What Scar Do You Have?

Scars come in all different shapes and sizes and it's not until your wound has healed (no weeping, pain or swelling) will you know how your scar is going to shape-up. If your stitches have dissolved, your dressing is off and your wound has closed then you can start to assess your scar to understand which products and scar techniques you need to do.

Step 1: Look at your Scar

Scars hold many emotions and looking at your scar may remind you of a positive birth or a traumatic experience. Your story is so personal and individual and this stage may take some time. Your scar is an amazing symbol representing the birth of your child. It is part of you for life and the first step to recovery is to start connecting with it.

1. Place your hands over your scar, close your eyes and take some deep breaths

2. When you're ready, get a mirror and have a look at your scar. Allow any emotions to come through

3. When you're ready, assess your scar itself and take in the appearance. Take note of its colour and whether some of the borders are more irregular than others. Often where the first incision is made can leave a wider scar than the other parts or if it's been infected you may see some patches are different colours or look wider

4. If you're up for it, take a photograph. It's great to be able to log the progress you have made as you work your scar

5. If you're able to stand up and look at yourself in profile, how do you look? Does it look like you have an overhang above your scar? Does it look like the scar is tight and pulling in the tissues so the skin above and below the scar look to be outpouching? This is "Fascial Tethering" leading to an overhang.

Step 2: Touch Around Your Scar

1. Run your hands along the skin above and below your scar. How does it feel? Are there patches that feel sensitive? Numb? Tingly? Burning? How far above and below your scar does it go? Does it reach up to your tummy button or down to your pubic bone? These patches that feel a bit different are the bits that we will work on "Reintegrating"

2. Now run your finger pads deeper above and below your scar. Does it feel lumpy? Smooth? Tender? Go all the way out to your hips and up to your tummy button and down to your pubic bone making note of the different textures under your fingertips. These lumpy, tender bits are likely to be "Adhesions"

Step 3: Touch Your Scar

This may sound simple enough or fill you with fear. You'd be amazed how many women don't touch their scar, even years after having a C-section.

1. Place your hands on your scar itself. How do you feel? Allow any emotions to come through

2. When you're ready, run your fingertips along your scar. How does it feel? Are there patches that feel numb? Tingly? Lumpy? Tender? If the scar is starting to feel lumpy in places these could be "Hypertrophic" areas where the collagen is overgrowing its borders. Its more common in scars that have been infected or taken a long time to heal.

Well done! You've done amazingly well to get hands-on and start connecting with your scar. Hopefully now you have a good idea of what your scar is like and what needs work.

Which Scar Therapy Techniques?

There are 2 phases to scar therapy

Phase 1: Desensitise and stretch the tissues AROUND the scar. This is where we start to reintegrate your scar neurologically and address adhesions in the surrounding tissues and is more about the FUNCTION of your scar.

Phase 2: Desensitise and stretch the tissues DIRECTLY OVER the scar. If it's feeling lumpy, numb, sensitive or looking red and patchy, this is where we address the APPEARANCE of your scar

Which Products?

The first thing you need is a cream or oil which will nourish your scar. You will use this to perform your Scar Therapy techniques.

Medical-hydrating cream - this is one of our favourite and most popular products. It is scientifically proven to reduce redness, itchiness and to actively reduce new (and older) scars. It's also been shown to improve the flexibility of the skin and is widely used in burn centres and hospitals. If you have a scar that has been infected, is lumpy or showing signs of hypertrophy or keloid or simply keen for a more medical-grade, scientific-based cream this one is for you.

Repair Oil - This intensive product contains natural oils which promote skin cell regeneration and contains fatty acids which promote cell regeneration. If your scar is healing well, is soft, smooth and is forming a light pink colour with no signs of hypertrophy or keloid then this product could work for you.

Silicone Strips - Silicone is seen as the gold standard in wound healing. It is clinically proven to reduce, soften, flatten and fade scars and is often recommended to prevent scars becoming keloid or hypertrophic. C-section surgery involves a deep incision that leaves a deep wound and scarring through many layers - some surgeries are more superficial. For this reason we recommend thick silicone sheets specifically designed for C-section scars.

Bellybands - In some countries, such as France, bellybands are recommended following C-section since they provide compression to the scar and can give your lower back and pelvis additional support. If worn too tightly they can contribute to pelvic organ prolapse and we ask you to measure your waist before ordering one so we can send you the right size.

If you're not sure what you need, send us a WhatsApp and we can help understand more about your scar, look at some pictures and hear about your medical history. We can then put together your C-section Recovery Kit for you.

Send us a WhatsApp on 07970 807625 to put together your C-section Recovery Kit.

Things to do...

Assess your scar. Look and touch the tissues around and on your scar and start to classify your scar to help you decide what you need.

Order your C-section Recovery Kit. If you're not sure what you need, send us a WhatsApp 07970 807625 and we can have a look at pictures of your scar and learn more about your medical history and recommend the best products for you.

As always, if you need to get in touch please Whatsapp / text on 07970 807625.

See you soon

Felicity x