I have now went through my 2nd sergery. I had a scar running from left ear to half way through neck. now scar is ear to ear. I healed up after the 1st surgery rather nicely especially on sides of neck. Not sure why front of neck didn't as nicely. I did not have radiation but I will this time. Any tips or hints as to getting the scars to heal nicely. I have heard that radiation may prevent some healing.

Thanks as always!

Hey Shay-

I have the dreaded scar from ear to ear and my edema has pretty much disappeared over the past couple of months and you can barely tell. Sure, the scar is there, and I know it's there, but it's nothing like it used to be, and I had radiation. I used Aquaphor daily 50 million times a day from day 1 of radiation. Just make sure you wipe it off clean before you go in for treatments and then put it back on right after. If the burns get too bad, there's prescription creams they can give you as well, but I found that the Aquaphor worked just fine. It's the same stuff you use on a tattoo (
or at least that's what my husband has always used) after you get one of those and it's found in the lotion aisle, so go buy a big tub and slather it on!

As for right now while you still have stitches/staples in, I used the Bactriban that the hospital gave me - it's just antibiotic ointment. But as for most scars, they just take time to fade. My ENT always told me that my scars would be more noticeable because I'm younger and have more elasticity in my skin, but mine seem to have not really followed with that. I'll post some recent pictures on the blog soon so you can see them.

Hi,

We were told vitamin E, daily, although T didn't do it...battle wounds, I presume. I tried Mederma on my BCC Moh's surgery on my face and I had an allergic reaction to it, but you can try it. Good luck!

Shaylynn, have you tried Vit E? It hasn't been that long since your surgery so you might need to give it a little more time to heal. How are you feeling? Keep us posted.
Nancy

Oh yeah, use the Mederma when you are all healed up! I have the kind with SPF in it. I didn't use it as much as you were supposed to though and I mostly used it on my wrist when I did but I think it helped! And wearing sunscreen or whatever (I was told SPF 50 or higher so I have Neutrogena SPF 70 and 50, in the radiated areas) will help keep your scars from getting too dark if you spend a lot of time outside.

I also used Aquaphor during and after treatment, and a few weeks after I finished radiation, I started using mederma. It took 9-12 months to fade to the point it is at now (currently 20 months post radiation).

As long as the wound is closed, I would ask for a script for Biafine. This is a deep wound dressing and is also used to prevent and heal radiation burn so you will be 'killing two birds with one stone'. It is far better than Aquaphor which did nothing for me. Remember you can have nothing on your neck when you go to radiation. Put it one after you are done.

Take care,
Eileen

Im going to see my plastic surgeon now and will ask this question.

The plastic surgeon told me yesterday for wounds to help with scarring there are 2 things to use. First an antibiotic oitment to prevent infections. Then Mederma for the scarring.

The staples are coming out today (yay!) I will also be asking my DR about this. I was pretty curious what products people had tried and how they liked them and what effect radiation had on the scars and products. Thanks for all the great info!

Shaylynn, I have a question for you. I did read your blog and appreciate all the pictures you posted.

You mentioned using the shower cap. How did you wash your hair with your neck so sore? I would imagine the hair and soap would get on your sore neck. Did you need the shower cap to keep your hair in til your neck started to heal?

Funny...I never thought about the scarring and put nothing on it except whatever the doctors gave me. I did use the cream my RO prescribed. My scar just looks like a crease in the neck, I couldn't even tell people I was in a knife fight--they wouldn't believe me!!

My mother had mederma for something and gave me a tube; although, I didn't use it..I put it in the medicine cabinet and forgot about it...with everything going on I suppose scarring was the last thing on my mind.

Good luck though!

Hmmn, when I was young, my scars disappeared and skin restored itself just like Rays. I remember those days but unfortunately they had passed by the time I had my surgery. If I had not used the antibotic cream and lotions, my Frankenstein scars would not have healed into just knife fight evocative ones. It pays to be aggressive in treating the scar tissue and don't forget to ask about scar massage as that made a real difference for me also.
there was a thread on that last year
charm

Just wondering...is there anything we can use on the radiation damaged skin? My husband has a really bad area on the right side of his neck as the cancer was on the left and that's where the scar is for the RND so the damaged skin isn't really there anymore (I think they sewed right thru it!) but on the right side the skin looks pale and spotty...wonder if the Mederma would work there?

Staples have been out for a week now. Things are looking good.I have been using lotion & Vit E..the same as last time. I was just concerned how radiation will effect it (if it does)

Christine...the shower cap was a shampoo cap. I didn't take a shower after surgery until the staples were out. The shampoo cap is like a dry cap it just dampens your hair and for the body I just got nin the tub with a little ater.

Thanks again everyone!

When I had radiation for breast cancer, the RO nurse recommended a cream to be used 2x daily on the front of my upper torso, over the sholders around to the back. (Not to be used less than 4 hours before radiation). I used it as she said and had almost no sunburn effects from the radiation other than darkening of some warts and a mild itching. There was some redness which eventually faded. The surgeon who did the breast cancer also told me to use it after the free flap. I gave a tube to the ENT Oncologist and to the plastic surgeon who now recommends it to his patients. I used it on my face, neck and leg after the free flap reconstruction and am very pleased that I had little redness. After that surgery I also tendended to get very dry skin over my foot from edema and it helped there as well. My husband uses it on his elbows because they tend to get rough.

The cream is Skin Repair Cream by Medline. (medline.com 1-800-medline)

Hope this helps
Malka