How do i stop a scar in its tracks?

[HustleRose]

I need some advice here ladies and gents --

i have this pimple on my cheek that i guess would be considered "cystic", it's no longer swollen and inflamed and it does not hurt anymore. the only thing is it's turned from a bump to a scab and i'm terrified it's going to scar! i already have two tiny indentation scars in that area because of similar pimples that i picked and prodded in the past and they didn't go away with leaving these marks.

this pimple now, i barely touched it. it's hard to control myself especially when sitting in front of a mirror doing my makeup, i mean it's just right there and it's so hard to stop myself from touching it and trying to pop it. i know it's bad, and this time i did control myself because of past mistakes.

so i was wondering if there was any products use to help with the healing without leaving any sort of mark on my face.

i asked my friend about neosporin and she told me it won't help the potential scarring so i guess that's out of the question unless someone knows otherwise.

just for reference my skin care regimen goes as follows - cetaphil cleanser, clinque toner #2, benzol peroxide 2.5%, and oil of olay complete moisturizer with spf for sensitive skin.

also twice a week i use the queen helene mint julip masque along with the st ives apricot scrub.

tia!

 

[sharkbytes]

Try Mederma for scars...you can get it at most pharmacies.

 

[Ralen81]

Keep it "moist" so new cells can easily grow. Moisturize a few times during the day, use neosporine at night, and skip the BP.

 

[TISH1124]

I swear by Mederma...My son split his head open on the playground when he jumped out of a swing and landed face first into a brick wall..He had to have 18 stiches in his forehead...after the stitches were out His dr recommended I put Mederma 2x a day on it for about a month and you can't even see where the scar ever was.

 

[HustleRose]

thanks guys, a lot of these suggestions sound really great especially mederma and keeping the blemish moisturized! i know the bp dries out my skin so when i use it i will keep it away from the area.

wish me luck!

*crosses fingers*

 

[TamEva Le Fay]

Don't forget...VERY IMPORTANT!!!

...as with all new scars of various nature keep it out of the sunlight at all costs.

NO TANNING!

Protect your scars using a sunblock with a high SPF of 30 or higher and/or a hat to protect your face or other areas where you may have such scars, but DO limit the exposure to the ultra-violet light as much as possible.

Scars by nature are devoid of pigment so tanning or Sunlight exposure will alter the pigmentation of the skin cells around the scar and make your scar more noticable as well as making the scar a Pink/Red color which often times will remain permanent.

It can also affect tissue regeneration. Adverse changes in the color and appearance of the skin may also occur.

For future reference there are three products I'd like for you all to know about:

1. Ultravate Cream (halobetasol propionate) 0.05% by Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals

2. Bionect Cream (hyaluronic acid sodium salt) 0.2%) by JSJ Pharmaceuticals

3. Biafine Topical Emulsion by OrthoNeutrogena


Ultravate Cream/Gel calms inflamed and red/irritated skin like nobody's business it's the best! I always keep it on hand when I have skin issues and need to reduce redness of the skin.

It, basically, constricts the blood vessels at the irritated areas where the redness occurs most giving you a more skin calming effect.

I use Ultravate a lot for when I've had a major hair plucking session, or for when I've gotten carried away with the my alpha-hydroxy acid cleansers/masks/scrubs which has left my face red and irritated, or simply to neutralize a swollen/red blemish. A life saver!

Bionect Cream and Biafine Emulsion - I don't even know how to begin to describe what kind of miracle creams these are. They are potions of the healing kind I don't even understand. They're basically used for wound dressing for minor skin abrasion/burns/irritants of all kinds.

They'll act as a protective skin barrier as opposed to the Ultravate Cream which reduces redness and swelling. When these two (Bionect Cream and Biafine Emulsion) are used in combination with eachother it truly is nothing short of a miracle!

I use the Biafine Cream solo all the time, but if I had more intense skin issues I'll use them together with Bionect first and then Biafine second.

For example - I nick myself shaving my legs all the time (in the usual place of course) I put the Biafine Cream on it - a half hour later it's like it never even happened.

I've included a little bit of info from the online Dermatological libraries about these two products to help explain them more fully from
AccessMyLibrary - News, Research, and Information that Libraries Trust


Bionect-

JSJ Pharmaceuticals has launched its Bionect (hyaluronic acid sodium salt 0.2%) cream, aqueous gel, and aqueous spray. (2) Bionect is indicated for the dressing and management of partial- to full-thickness dermal ulcers (including venous stasis ulcers, arterial ulcers, pressure sores, and diabetic ulcers), wounds (including cuts, abrasions, donor sites, and postoperative incisions), irritations of the skin, and first- and second-degree burns. Like MimyX, it is a medical device rather than an FDA-approved prescription medication.

A low molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA), the principle component in Bionect is a hydrophilic component of the skin's extracellular matrix. A thin layer of Bionect should be applied without extensive rubbing to the wound surface 2 or 3 times a day. The lesion area should then be covered with a sterile gauze pad and, if necessary, with an elastic or compressive bandage. Like MimyX, Bionect seems to be primarily an enhancer of epidermal barrier function, rather than a primary anti-inflammatory compound, although by accomplishing the former it likely accomplishes the latter indirectly.

Biafine:

Biafine[R] Topical Emulsion offers advantages for a wide range of skin barrier needs, for everything from surgery to therapy-induced skin reactions and helping maintain the skin's barrier function, according to physician experts at a roundtable on its expanding utility in clinical practice.

Biafine is an oil-in-water topical emulsion designed to enhance repair of the skin barrier function by recruiting macrophages in addition to hydrating, providing a moist environment, occluding and protecting wounds from external contaminants that could cause secondary infection. Moreover, Biafine enhances wound healing, reducing the risk of adverse reaction or bacterial antibiotic resistance.

For more information, visit:
www.biafine.orthoneutrogena.com

 

[xxManBeaterxx]

Also put medicine on the spot before it becomes too big, because from my experience bigger pimple = bigger scars. All though i never really had pimples, what ever i did have turned into cystic acne. I never picked on it, touched it, or poked it and they always left huge indented scars espeically on my cheek's. Since my scars were years old, mederma wouldnt help me, so i went to the dermatologist. He injected collagen into my skin, the collagen filled in my scar and my skin became much much smoother. All though the collagen he gave me is temporary, it helps speed up and create my own natural collagen to make the scar go away permanantly.

 

[TamEva Le Fay]

BTW...

...Yes Mederma ROCKS!!!

Remember to use an SPF 30 or higher with it - if it doesn't already have it in its formula.

MEDERMA Skin Care for SCARS

 

[Mizz.Coppertone]

well 1st, it's really good that you didn't pop it! that makes ur chances of getting a scar go down alot! i like using palmers cocoa butter on acne scars, it works perfect for me. it keeps the area really moist so it always smooths out nice and even 4 me after about a week!

 

[HustleRose]

thanks for all the advice ladies!

as of right now i've been keeping the area clean, spf'ed, and moisturized. no benzol peroxide in that spot cause i know drying it out will leave a mark. also yesterday my dad got me mederma and i've been using it. lets hope for the best!

 

[ClaireAvril]

i am going to try this mederma.. hopefully i can find it in Canada. I've been looking for a scar fading cream for a while.. thanks!!

 

[fintia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TISH1127 I swear by Mederma...My son split his head open on the playground when he jumped out of a swing and landed face first into a brick wall..He had to have 18 stiches in his forehead...after the stitches were out His dr recommended I put Mederma 2x a day on it for about a month and you can't even see where the scar ever was.

Good news for me.. I started using this product yesterday for my new scar.. I want this one to heal better than the old one. The only thing is that it itches a lot!!!!! Did this happen to your son? I'm not sure if the lotion is suppoed to do that or something else..?? that I am allergic to it???

 

[HustleRose]

the first time i used mederma it made the spot a tad itchy but since then it has not bothered me.

 

[mslips]

I have the SAME problem! What really works for me is Murad's Age Spot Pigment Lightening Gel -

I'm going to copy and paste what I wrote in my makeup group because a previous post had the same q:


For the acne scar q, i have the same prob. A few on my cheeks that is not going to get rid of by just masks and exfoliation and spf.


You’re not going to find anything drugstore that will work just because their ingredients aren’t clincal grade and they are formulated as well. Murad’s Age Spot Pigment Lightening Gel works for that problem. I have it and it works, I noticed the pigmentation fading away in a couple of wks. You can find it at Ulta and it is 60 dollars. However you get a lot for what you pay for because you don’t need to use a lot. You apply a very thin layer only on the areas affected. It’s also hydrating and helps prevent acne and exfoliates.


The number one lightening ingredient on the market right now is Hydroquinone. This has 2 percent hydroquinone and a high percentage of vitamin c to help brighten. Hydroquinone has controversy about causing cancer because the way some company, not Murad tested it was feeding 80 percent to lab rats...they developed liver problems. But the thing is, they fed 80 percent and it was internal. This is external and only 2 percent, nothing close to the testing results. Pretty ridiculous testing there.

It’s not rec. for pregnant women and is advised to use it 3 months on and 3 months off so you don’t build a tolerance. Only use it at night before bed because if you expose it to light it will only darken the areas. So you wash your face, apply your night cream, eye cream, acne treatment if you use any, and then this on the areas in a halo effect (meaning not just on the spot but around it) and then that’s it.

DDF also makes a great lightening gel called Fade Gel 4 that has 2 percent hydroquinone and holistic ingredients to lighten and fade. That ones 54 i think and found at Ulta too.

 

[HustleRose]

just to update you wonderful gals who gave me great advice with this topic- so far the mederma and the moisturizing is working. the pimple is going away and looks like it might not leave any inkling of a scar!!

thanks guys!!

 

[msaaronlerey]

I personally have had success with Neosporin...I'd give it a shot

 

[aziajs]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mizz.Coppertone well 1st, it's really good that you didn't pop it! that makes ur chances of getting a scar go down alot! i like using palmers cocoa butter on acne scars, it works perfect for me. it keeps the area really moist so it always smooths out nice and even 4 me after about a week!

I like to use unrefined shea butter. I use it for everything. God's miracle product. When I cut myself or get a scratch, a burn, a pimple, anything that will scar I treat it first and then put shea butter on it.

 

[reesesilverstar]

I agree... Unrefined Shea butter is some serious stuff. My mom swears it's fading her 20 something year old stretch marks... So i'm buttering up right now!

 

[ClaireAvril]

ok so Canada (toronto) doesn't sell Mederma.. well supposedly one shoppers drug mart near the lake does.. but i'm not going there. I picked up Bio Oil.. used it for the first time tonight.. really hope it will work. Would be nice not to have to conceal as much.

 

[Fashionista9989]

Does anyone know of a spot lightening product that doesn't contain hydroquinones?