Brief Answer:
Scar is self remodelling; use silicone gel sheet
Detailed Answer:
Hi young lady,
Thanks for your swift follow up and sending the important details. I was waiting for the pictures to be analyzed best but even then you have sent the details nicely so that I can interpret the scar in term of dermatological criteria to guide you best.
Let you understand some important points regarding scars:
In any
skin injury there is a break in the body’s tissues, the skin produces a protein called
collagen as part of the healing process. There is increased blood supply and collagen rebuilds where the tissue has been damaged, helping to heal and strengthen the wound. Therefore accordingly the scar can be red, brown or white in color along with either a
depression or elevation.
We analyze scars on the basis of two important criteria: color and texture. As per the details provided by you, I can make out that the color of the scar is reddish purple and the scar has a depressed texture after around 2 months of removal of stitches.
As the scar is depressed this shows that the injury to the skin was deeper. The
redness and purplish hue shows that there is there is slight inflammation and dilated capillaries in the
dermis (deeper skin). It is quite a good sign which is necessary for the skin to adequately recover from the injury. This redness also is a hallmark of formation of new collagen at the injured site.
So on one side there is depression in the scar but on the other side the redness is making it bit lifted up naturally.
For a period of about three to six months or longer, new collagen continues to form and blood supply increases, causing the scar getting red and elevated. It is more common in young children and toddlers as they have a very good capacity of regeneration. That is why after a period of year to two the scars in most of kids become imperceptible.
So you got some idea regarding the present status of the scar in the kid. Now for the part of the best way to get it better:
Though there are multiple of approaches for the red and depressed scar but I would not prefer for most of the methods or creams and not at all for any invasive methods. As you got that the scar is itself remodeling in best manner so the only part of best treatment is by using “silicone gel sheet” over the scar area.
Though silicone gel sheet is generally used for elevated scars but in my experience this also helps out in bit depressed scars. It induces built up of moisture and hydration in the scar and therefore helps to heal better. You can apply it overnight when the child is sleeping so that it should be able to provide its adequate effect. It is totally safe in young kids and do not pose any problem in application. It is self adhesive sheet and sticks to the skin when applied. You can apply it for 2 months and see the results. You can prolong the use for up to 4-6 months of time.
One of the important things to consider is to have sun protection for at-least next 4-8 weeks. It is to avoid direct sun exposure whenever possible to prevent excess pigment deposition in the scar tissue.
Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions, I will be happy to help or if you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer.
Wish you good health.
Regards,
Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
(MD- Dermatology &
STD)