Any injury or surgery will leave a scar on your skin, but the size and noticeability of the scar will depend on how your body heals and what you do to minimize the scarring. Hypertrophic scars are the result of over-healing, where the body produces too much connective tissue too quickly, resulting in a larger, more noticeable scar. Although hypertrophic scars will fade with time, you can help them fade more quickly with good scar care.
Step 1
Apply a silicone-based scar gel to the hypertrophic scar daily. Silicone-based gels and sheets harden on application and may help reduce your scar's prominence. However, it can take over three months to start seeing any visible improvement. These products are available over-the-counter in the pharmacy section of the grocery store.
Step 2
Massage the scar two to three times daily. Apply unscented lotion or oil to your fingertips and rub and compress the scar tissue with moderate -- not painful or deep -- pressure. Scar massage helps to break apart connective fibers that give the scar its overgrown appearance.
Step 3
Apply sunscreen to the scar daily if it is located on sun-exposed skin. Pigments in the scar tissue may soak up UV rays faster than other areas of skin, making the hypertrophic scar even more noticeable.
Step 4
Talk to your doctor about corticosteroid injections if conservative methods are not showing results. Small steroid injections within the scar can help flatten and shrink it. These injections may be administered in a series, with about 4 to 6 weeks between injections.
Tips and Warnings
- The best time to reduce the appearance of a scar is while it is still fresh -- up to about 9 months after the initial scar appears. Your insurance company may cover treatment for scar reduction if the scar was a result of injury or surgery.
- Do not apply lotions, scar gel or any other substance to a scar until it is fully healed.
Things You'll Need
- Silicone-based scar gel
- Unscented lotion or oil
- Sunscreen
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