How to make a scar less visible?

[bluebug32]

The FDH crashed his road bike in the fall and had a large gash on his chin. It's healing, but is still pretty red and noticeable. Any tips on products he can use to reduce the redness and visibility?

[Zen]

I was going to suggest a tattoo around it but seeing as how it's facial I guess that's not going to work. Except for Mike Tyson.

[zoom-zoom]

I think some people and some areas scar worse than others, but I will say the scars from my breast reduction operation 6 years ago are invisible unless a person is actually looking for them. My surgeon had me put medical-grade silicone sheeting over them for the first few weeks of healing once the incisions had closed. Worked very well. On a facial area that might be tougher to do. He'd have to apply it only at night or any time at home, I guess. Worth a try, though.

[badger]

I don't know if it would help him now as it's been several months, but some say vitamin E oil helps with minimizing scars. You can use the kind you ingest, just break the capsule open and rub the oil, or just buy a small jar of the oil.

Pure shea butter is also purported to help. But I think some people are prone to having keloids, or those lovely lumps of scar tissue. I, myself, am one who is in that category.

[softthings]

i second the vitamin E oil. both internal and external. i saw some oil in the face wash section at CVS the other day. they had a couple of different options. i wonder if any of those "face brightening" products work on scars? i have been using the aveda enbrightenment line for about a month now, and it has reduced the appearance of my purple acne scars. much lower level of scarring, but, worth a shot? maybe there is something comparable in CVS, i think aveeno makes something like it. i am sure the aveda stuff is expensive, i worked in an aveda salon, so i couldn't tell you the retail cost of the aveda line. good luck!

[zoom-zoom]

I'd be careful with the vitamin E. Around the time I had my surgery there were clinical trials that had found that E does little to help scars and in some people can cause a sensitivity that actually makes scarring worse--my plastic surgeon said a big no-no to E. Something to research. I know some folks swear by Mederma, but I never tried it.