetic tattoo.

[Marcie237]

Wow! I bet that's costing a bundle!!! Hope it works out well for you!

I remain happy with the silicon stuff. Most of the scar is now pretty minimal except for a little bump at one end. I think I am also discovering scars from the 1975 one that I never knew were there, so I just rub them a little, too. I do it twice a day - morning and night. All is well!

[AutumnLeaves]

Wow! I bet that's costing a bundle!!! Hope it works out well for you!

I remain happy with the silicon stuff. Most of the scar is now pretty minimal except for a little bump at one end. I think I am also discovering scars from the 1975 one that I never knew were there, so I just rub them a little, too. I do it twice a day - morning and night. All is well!

Actually I am only paying about $200 a treatment. They said my insurance (which paid for my SRS) might even cover it, but ultimate I decided to pay out of pocket to expedite things and avoid the risk of getting stuck with a bill at a higher rate should insurance decide not to cover the whole thing. I'm getting treated at the dermatology center at OHSU in Portland, Oregon. Incidentally, they also suggested I use the silicone gel in addition to the laser treatments.

Good luck!

[Megan.]

When I had my tummy tuck I used silicone gel (kelo-cote) on my scars - once they were healed over.
There is plenty of evidence to support that this can help with colour, appearance and texture of scars, and I'll be doing the same for my GRS.

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