scar cream

My 17 year old daughter will be getting her first pacemaker in Feb. She has asked me to buy her creams to help any scars that she will receive, fade. I do not know of any. Are creams available, and if so do they work and will they be ok to use? Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you

12 Comments

Believe it or not

by scrappy555 - 2012-01-17 02:01:34

A doctor told me many years ago that the best "cream" for reduces scars is hemorrhoid cream. It is made from shark's liver oil, which is extremely high in vitamin E. Alternatively, you can take vitamin E gelcaps, cut them, & smear on the scar. Both are much less expensive than creams marketed for scar reduction & very effective.

Agree: Mederma

by SaraTB - 2012-01-17 03:01:42

My nurse practitioner recommended using Mederma after my first PM implant. In fact I used the CVS version of it - it's a clear gel, and it really helped sooth the incredible itching as the scar healed. I didn't use it until the scabs had healed up and fallen off, but after that I used it twice a day. Because it dries on the skin it's supposed to help flatten the scar - I can't confirm for sure that it did, but it REALLY stopped the itching!
I am very fair skinned and I'd say it took a year for my scar (that time, and the second implant) to fade from pink. Initially it's a bit of a shock, but I did get used to it, and now I swim regularly without giving it a second thought - confidence about it will come.

Wish your daughter good luck from us here at the PM Club, and I hope she joins us later!

creme de la mar

by Helen25 - 2012-01-17 03:01:58

Creme de la mar is extremely expensive however has been recommended to me and meant to be excellent however I have had a number of implantations since birth so mine have over healed and are risen and red but tell your daughter that they do heal and they heal well i haven't ever put any cream on mine before and i'm 25.

Also Vitamin E oil

by janetinak - 2012-01-17 04:01:05

I have used this over the counter oil on the advice of a dermatologist who also used it for his scars. It is cheap & available in most stores in the facial cream aisle.

Janet

vitamin e

by Tracey_E - 2012-01-17 07:01:35

A plastic surgeon told me that vitamin e and mederma are both good but really keeping it out out of the sun and moist is what's important, what you use doesn't really matter. Everyone's skin is different. When I got my first pm (27) within a year you could barely see the scar. It's all but invisible now. Two years ago I got a new lead and a new scar, it's just now turning white. I used medical grade vitamin e several times a day from the time it closed up (about 2 weeks after surgery)

Also, you can talk to her surgeon about placing it a little lower and a little deeper than they usually do. This way takes a bit longer to heal (because it's not merely under the skin) but to me being a little extra sore was totally worth it. No/minimally visible lump once it settled in, scar doesn't show when I wear a tank top or lowcut blouse, and it doesn't rub with seat belts and backpacks.

Aloe and shea butter cream

by dsaunders - 2012-01-17 10:01:53

I felt my scar looked horrible after the surgery and I was so depressed. They had to go in twice within 6 months because the lead came out. I started putting aloe vera gel and Lubriderm shea butter lotion on it several times a day. It healed nicely and with a little cover up stick it is barely visible. I tried Mederma, but it made my incision itch really bad.

Scar

by Duke Heart Patient - 2012-01-17 12:01:49

Not that I know of but that scar if just a testimony of how God plans to use her :)

Mederma

by lawchick - 2012-01-17 12:01:54

Hi there! I am a 46 year-old woman with very pale skin, and for about a year after my surgery, my scar looked horrible. Then I tried Mederma scar cream (available at pharmacies), and it helped a great deal. Now you barely notice my PM scar--probably just in time for a battery change. LOL. Please tell her not to be embarrassed by the scar. When I was shy about it at one time, a friend told me that I looked like a "bad ass".
Good luck.
Donna

scar

by Ajfcabin - 2012-01-18 04:01:28

mederma is what I went with. I got married 3 months after my pacemaker and I was really worried about it! I went to a makeup lady for my consultation for my wedding and she showed me ways to massage the scar (this is a month or so after- once its all healed and not as painful). But otherwise mederma is great. Once the scar is healed over (its just a scar) start the mederma up!

Remember- if she needs any help we are all here- there are definitly younger and older people here with great advice- I know I felt alone at first- but this site has def helped!

Silicone sheets

by kermiehiho - 2012-01-22 04:01:40

I heard that Vitamin E can cause contact dermatitis, so I decided to stay away from those products. I did try a scar cream, though. I used the whole tube, and it didn't seem tot do much for me, although the act of rubbing the cream into the scar did ease some of the itching.

In the end, what worked best for me was silicone scar sheets (bought at CVS). They are reusable until they no longer stick. On top of that, I wore a silicone bra strap pad because my bra strap was digging into the scar. My dermatologist told me the added pressure of the bra strap with pad probably helped flatten the scar and keep it from developing into a keloid.

Surgery

by Ger - 2012-01-29 10:01:40

Had my pm Jan.11th and started using 'bio oil' on the incision and feel it is quite effective. Bought it at WALGREENS, put it on 3 times a day. no itching at all.
Good luck to your daughter....... Never realized how many young people are here on this site------just thought it was only old folks like myself who had to have PMers.
GER

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair

by Lilyp18 - 2019-01-20 17:32:42

Makes scar heal faster and therefore less obvious more quickly. They use it in the burns unit at my hospital :) pricey but totally worth it

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As for my pacemaker (almost 7 years old) I like to think of it in the terms of the old Timex commercial - takes a licking and keeps on ticking.