Mole removal caused ugly scar tissue - Skin Problems Message Board

dorri · 02-12-2003, 12:46 PM

On my insistence I had my son go to have some moles removed from his neck and face. Surgery left terrible scar tissue. To be honest with you, the moles looked better than the scar tissue. A year has passed and the scar tissue remains basically the same as it was. If I would have known beforehand that he would have this result, then I wouldn't have urged him to get it done. Now my question is, how do we get rid of these hideous scars.

LuvinLiftin · 02-17-2003, 01:54 PM

Scars fade, but there's really no way to get rid of them. I just had 2 moles removed on my back and I'm sure they will scar, but hey scars are better than skin cancer!

Floridiangirl · 02-18-2003, 11:09 AM

there's not a whole lot that can be done for scars but it is important to keep them out of the sun (always wear sunscreen the first year after the mole removal) because they will discolor and be a lot worse. A doctor told me to always keep the areas moisturized, using vitamin E is good. Another option is this stuff called "ScarGuard"....look for it on the internet. I have been using it on a scar from a mole removal, and I can't say yet that it has been helping very much, but it hasn't been all that long of a time, either.

Anonymity · 02-21-2003, 11:31 AM

Unfortunately, I know very little about situations like your son's when several scars are involved, but I'll tell you what I've had experience with.

I had a lymph node biopsy, so I have a scar on my neck. After the wound had healed and then some, I began using a silicon scar patch on it. They're sold over the counter (the brand name of mine was Rejuveness), but they're sort of expensive. It's worth it, though!

I tape the clear patch over the scar with medical tape and sleep with it on. My scar has reduced in size, the red color has faded, and the raised tissue has smoothed out. I know that these results aren't just a byproduct of time because I waited over a year before I began using the patch (I didn't know about it before then!), and my scar was pretty gross. Now, it's nice and smooth and not noticeable. I wish I'd have begun using the patch as soon as the wound healed. (You wouldn't want to use it on an open or very tender wound-- the packaging explains when you can start using it.)

You'll probably have to experiment to find a medical tape that doesn't irritate your son's skin, and, if the scars are very many or very big, you may have to buy two patches. Don't use the patch on damp skin and don't apply any creams or salves with it. In short, read all the directions (as I'm sure you'd do anyway).

Let me know how it works out!! Good luck!!

P.S. On this board, the resident expert on Vitamin E and Jojoba oils is Marti (as far as I can tell!). You may want to ask Marti a specific question about possibly using those oils on the scars.

siren24 · 02-21-2003, 05:53 PM

Hi! I had 3 moles removed 3 or 4 years ago. They scarred badly (on my back and my stomach.) I tried to keep them moisturized and out of the sun. They were very red or pink and noticeable for over a year, but they've faded to the same color as my skin now. I still have some scar tissue, but it's barely noticeable. My moles were very large and potentially dangerous, and embarrassing. The scars are much better than the moles after 3 years. Time will help, and your son may have even better luck being young. Like I said, it took quite a while, and mine faded very gradually, but you can barely see them now.