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princess_n_thep:

THESE PICTURES ARE 12 DAYS POST OP!

Both pictures show the very minmal scars/incisions. The bruising I had was very minimal. The brown/yellow rings you see around the actual incisions is NOT bruising but is the leftover "superglue" still. I take a shower EVERY day and wash them but they are slow to come off. From what I gather, they "glue" the incisions, let that dry, then put a "coating of glue" over and around the incisions again. The scab had just fallen off on the top incision so it is a little pink, my bra had scuffed it off. The only real bruising i got was the one top of the belly button. The one that was the most sore was the longer port incision.

I am VERY happy with the size of them and the expertise in the cut! I know that I am a fast healer but I expect that I would be hard pressed to find the smaller ones in 6 months. I will just keep posting updates on this thread as I go along. I plan to take another picture at 6-8 weeks post op, another at 6 mo, then another at a year.

ENJOY MY BELLY!!!!!!!!

princess_n_thep

This is a topic dear to me. I wanted to manage my scars in the best way possible. Other bandsters don't care too much about scars -- they just *hope* they heal, and maybe use some Mederma. (A weak product in my opinion, and better for small cuts, not laproscopic surgical scars).

I wanted to be real proactive about my scar treatment. The *key* time to treat scars is in the initial weeks out of surgery and the first 6 months of healing. After that, it is real tough to make significant progress. The sooner you act, the better!!!

Also, let's be clear. Surgical scars need to be treated differently than burn scars. So, please do not follow advice for burns. For your SURGICAL scars here's the best treatment. I say the "best" treatment, for a few reasons. 1. I have compared my scars to other lap-band patients (in-person) and can see a big difference in my healing.

2. Some of the best dermatologists are here in NYC, and am taking advantage of this and seeing the top rated docs in this field.

3. I have done extensive research on this topic. Not just 3 hours of internet surfing and reading some opinions, but real research into the science of how the skin heals. I also looked into the treatment on plastic surgery on breasts and face to see the treatments available there. So, based on ALL of this, here's my advice:

Dermatologist -- please see a dermatologist if you want proper scar care. Mine dermatologist monitored my scars and recommended the following:

• Kelo-Cote -- Start using 1 week after surgery: http://www.skinstore.com/<wbr>store/product.asp?catID=8975&<wbr>prodID=8977 Also available for half the price on eBay. It is a gel you apply 2x/day daily for the first 7 months. My scars look great!
  
• Arnica Montana -- available at GNC. I took tons of this starting 3 weeks before my surgery as it really reduces bruising and has helped heal my scars. Promotes healing. I used it for 8 weeks post surgery too.
  
• Steroid -- 2 of my scars were raised, thus my dermatologist injected a tiny amount of steroid into the scar. Within a day, they were flat again! Regular visits to the dermatologist are necessary.
  
• No Sun -- Stay out of the sun!!! Sun exposure will "set" the scars and make further healing and improvement difficult. My dermatologist recommended at least 1 year with no sun exposure, and 2 years if I can stand it. This was not a problem for me since I do not have a good bikini body anyway! I wear a one-piece bathing suit, and put zinc oxide or strong sun block on my scars even under my bathing suit. It is more difficult for men to keep scars out of the sun for obvious reasons.
  

So it's been 3 weeks since surgery for me, thought I'd share my scar pics. They are healing beautifully. Even my stretch marks look better! :biggrin: oh and I have one more tiny one up between my boobs, but taking self pics it's hard to include that one, but it's seriously small!

Edited July 8, 200818 yr by JenniLeen
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whats the v best stuff to put on the scars?

My daughter's doctor recommended using anything that has Allium Cepa (Onion) Bulb Extract in it. Not sure exactly what makes it work, but she says it is the key ingredient to look for. Scar Zone and Mederma are a couple on the market.

btw, I am scheduled for surgery next Sunday. Guess I can let y'all know if it works or not :thumbup:

i see bio oil havent seen it yet at stores

Having just had a tummy tuck earlier this year. my PS told me that the best thing for scaring is silicone strips. I asked about vitamin E oil. She said that there are no studies that show it to be helpful. Messaging the scar is helpful and applying the oil can help you message it, so in that aspect its good, but not the oil itself. CVS has some resonably prices silicone scar stips. I am using them now and it seems to be working

Are the silicone strips in the same area of CVS as like band-aids?

Are the silicone strips in the same area of CVS as like band-aids?

Yes, in that same section. All the scar creams and such are there too. I know when I went to a medical supply store, It cost a little over $50 for a box of it. At CVS, their brand was under $30 for I beleive 24 1X3 strips. and they can be worn for several days each. I just looked at their website and couldn't find it online, but they had them in the stores here in Texas.

Does anyone have any scar information from Dr. Kirshenbaum. I want to know how the scars are with this doctor. I was told that the scarring depends on the doctor and want to choose a doctor that does a good job at this. Thanks guys!!

Help!! How do I put a picture of my scarred belly on here?

Regarding Dr. Kirshenbaum - I was banded on Aug 12th - My incisions/scars look great. He does not use staples but dissolvable stitches and the incisions were covered in second skin which I removed in a week

This thread cracks me up, I love it! I am cracking up because I am 12 days post of and my steri strips finally started to come off. So, I decided to just go ahead and pull them off. I am a RN it the emergency room and I never dreamed I would have reacted the way I did. My incisions are healing nicely, but when I saw my port incision...I almost passed out! My face turned completely white and I had to sit down due to the shakiness, and I started dry heaving. My sister is still giving me a hard time about that one, lol! I can see incisions on other people all day long, every day...but when it comes to my own, forget it! Sorry for the long story, it cracked me up and I had to share!

I am really happy with mine. I am 4 months post op and if I was fit enough to wear a bathing suit mine wouldn't bother me at all. They are pretty light. THey get purple when I am cold thats about it.

My doctor used Glue.

Thank you so much, everyone, for sharing your scar stages, photos and stories, plus the product recommendations.:cool2:

I have not been scheduled for surgery yet - doing my psych appt and nutritionist next week - but I definately am concerned. I have a severe tendency to keloid - those raised, puffy scars. I had an intestinal blockage about a year and a half ago and a cesearean before that (way before - my daughter is now 17). The cesearan scar has faded somewhat but is still a little puffy. The abdominal surgery scar is straight up and down the center of my tummy - dark brown (I'm African-American), puffy-looking and firm, almost hard. It's also sensitive to the touch (at times) and itches occasionally. You'd think after more than a year the darn thing wouldn't itch so much, but I digress...

I'm a little concerned about what will happen after surgery, and hoping some of the ideas I've gotten from this thread will help me to prepare before the surgery. I've gone on EBay and gotten some of the Kelo-Cote scar gel (thanks for that tip, by the way...saved me some $$) and I'm going to try that before I'm even scheduled. If it works on my "old" keloid, I hope it will help me NOT to keloid with my surgery scars (thinking positively).:w00t:

If anyone else has anything that has worked for them, on their keloid scars, please let me know. I may not ever wear a bikini, but I want that to be a personal decision and not a "I have to" decision because of the stupid scars!

this is 1 day post op. lol. eek. and i have 6.

Hello I am so new at this I was banded on November 25th, 2008 and feeling overwhelmed. I had a really rough day yesterday and could not eat after beakfast. I think I figured out that it was acid reflux which was told that would go away the minute I was banded. Today I am hungry and scared to eat anything. Any suggestions? :cursing: