How to Minimize Scarring After Surgery

Scarring is a risk of any surgery that involves cutting the skin (an incision). However, every person scars differently. Factors that affect how you scar include:

• Which surgery technique was used.
• Where the incision was made on your body.
• Your overall health.
• Your age.
• Your skin.

You can reduce scarring by following instructions from your health care provider for care at home after surgery. This includes keeping your incision clean, moist, and protected from the sun.

How to minimize scarring after surgery

Right After Surgery

Follow instructions from your health care provider about how to take care of your incision. Make sure you:

• Wash your hands with soap and water before you change your bandage (dressing). If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
• Change your dressing one time each day or as told by your health care provider.
• Keep your incision clean by gently washing it with soap and water as told by your health care provider. This will help to prevent infection.
• If directed, apply antibiotic ointment or petroleum jelly to the incision to keep it moist until it heals fully. You may need to moisten two times per day for about 2 weeks.
• Leave stitches (sutures), skin glue, or adhesive strips in place. These skin closures may need to be in place for 2 weeks or longer. If adhesive strip edges start to loosen and curl up, you may trim the loose edges. Do not remove adhesive strips completely unless your health care provider tells you to do that.
• Avoid touching or manipulating your incision unless needed. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after you touch your incision.
• Get sutures taken out at the scheduled time.
• Follow all restrictions, such as limits on exercise or work. What you should do and should not do will depend on where your incision is located.

After Your Skin Has Healed

• Keep your scar protected from the sun. Cover the scar with sunscreen that has an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 or higher. Do not put sunscreen on your scar until it has healed.
• Gently massage the scar using a circular motion. This will help to minimize the appearance of the scar. Do this only after the incision has closed and all of the sutures have been removed.
• Remember that the scar may appear lighter or darker than your normal skin color. This difference in color should even out with time.
• If your scar does not fade or go away with time and you do not like how it looks, consider talking with a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• Your sutures come out before your health care provider said they would.
• You have more redness, swelling, or pain around your incision.
• You have more fluid or blood coming from your incision.
• Your incision feels warm to the touch.
• You have pus or a bad smell coming from your incision.
• You have a fever.
• You think that you are having a reaction to the antibiotic ointment.

Get help right away if:

• You have bleeding from the incision that does not stop.