Can wound care cream prevent scar hyperplasia

There is really no one-size-fits-all standard answer to this question. Whether it can be effective depends entirely on what ingredients you use, at what stage you use it, and whether you use it in the right way.

A while ago, my best friend got laser treatment for freckles and came to ask me what she should apply to prevent scarring. I recommended a regular silicone wound care ointment to her. I told her to wait until the scabs faded before applying it in a thin layer, and not to apply it too thickly twice a day to dull the skin. She had a small hypertrophic scar on her leg when she broke it before. This time, her face has recovered very well. After more than three months, even the red marks have basically disappeared and there is no bulge at all. In fact, there is clear clinical evidence that wound care creams can indeed prevent scar hyperplasia. The core ingredients are basically silicone. Its principle is simple to say. It is equivalent to covering the surface of the healed wound with a light and breathable "invisible protective film". It can not only reduce the evaporation of water on the skin surface, stabilize the repair environment, but also block external dust and bacterial stimulation. The collagen under the skin will not "grow wildly", and naturally raised hypertrophic scars will not appear easily.

But don’t think that just buying a wound care ointment and applying it will prevent hyperplasia. There are really many people who fall into this trap. Last week, a netizen came to complain to me. He said that he fell down while riding an electric bike and needed three stitches on his knee. As soon as he was discharged from the hospital, he applied the ordinary antibacterial care cream prepared at home every day. He said that the elderly at home said it could prevent scars, but the wound became red and itchy before the scabs formed. In the end, the scabs fell off and red hypertrophic scars appeared. I regretted it so much. This kind of ordinary antibacterial care cream, or care cream with only Vaseline or Chinese herbal ingredients, can only moisten the wound and prevent infection at most, but it really has no clear effect on preventing abnormal collagen hyperplasia.

Nowadays, there are many products that add ingredients such as onion extract and madecassoside, claiming to prevent hyperplasia. In actual clinical use, some people do feel that it has an auxiliary effect. However, the corresponding evidence-based evidence is not as sufficient as silicone. Some people feel that red marks disappear quickly after using it, while others have no change at all after using it for more than half a month. Individual differences are quite large.

By the way, there is another pitfall that is particularly easy to step on, that is, the timing of application is wrong. Many people apply nursing cream on the wound as soon as it is injured. This will hinder the discharge of wound exudate and even induce infection. On the contrary, it is more likely to leave scars. No matter what nursing cream is used, you have to wait until the wound is completely healed, the scabs fall off naturally, and there is no exudation or pus before you can start applying it.

If you really want to prevent scar hyperplasia, don’t put all your money on nursing creams. After the injury, debridement first and avoiding infection are the basics. After the scabs are removed, choose regular products, and cooperate with strict sun protection, touch less with hands, and avoid eating spicy and irritating foods. The effect will be good. If you have obvious raised hypertrophic scars, just applying nursing creams is basically useless. You have to go to the hospital as soon as possible to see a dermatologist or plastic surgeon for treatment.