post-LBL & BL scar treatment reccos?

I am 6 weeks out from my LBL & BL and am really pleased with the results.  My scars are flat and I'm just looking to help them fade and become less noticeable. 

I've heard recommendations for Genes Vitamin E Cream, Colonial Dames Vitamin E & Aloe Cream, and Palmer's Vitamin E Skin Therapy Oil - all to be massaged in 2-3 times a day, which sounds fine, but does anyone have experience with one of these products or have another product they really recommend that works?

TIA!
Krisa

My surgeons recommend using any gooey cream every evening, and silicon strips during the day. Seems to be working well!

I tend to use either a massage oil we have (Liquid Sin, great stuff!) or Aquaphor (basically petroleum jelly) as the cream, and then I sleep in shorts and a long sleeved t to keep it off the sheets.

 I used pure vitamin E oil that I bought at GNC and Bio Oil that I bought at Walgreens. I also used polysporin. I think the biggest key is the massaging a couple times a day. None of my products were expensive but I was consistent in using them at least twice a day for about 3 months.

Save your money. There is no scientific evidence that any of these things work. In fact, you might develop a reaction or irritation to something in these lotions/creams if you haven't used them before. If you feel you must use something, use something you've used in the past.

The idea of massaging your scars is unneccesary- the tissue is healing, leave your body alone to do it's work.. If your skin is dry, then gently apply an emollient lotion/cream after showering. If you start massaging roughly you could be slowing your healing by irritating the scar.

Do not tan until they have completely faded.

Interesting - at this point, my physical therapist and my surgeons have both told me to massage my scars.

Early out, your advice may be correct, but at this point, I do have to ask where you're getting your info from, because it does contradict the medical advice I've received.

Well, I'm not going to tell you to ignore your doctors advice, but you might want to ask him to provide you with peer reviewed articles of research in highly regarded medical journals that was not paid for by manufacturers of these products and performed in a double blind study and see for yourself if they are effective. My surgeon initially was pushing this on me and I asked him for evidence that they worked and he had to admit that there was none. His fellow called it "voodoo medicine". I had already done my own research on line-I have access to a major medical school library and couldn't find anything that clearly showed it made a difference. I did find where it caused irritation and rashes. BTW our surgeons are just like us, they see ads and get info from the drug manufacturers and often they get pressure from the patients about using these products so I'm not surprised some surgeons suggest them.

I had two abdominal C-sections over 30 years ago and both healed beautifully without any special treatment. I fell last year and got a two inch gash on my forehead and again you can hardly see it and all I did was keep it out of the sun which is critical to avoid hyperpigmentation. Have you had previous surgery and did those scars heal well without all this fuss? I mean, if it does no harm and it makes you feel better then it has psychological value. But if it's causing irritation or problems then beware. And if your doctor didn't tell you to do it, then why waste the money?

Also if you are forming keloids then you need to see your doctor and start a serious treatment plan whi*****ludes steroids etc.

Here was one Dr. who posts here occasionally on this old post. http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/plasticsurgery/4283961/Sca r-Treatment/ 

Thank you, and I do still ask where you found your medical information.  I did read that post, and found it interesting that he did support silicon.  So you accept some of his advice, but not all?

I am glad that your C-sections healed beautifully without assistance.  I have had previous surgeries, and while those healed "ok,"(neck cyst removed, one knee surgery without any intervention but no sun) the surgeries where I did use the oil/cream/silicon protocol (one knee with, and one back of knee HUGE J-shaped incision with) healed significantly better and sooner.

And no, if the oils/creams/lubes/silicon caused a problem, I can't imagine any intelligent human continuing them.  And again, my doctor (s) - originally ortho surgeon for second knee surgery, PT for second knee surgery and knee cyst removal, current reconstructive surgeons, and current PT - have all recommended this plan of action.

And finally, no, these are not keloids.  They are simply areas of the scar where additional moisture is needed.  Skin needs hydration from inside (fluid intake) and may also need it from outside (moisturizers and such).  Scars are no different.  No one is suggesting pummeling things into the scars, simply moisturizing to assist with healing - which is what both the oils/cream/lubes and silicon do.

You would think that something that your Drs, PTs etc.recommend is based on on "evidence based medicine" which means practicing medicine based on quality, objective research published in peer reviewed scientific literature and not on anecdotal or personal observations. Well there is a real problem - there is very little published, difficult to find and when you read where the funding for the research came from, it was paid by the manufacturer. If this was effective treatment, then there should be plenty of articles on PubMed and there isn't.

I'm out of the country right now and my laptop screen was damaged on the plane today which is a real pain since this is a new laptop and it's hindering my ability to see my screen and do any work let alone go back and research this topic. So I'll leave you with one article that you can access the abstract on pubmed on your computer. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16437463 This is from the Cochrane Collaboration which is a highly respected, world wide, non-profit organization of medical doctors who do not take funds from industry  http://www.cochrane.org/about-us . This article is about use of silicon sheets which unfortunately I recognize isn't about the use of moisturizers as discussed but is one of the treatments often discussed here. Sorry, this is all the time I have to devote to this issue.

I wish you luck with your laptop - it's very frustrating when you can't see what you need to see!

Yes, I read the abstract.  Nonconclusive, as they felt the studies which had been done had been done poorly.

So I guess we need to agree to disagree for OUR OWN scars.  The OP asked for recommendations of what others had done that worked.

For me, that would be any moisturizing cream/ointment/lube and silicon strips.  For you, leaving them alone.  She'll need to make her own decisions based on her surgeon's protocol.

I hope you have a good rest of your trip.

Yes Rebecca, she will have to make up her own mind. I do strongly suggest though using something that you've used in the past, especially if you have sensitive skin. It would make someone really miserable to have a negative reaction while they're healing.

And I'm not against using something if your skin is dry - after all even without surgery, if your skin is dry you would put some emollient skin lotion on - that's not a problem once your wound has healed.