Scar therapy
A big part of your C section recovery post-partum is fully optimising your scar to the best it can be so you can be comfortable in your own skin & prevent future issues occurring such as generally aches and pains with your scar, pain with sex, and pulling/dysfunction with exercise. You have got 2 years to fully optimise until the scar has matured, so that is lots of time to work on this. Even if you are 15-24 months post-partum, we can still offer you support, so please don’t feel like you have left things too late
Scar massage is proven to help break up the superficial and deeper scar tissue to improve the integrity of the skin and to improve the appearance and feel of your stomach. Although scar massage is there for functional purposes, it can also help with aesthetics and help reduce “overhang” which lots of mum’s struggle with once heeling has settled.
At RGP we offer personalised scar treatment programmes to our patients and discuss/practice the varied techniques. We also discuss the other modalities that you can use for your scar such as banding and creams.
Scarban silicone banding can be used as early as 6 weeks post-partum and really helps to protect and hydrate the area. It locks in the moisture and can help with outcomes for women with thicker more tough scars. We recommend you use the banding for up to 23 hours a day and only take it off for cleaning and scar massage. The studies show that Scarban can speed up the healing process of your scar. Scarban is available for you to purchase in clinic at £74.99 per pack. If used correctly, the pack can last you up to 3-4 months.
Al Hydran Medical Aftercare cream is one of the best products you can use on your scar, it is fully hydrating and a little goes a long way! We recommend this over massage oils and creams however well hydrating moisturisers are also good to use. It is recommended to use a cream to avoid too much friction on the skin but also it provides the scar with the moisture it needs. You can start using this cream from 6 weeks post-partum, following a check from us to ensure the skin has fully healed.
Lymphatouch is fantastic new treatment option available for women at RGP. It works by further manipulating the scar by using high frequency suction. Results can be seen after just a few sessions however we would fully tailor the regime to the patient dependent on their goals. Our initial treatment plan would include 8 sessions every 2 weeks across a 3-month period. This is what has been clinically proven to give the most successful outcomes for scar optimisation. This exciting new machine can work well alongside individual client-lead massage at home which we also go through with you in clinic. We can commence this advanced treatment from 6 weeks post-partum. We are also going to be offering this treatment for breast scars and other post operative scars that are causing pain and dysfunction.