After surgery or injury, many patients are concerned about the way their scars will turn out after their wounds have fully healed. Post-operative scar management has become a hot topic within the last few decades as the demand for plastic surgery increased, so scar care solutions are often sought out. Silicone gel technology is considered the gold standard for topical scar therapy and is available to physicians and patients worldwide. Currently, there is an abundance of silicone scar products circulating in the market today. Because of this, patients and physicians have a lot of questions and concerns about silicone gel products and how to best use them.
Continue reading to learn more about the common questions healthcare professionals and patients have about silicone for scars and to discover the best answers to these questions.
When can you begin using silicone gel for scars?
You can begin using silicone gel for your scar as soon as your wound is fully healed and there is no more bleeding or scabbing. Generally, it takes about 3 weeks for a wound to fully heal, but this can vary by patient. If you received stitches for your incision or injury, you should wait until they have been removed or have dissolved (if dissolvable stitches were used). For scars that are much older (1-3 years old and older), you may still benefit from using silicone gel on your scars.
How long should silicone gel be used?
Medical silicone should be used on your scars for 2-3 months. This is generally the timeframe that patients see the best results in their scar treatment journey. However, because everyone’s skin is different and everyone’s scars heal in different ways, some patients will see results sooner than the recommended 2-3 months. On a daily basis, for silicone gel to be effective, it should be used for 12-24 hours per day.
How does silicone gel help scars?
Silicone gel for scars works through the mechanisms of dermal hydration and collagen regulation. Scars need an ideal balance of oxygen and moisture, otherwise known as homeostasis, to heal properly. When moisture is retained at the scar site, skin cells known as fibroblasts and keratinocytes scale back the production of collagen. This helps to flatten and reduce the discoloration of the scar tissue, allowing it to better blend in with the surrounding skin.
Does silicone gel expire?
Silicone gel does not expire. If you have silicone gel sheets that you’ve been holding onto for a long time, simply test it to see if it still adheres to your skin. As long as the silicone gel sheet is sticky, then it is working. There is no medicine in medical silicone gel; it works by inducing a barrier function on the surface of the skin. As long as you are still able to fully encapsulate the scar bed with the silicone gel, then it should still be benefiting your scar.
Who benefits most from using silicone gel?
Anybody who has recently had a surgery or traumatic injury such as a burn or cut can benefit from using silicone gel. Patients who tend to scar excessively and are predisposed to keloids and hypertrophic scars are good candidates for silicone gel treatment. Abnormal scar types are generally linked to genetics. However, wound infection and re-injury are common reasons that a person may scar excessively after the wound has healed. If this occurs, it can be comforting knowing that a treatment option is available for all scar types.
What does “medical-grade” silicone mean?
Medical grade silicone is a class of clinically-tested products designed to interact safely with the human body in a medical setting. The many uses and forms of medical silicone make it difficult to define and classify. But before it can be applied medically, it must pass rigorous FDA standards. Because medical silicone is safe and durable, it can be engineered for short-term or long-term use. Such items like tubes, dental retainers, implants, respiratory masks, and gel sheets for scar therapy all contain medical grade silicone.
Continue reading to learn more about the common questions healthcare professionals and patients have about silicone for scars and to discover the best answers to these questions.
When can you begin using silicone gel for scars?
You can begin using silicone gel for your scar as soon as your wound is fully healed and there is no more bleeding or scabbing. Generally, it takes about 3 weeks for a wound to fully heal, but this can vary by patient. If you received stitches for your incision or injury, you should wait until they have been removed or have dissolved (if dissolvable stitches were used). For scars that are much older (1-3 years old and older), you may still benefit from using silicone gel on your scars.
How long should silicone gel be used?
Medical silicone should be used on your scars for 2-3 months. This is generally the timeframe that patients see the best results in their scar treatment journey. However, because everyone’s skin is different and everyone’s scars heal in different ways, some patients will see results sooner than the recommended 2-3 months. On a daily basis, for silicone gel to be effective, it should be used for 12-24 hours per day.
How does silicone gel help scars?
Silicone gel for scars works through the mechanisms of dermal hydration and collagen regulation. Scars need an ideal balance of oxygen and moisture, otherwise known as homeostasis, to heal properly. When moisture is retained at the scar site, skin cells known as fibroblasts and keratinocytes scale back the production of collagen. This helps to flatten and reduce the discoloration of the scar tissue, allowing it to better blend in with the surrounding skin.
Does silicone gel expire?
Silicone gel does not expire. If you have silicone gel sheets that you’ve been holding onto for a long time, simply test it to see if it still adheres to your skin. As long as the silicone gel sheet is sticky, then it is working. There is no medicine in medical silicone gel; it works by inducing a barrier function on the surface of the skin. As long as you are still able to fully encapsulate the scar bed with the silicone gel, then it should still be benefiting your scar.
Who benefits most from using silicone gel?
Anybody who has recently had a surgery or traumatic injury such as a burn or cut can benefit from using silicone gel. Patients who tend to scar excessively and are predisposed to keloids and hypertrophic scars are good candidates for silicone gel treatment. Abnormal scar types are generally linked to genetics. However, wound infection and re-injury are common reasons that a person may scar excessively after the wound has healed. If this occurs, it can be comforting knowing that a treatment option is available for all scar types.
What does “medical-grade” silicone mean?
Medical grade silicone is a class of clinically-tested products designed to interact safely with the human body in a medical setting. The many uses and forms of medical silicone make it difficult to define and classify. But before it can be applied medically, it must pass rigorous FDA standards. Because medical silicone is safe and durable, it can be engineered for short-term or long-term use. Such items like tubes, dental retainers, implants, respiratory masks, and gel sheets for scar therapy all contain medical grade silicone.
Biodermis is an innovative market leader with 30 years of expertise in the medical silicone industry. Visit Biodermis.com today to explore a complete range of scar management and post-operative care solutions.
PHYSICIANS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS: REFER OR RESELL?
Biodermis offers custom tailored referral programs designed to simplify and reduce the cost of your patients' post-op care. Additionally, we offer professional pricing if you opt to retail our products. Give us a call at 800.322.3729, and we will be happy to provide additional details on these programs.
