Yoga, stretching and scars...

Just wondering if anyone has heard anything about yoga stretching and scars.

I had my arm and tummy scars revised 2 months ago.  I had developed keloid scars.

Well - 2 months out, with a revision and agressive treatment...and my scars are back just as bad as before.  Only 9 months behind in healing now.

I started hot yoga last week.  I find that some of the poses make my incision lines sting.  On thing the pysiotherapist told me was to stretch the scars...so I figured no big deal.

Now?  My scars were getting whiter/lighter (even though they are raised) but now they look like there is a bunch of bruising under them.  You can see the blood almost at the surface.  I'm a bit worried it is actually making things WORSE not better...

Gosh Erica, I would think you wouldn't want to stretch the scars.  For example on my LBL scar, the redness is much worse in the front where all the tension is as opposed to the back which is not under as much stress.  But what do I know, lol.  I've been thinking about you wondering how the arms were healing.  When I go in next month for round 2 which is arms and thighs, we will be doing a test area of laser on the LBL scar.  What he said about the laser is that they work by causing more damage to the skin, so you have to be careful, thus doing a test area to start.

Laura

I thought that was weird advice as well.  I asked her a couple times.  She works with burn victims mostly...she told me that stretching them breaks apart the collegen and allows it to be re-absorbed?  But I've tried googling this and no luck.  So I'm curious.

I've thought about laser as well - been reading about that.  Never thought of a test area.  Great idea.

My scars are pretty much as big as they were before.  Not as raised.  And right now, MUCH brighter red.  I'll take some pics today (2 months out) and post them in a bit.

Hi Erica,
I know I asked this before but did Dr Nanda ever suggest steroid injections, my other plastic surgeon them on my arms since my scars were quite wide and much more noticeable and I found they made a huge difference once the injections area healed.  Again just curious if he brought it up.
Hope all is well with you.
Cynthia

Hi Cynthia...just curious, did those injections hurt?

Laura

Hi Laura,
I never found they hurt but they did leave marks for about a week or so where the injections were. He did about 10/15 injections per arm so it kinda looked like sewing machine stich.
Cynthia

He didn't - but lasers and steriod injections are on my list to discuss in Nov/Dec when I go for a follow-up. 

How many injections did you need?  Did it really hurt?  How long was the healing?  How did it improve them?  Size or just colour?

Thanks!

Hi Erica,
I went four times for injections but he said if I felt like I needed more I could continue with them but I was comfortable with how they looked so I stopped.  It didn't hurt at all it was a different type of injection/dispensing unit, you could hear a click upon each injection.  I went every three/four for the injections at the clinic at St Joseph's in Toronto.  I found and I just asked my b/f if he thought it helped and we both agreed it made a big difference.  My incisions appeared much wider and noticeable/redder  then they are now from the graft then the removal of the grafted area they use to be quite red as well.  My scar line is still wider then most but with everything involved in mine I'm still quite happy with the outcome. 
Cynthia

I have tight "ropey" scars in my armpits.  The PS told me to rub cortisone cream on them.

My brachioplasty scars were "covered" for the first four months (2 months with ACE bandages, then 2 months with silicone strips).  I find the scars really sensitive in my clothing sleeves, on sheets, now that they aren't "covered." etc.  It really bugs me.  Not really "pain" but is uncomfortable - irritating.

My fleur de lis TT scar (where there was an open wound for 3 months) is red - tissue thin (you can see dissolvable sutures through my skin)- and wide.  It is closed now.  I tried silicone strips to minimize scarring, but developed 2 more "open" areas.  They have now closed and I'm afraid to try silicone strips again.  I think I'm just going to put up with the scars.  I'm older (62) and don't plan to "bare" my belly in public anyway.

My belly is still really tight and achy.  I feel like I've been "punched" in the gut.  I use a heating pad, soak in a warm tub and use essential oils for pain & relaxing to help. 

I don't know if my belly will ever relax.

My scars are sensitive as  well.  I find it goes away when I have the silicone and compression sleeves - I almost forget the scars are there.  Then I take it off and clothes drive me nuts. But I do find that it is getting better.  I leave them off overnight (having compression on overnight really affects my sleep) - so they get some rubbin on sheets/clothes and I think that is helping the feeling to come back.

Today some of the redness has decreased, and one of my scars has started to go almost totally white in the area where it disappeared.  So maybe the pysiotherapist was on to something?

My surgeon told me that the redness means I'm doing too much too fast, but it's been 2 months!  And it's just yoga, not weight lifting or something!  I feel the stretching with poses where I'm not taking weight on my arms per se....just stretching them out front.

Who knows??