LiveLaughLearn – Scar Reduction

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2011 at the age of 32. I was told I had an “angry cancer,” that needed to be treated aggressively and had a lumpectomy to remove my 2 1/2 cm tumour followed by chemotherapy. After chemo, I was given the option of either radiation or mastectomy. I chose mastectomy. Actually, two of them, followed by reconstruction. My surgeries and reconstruction left me with some pretty intense scars. I tried several products to reduce their intensity until I found what worked best for me.

For my LiveLaughLearn video, I wanted to share this scar reduction tip. A friend who works in a pharmacy introduced me to Elastoplast Scar Reducer Patches and I have been using them ever since.

Here are my suggestions for how best to use these scar reducing strips:

1. Measure the scar – When you measure your scar, measure a little bit beyond it to ensure you have enough when you cut the strips.

2. Cut strip to fit scar  – The scar reducing strips are not cheap and in order to get more bang for my buck I would cut them into smaller tabs to closely fit the size my scar.

3. Apply to scar – carefully apply to the healed scar and leave on for 24 hours.

4. Remove gently – it is important to make sure you are fully healed before using these strips so ask your doctor for when the time is right. My scars are still there, but this product has definitely helped to minimize their colour and appearance.

Everybody’s scars are different and everyone heals differently so there may be another product better suited to you. Check with your doctor before trying any new product.

–Carys Cao