Stitches and Scarring

[peachtree]

My son recently had to get three stitches in his forehead. They got taken out yesterday. I am wondering if it’s worth getting Mederma or some Vitamin E oil or something to prevent/reduce scarring. Someone told me we need to keep the skin protected from the sun? Does that really help or wives tale?

Would love some real life advice as reviews for products online are so mixed.

Pic of the cut:




Edit to add that he 3 years old.

[McBenny]

Wait until the scab falls off and get vitamin E oil. The real clear shit from Walgreens or Amazon.

I can't speak to the other.

He shouldnt have a scar. He's so young.

[piratecat]

I don’t think protecting from sun is just an old wives tale. Our friends’ kid recently got stitches and they were told to be extra diligent with sunscreen over the area and it should go away.

[Pistol]

2 years ago (he was 3), C fell and had to get stitches. Here’s a pic from a while later where you can see where it was.




By Christmas time it was much less noticeable.



By the end of January, the mark was gone. He still has the bump but I think it’s because he keeps hitting that same spot. The kid has my grace for sure.

[peachtree]

Pistol did you use anything or it healed on its own?

[peachtree]

Jun 7, 2019 20:36:58 GMT -6 piratecat said:

I don’t think protecting from sun is just an old wives tale. Our friends’ kid recently got stitches and they were told to be extra diligent with sunscreen over the area and it should go away.

Thanks. I told DH to ask (I couldn’t go with him) and he didn’t.

[peachtree]

Jun 7, 2019 20:29:05 GMT -6 McBenny said:

Wait until the scab falls off and get vitamin E oil. The real clear shit from Walgreens or Amazon.

I can't speak to the other.

He shouldnt have a scar. He's so young.

Thanks! I was leaning that way but wasn’t sure it would help.

[Pistol]

Jun 7, 2019 20:50:05 GMT -6 peachtree said:

Pistol did you use anything or it healed on its own?

Nope. I am the laziest of lazies and really a small scar like that doesn’t really bother me. I will be shocked if my kids survive childhood with no scars. I also wasn’t extra diligent about sunscreen (we use it but I didn’t go extra crazy, just my normal levels) because of it either.

[tallb]

I asked my ped and dermatologist about using anything for scars and both said only sun protection will really help. So I'd keep it lathered up and/or wear a hat a lot. Looks like it's in a location that you'd be doing that already though.

[Deleted]

Definitely protect it from the sun! I have a big scar on my shin that only shows up when I’m tan. They have a bunch of otc creams that help reduce scarring, but the active ingredient is usually vitamin E which you can buy pure for pretty cheap.

[robot]

DD1 had a birthmark removed by a pediatric plastic surgeon. Our instructions to reduce scarring were to wait until the stitches healed and then massage twice daily with oil. He said there’s nothing special about vitamin e, the massage is what breaks down the scar tissue. We were told to do that for a year. And that sunscreen was super important. Once a scar becomes pigmented there’s no reversing that. We put sunscreen on it any time she was outside, even for a minute with that skin exposed.

[PinkFreud]

Kids end up with scars because they have an abundance of collagen. I have scars from stitches from my youth but not from adulthood.
Vitamin E oil and sunscreen are your friends

[Sweetjane]

Nexcare has some fantastic waterproof band-aids that we have been using. My Derm recently told me not to let a scab form, keep the spot moist with Vaseline and covered. This was a spot I had removed if it makes a difference?

[abs]

DD got stitches above her eyebrow when she was 4. She has a scar. We were pretty diligent with sunscreen but it didn't matter. Still scarred. It's faded over the years but you can still definitely see it.

ETA:  It's been 4 years now so I assume her scar will always be pretty visible.

[easternshoregirl]

When I get skin surgeries done, the post-op directions to reduce scarring say:
-keep it moist, don't let it dry out
-get silicone scar sheets (there are name brands I can recommend if you want), they are expensive but can be cut to size and washed and re-used

Good luck! 

[poppet]

Absolutely keep it protected from the sun.

I'd use hydrocolloid bandages to speed up the healing, keep it from drying out, and help reduce scaring.

I know kids are going to get scars but I feel extra effort on the face is worth it.

[cdnfarmgirl]

My then 8 month old got 7 stitches just above the forehead. He’s 18 months now and you can still see the scar. I put vit e oil on and every other thing you can imagine. It’s not bad bad as it could have been maybe. But it’s definitely still there.