Anything to reduce/get rid of the appearance of scars/cuts

LegacyUser

Hi all,
went through a difficult time the last few months, and hopefully am out the other side of it for good. Please don't judge. At the time, I began cutting self. It has been a couple of months since I have wanted to, and pray to god it doesn't go that direction in the future.
I don't know if it is possible, but I would like to move on with my life, and am looking toward the future, and am not sure if some of the scars will go away completely. They are on my upper thighs.
Does anyone know of anything that might reduce their appearance? I'm too embaressed to go to my doctor about it. I'd like to go swimming, but obviously not the way they look at the moment! And sunbathing in the summer without having to worry about them.
Please if anyone has suggestions that have worked for them about reducing the appearance of scars, or have a good website, I'd really appreciate it!
Thanks a million!!!

mud

Bio-oil is fantastic, you can get it in most chemists

Gauge

Bio oil and vitamin e oil are both very good for breaking down scars, you can pick up either in health stores or pharmacies in bottles, or in the case of Vitamin E you can buy it in capsules and break them to get the liquid inside onto the scar. Massage the oils in 2-3 times a day and you should end up seeing a difference. I've found Bio Oil very useful and my brother has had a couple of cuts requiring stitches that have not scarred at all, or very little after using Bio Oil.

If you don't, try and brave the doctor as s/he might have better methods, or be able to refer you to a specialist. Good luck!

Sage'sMama

mud wrote: »

Bio-oil is fantastic, you can get it in most chemists

Bio-oil is the best. I used it on my stretch marks on my thighs when i lost weight. i recommended it to my sister in law when she was pregnant and she didn't get a single stretch mark. I also used it on my hand when i cut it open on a pint glass and the scar which is the width of my hand is hardly visible! It really is fab. Also VitaminE buy the capsules and open one and rub on the scar it is very good as well for scars.

Talliesin

Going to a doctor might not be a bad idea though. Maybe one other than your regular GP. There's a GP on Dame St (don't know is you're in Dublin of course, but then again you might be) who as well as a general practice has some experience in dermatology, which could be a plus in this regard.

Caked Karen

+1 on Bio Oil - its brilliant

silversurfer

Bio-oil, I've heard it's very good, my wife uses it for pampering herself (face rubs etc...)

Most chemists have it, no perscription needed.
It seems expensive, but a bottle lasts a good while

LegacyUser

The ones on my thighs are generally the worst. Bio oil is good, but will take a long time, months.

If you wish to talk in a supportive environment have a look here http://www.nshn.co.uk/forum/index.php

Loxosceles

Nomorecuts wrote: »

Hi all,
went through a difficult time the last few months, and hopefully am out the other side of it for good. Please don't judge. At the time, I began cutting self. It has been a couple of months since I have wanted to, and pray to god it doesn't go that direction in the future.
I don't know if it is possible, but I would like to move on with my life, and am looking toward the future, and am not sure if some of the scars will go away completely. They are on my upper thighs.

Bio-Oil works well and I'd also suggest Avon lift and tuck skin tightener for an overnight lift to any sagging skin while using the bio-oil for permanent removal. It's a little expensive but worth it.

As for the scars which created the desire to cut, those need therapy as well and I hope you've found it, because the emotional pain which creates the desire to cut to alleviate it, is profoundly intense. In primary school and early teenhood I had trichotillomania which is hair-pulling that I did in order to cope with severe bullying. It is actually painful, but the itch that created the desire to pull is a comforting and deadening mask to wear over suffering, and cutting becomes that for more severe traumas. When I was transferred to a gifted school at 13 and found friends, and the bullying stopped, I also stopped pulling. I hope you found a good doctor who understands post-traumatic stress and will help you keep getting through the other side.

IRISH RAIL

Hi there op
I know how you feel
I had some serious scarring last June in Israel I got hit by a lot of flying glass
as a result I had a lot of damage to my right arm and chest.
Thankfully my chest was ok and all healed up fine there but my arm was ripped apart.
I went to my doctor and got Laser scar removal
what they do is (this sounds a bit frightening) burn a layer away until its fresh skin growing it can be quite expensive all I have left to go now is about 8 inches the rest is perfect ( a little white for my skin ) but even the hairs are growing around it so you cant even see where was ripped open
this can take about an hour to do
Im not a doctor but I would suggest a trip to a specalist to see what he can do for you.
If you feel embaressed about how they happened make up some story like you were attacked by a group of girls and they slashed your legs or something they wont care.
also its important that you seek out help over why you did it too
no point fixing the results if the cause is still there
Hope you do ok
(Also some guys find scars a turn on adds a bit of character )

dny123456

+1 for the laser...

I had a lot of scaring all over from a car accident a couple of years back. Various types of scars from surgical to deep cuts, to abrasions. I found that after the laser treatment the surgical scars once treated responded quite well. Took a few visits, but it did take the red look away. I wouldnt say the scars went away to the stage of not being noticable, but they don't bother me anymore anyway. As someone else said, they add character :-) Etchings from a chapter in your life.

Mr. Incognito

Olive oil works just as good at a fraction of the cost of bio oil.

star-pants

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Olive oil works just as good at a fraction of the cost of bio oil.

Is olive oil just as good? I must say I've a couple of scars myself I'd like to get rid of, so this bio oil was sounding good.
Does it matter where the scars are? Like if they're on thin-ish skin?

LegacyUser

Hi OP, regular poster here so I’ve gone unregged for my reply. I went through a long period in my teens and early 20s of self mutilation (5 to 6 years). Looking back I was suffering with depression, had body and confidence issues etc. I know most teenagers do but some are better equipped than others to deal with it. I know how you were feeling and firstly I want to congratulate you on been able to stop, that was the hardest part for me, and also to let you know, you are not been judged.

People simply cannot understand this practice unless they have been through it themselves. For me it was an addiction, simple as that. I could be lying in bed and I would get an urge and would have to do it and it did make me feel better (as strange as that sounds) Most of my scarring is limited to my upper arms and some on my forearms (like yourself, areas that are relatively easy to keep hidden) and they have faded with time. They are noticible, particularly a couple on my upper arms that probably could have done with been stitched, but only if you were to look closely so your own will fade in time.

The way I view them now is that they are there to remind me that things are never as bad as they appear and there is always another option. I havn’t done it in probably 4 or 5 years and I don’t think I ever will again.
I know this post doesn’t answer your question but I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone and there are people that have been through the same thing. Take care.
A.

LegacyUser

Thanks for all of the replies! I got some bio oil this morning, so I'm going to start trying that and give it a few months and see how I go, and if I have to take more action I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Thanks a million for all of your replies!!!! It seems there's a good few options out there! :):)