Procedures

Silicone Gel for the Treatment of Hypertrophic Scars

Written by

30 October 2016

Silicone Gel for the Treatment of Hypertrophic Scars

Every time a surgical procedure is performed, an incision into the skin is required.  And all incisions leave scars.  Good ones are difficult to see, but there is no such thing as scarless surgery.  We recommend Silicone-based scar care to minimize the visibility of your scars.

Scars vary greatly in quality, depending on individual and racial patient features, the nature of the incision (surgical vs traumatic) , and the conditions of wound healing.

  • surgical scars are a clean cut that tend to heal nicer than a traumatic injury
  • some individuals are more prone than others, due to there genes, to heal better
  • darker skin is more prone to keloid formation than fairer skin
  • infection, tension, movement and trauma all act to worsen the appearance of scars

Many different scar creams and tapes have been studied in order to determine what is the best scar care, and we found that silicone based scar treatments are most effective in optimizing scar healing.  Silicone has been used for scar treatments since 1980s

The advantages of silicon gel include easy administration, even for sensitive skin and in children. It can be applied for any irregular skin or scar surfaces, the face, joints and any size of scars. A tube of 15 gram contains enough silicone gel to treat 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm) scar twice a day for over 90 days.  The gel is applied twice a day, starting only a few days after the wound is closed.

What is Silicone Gel?

Silicone gel contains long chain silicone polymer, silicone dioxide and volatile component.

How effective is Silicone Gel?

  • 86% reduction in texture
  • 84% reduction in color
  • 68% reduction in height of scars

How does it work?

It is thought that silicone gel scar treatment is able to achieve these result through the following mechanism:

  1. Increased hydration -> softer, flatter scar
  2. Protective layer -> prevents bacterial irritation
  3. Modulates collagen production
  4. Reduces itchiness of scars

Classification of Scars

Sixsurgery Classification of Scars
BOOK YOUR PRIVATE

Confidential Consultation