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View Full Version : Should I get cortisone shots for scars?



DM89
03-06-2012, 02:41 PM
Hey.

I want to ask, I had 2 mole removed from my chest about 6 weeks ago.

When I went into the doctors office I asked if the procedure would leave scars, because I didn't want to have it done if I would scar.

He said I shouldn't worry about it, it won't leave a scar.

Well 2 weeks later scars appeared, thick and pink.

I was told to use Contractubex gel and Vaseline after the stitches are removed. I've been rubbing those two things in every day. I rub in the Contractubex gel 4-5 times a day for 2 min. No results after 5 weeks. They go flat after I rub them but when I wake up they are raised again.

This is what the scars look like.

http://i40.tinypic.com/110a9ag.jpg

They look really small here, but are about 3 cm each in length.

I'm really mad, because I was told that the mole removal wouldn't scar, yet it did. Now it looks worse then it did with the moles.

Anyone have any experience with a situation like this? Should I go get the shots while the scars are fresh or should I wait more? I don't think scar gels will help but I'm will to stick with the Contractubex one for 2 more months.

vencasand
03-06-2012, 03:05 PM
it takes a while for scars to fade. it isn't an overnight cure. the skin heals from inside out. it can take sometimes 6months to a year. the scars will slowly blend in with your skin. they look like they were deep. it is good you had them removed. put a little concealer on them if they show. always use sunscreen and continue to use the contractubex. the more you rub them the worse they will get. apply your contractubex gel in but don't rub so hard. it takes time.

DM89
03-06-2012, 03:57 PM
it takes a while for scars to fade. it isn't an overnight cure. the skin heals from inside out. it can take sometimes 6months to a year. the scars will slowly blend in with your skin. they look like they were deep. it is good you had them removed. put a little concealer on them if they show. always use sunscreen and continue to use the contractubex. the more you rub them the worse they will get. apply your contractubex gel in but don't rub so hard. it takes time.

I understand that it takes time. I'm just mad because I was told one thing and another thing happened. Even if the fade a bit with months there will still be scars.

Anyway don't cortisone shots speed up recovery?

Where I live one full injection of cortisone cost the same as 40 g of Contractubex. So money is not a issue. Seeing as most likely one shot will cover both scars.

PS: I do rub them a bit hard. I do it cause it says that massage will flatten them, if I massage them normally they don't really go flat.

Dr.Deepak
03-06-2012, 05:11 PM
Yup intralesional corticosteroids does reduce recovery time and excessive scarring by decreasing the collagen synthesis and reducing the production of inflammatory mediators and by decreasing the fibroblast proliferation during would healing.

Although most of the scar heals after few months, for some it may take as long as to 2-3 years. As for keloid scar (scar that has grown beyond the injury border) it may even grow larger. As in your case which some what looks like hypertrophic scar ( this scar often heals over time) although its difficult to confirm in initial stage as both looks same, but still you may also use pressure dressing which will help heal quickly and prevent it from stretching large. If you are planning for intralesional corticosteroids, take some suggestion from reputed doctor and go for it. intralesional corticosteroids in a hand of good doctor has excellent result.

DM89
03-06-2012, 05:19 PM
Yup intralesional corticosteroids does reduce recovery time and excessive scarring by decreasing the collagen synthesis and reducing the production of inflammatory mediators and by decreasing the fibroblast proliferation during would healing.

Although most of the scar heals after few months, for some it may take as long as to 2-3 years. As in your case you may also use pressure dressing which will help heal quickly and prevent it from stretching large. If you are planning for intralesional corticosteroids, take some suggestion from reputed doctor and go for it. intralesional corticosteroids in a hand of good doctor has excellent result.

Thank you for your advice.

I just want to ask, do a lot of the steroids go into your blood stream?

DM89
03-06-2012, 05:43 PM
As in your case which some what looks like hypertrophic scar ( this scar often heals over time) although its difficult to confirm in initial stage as both looks same, but still you may also use pressure dressing which will help heal quickly and prevent it from stretching large.

I would think it's a hypertrophic scar, because the scars cover the area where the moles were.

I'll go see about getting the shots on Friday. Because they don't cost much, if it helps healing time they'll save me money I would spend on contractubex.

Dr.Deepak
03-06-2012, 05:45 PM
sorry my internet in freaking me out.. anyway..as the amount steroid being injected into the lesion is very small so the chances of absorption into the blood stream sufficient to cause systemic side effect is very rare.

Ok but before doing that make sure you don't have any history of allergic reaction or any systemic illness. If you have any talk to your doctor about it. Remember, although its an effective measure, it may not work for everyone.

DM89
03-06-2012, 07:00 PM
Ok but before doing that make sure you don't have any history of allergic reaction or any systemic illness. If you have any talk to your doctor about it. Remember, although its an effective measure, it may not work for everyone.

Thank you for your advice. I have never been allergic to anything in my life and I check to see what systemic illnesses are and I don't have any of those too.

So I'll most likely be fine.

I'll post back over the weekend if I get the shots. I hope it works out.

Dr.Deepak
03-07-2012, 12:18 PM
ok.. Do let us know how it goes and yea do it with a experienced doctor, don't just go randomly planing for a cheap way out...

Best Regards
Deepak

DM89
03-07-2012, 12:35 PM
ok.. Do let us know how it goes and yea do it with a experienced doctor, don't just go randomly planing for a cheap way out...

Best Regards
Deepak

I live in a small European country. I really don't have much options here for doctors. The best private clinic gives one shot for 20 euro.

I'm gonna go there. It's the same place I had the moles removed.

DM89
03-08-2012, 02:17 PM
I booked an appointment for tomorrow to get the shots.

I'm curious, do you think one shot will do it?

Will the redness go down?

And how long before I see results?

Dr.Deepak
03-08-2012, 03:12 PM
Your scar is still in healing process and the redness with fade gradually even without treatment after around 6 months to a year. About the single shot...Well it depends on scar and your skin type and success rate varies between 50-100%. Complete recovery may take around 6 months to a year but you'll start to see changes within a week or so but it may take longer. Just wait and see for at-least 4-6 weeks and you can go for another shot if there is no improvement. But remember excessive steroids may result in atrophy and some pigmentary changes which might even look worst.

DM89
03-08-2012, 03:23 PM
Complete recovery may take around 6 months to a year but you'll start to see changes within a week or so but it may take longer. Just wait and see for at-least 4-6 weeks and you can go for another shot if there is no improvement. But remember excessive steroids may result in atrophy and some pigmentary changes which might even look worst.

I only plan on getting this one shot.

Then I'm gonna try to buy silicone gels or sheet and try that.

I'm a student and don't have much money, this is all so frustrating as those two moles have been bothering me my whole life and I spent money on finally getting them removed and now I'm in a worse situation then before. Plus all these gels, shots cost money and I have living expenses, ahhhh, I get really mad sometimes :mad:

DM89
03-09-2012, 01:10 PM
I went in today.

The doctor told me to forget about the shot we are going to do laser therapy.

So he hit the scars with lasers and told me to come back in 3 weeks.

He also said I came at a perfect time and he thinks we are going to see very good results.

I'm a bit sceptical but we shall see.

Dr.Saiyan
03-10-2012, 05:59 AM
Today light therapy with various wavelengths is tried for various dermatological diseases and complication,some showing really good result if used correctly and with experienced hands. just hope for the best.keep us updating.

Dr.Deepak
03-10-2012, 07:11 PM
Yup in a good hands lasers can give good results. Laser therapy also works the same way by selectively inhibiting collagen production by direct photobiologic effect, thus reducing the hypertrophied scar. Make sure to follow the postoperative care as suggest by your doctor.

Do update about your results...

DM89
03-17-2012, 04:45 PM
Ok, so I got the laser done a week ago.

There was Blistering, Scabs formed.

Today the Scabs fell out.

I was warned about all of this.

NOW.

The lower one looks good, it's flat and a bit pink, I think with a bit of healing time it should look really good.

THE TOP ONE IS DARK BLACK. IT LOOKS LIKE COAGULATED BLOOD TO BE HONEST. THERE IS NO SCAB NOW. IT'S RAISED AND BLACK. REALLY BLACK. NOT BROWN, BLACK.

Anyone know what this is?

I'M FREAKING OUT here.

Will post a photo in a day or two.

Oh yeah, I'm putting this CICALFATE cream twice a day. It's what the doctor said.

DM89
03-18-2012, 08:46 PM
Anyone? Come on, any opinions.

One doctor I asked online, said it could be that the laser burned the skin and thats why it was black. He also said those type of burns heal fine.

Dr.Deepak
03-19-2012, 12:49 PM
hi sorry for late reply. i thought u'ld post a pic anyway, yea its normal to appear the lesion darker and dried-up after laser treatment which will fade gradually within a week or so. Don't scratch or irritate it let it heal by itself. Most important is to apply sunscreen atleast spf-30 or more to avoid permanent darkening of the lesion atleast for 6 months. Strictly follow "Avoid Sun Exposure". Do post a pic so we can suggest u further about ur lesion.

DM89
03-20-2012, 03:31 PM
hi sorry for late reply. i thought u'ld post a pic anyway, yea its normal to appear the lesion darker and dried-up after laser treatment which will fade gradually within a week or so. Don't scratch or irritate it let it heal by itself. Most important is to apply sunscreen atleast spf-30 or more to avoid permanent darkening of the lesion atleast for 6 months. Strictly follow "Avoid Sun Exposure". Do post a pic so we can suggest u further about ur lesion.

Actually it was a scab.

I mean the big scabs fell of like 2-3 days ago. But one of the scars was dark, now it too has turned into a scab.

It does look like it's burned a bit.

I apply the Cicalfate cream twice a day. Will post a pic in a day or two.

vencasand
03-21-2012, 01:27 PM
keep applying the cream. stop freaking out! the cream is a healing ceam. watch for redness around the lazer spot. if it hurts or burns call the doctor!! it was larger and it takes time to heal. it is healing from the inside out. it takes time. have patience!! sending you hungs every thing will be okay!

DM89
03-23-2012, 11:52 PM
keep applying the cream. stop freaking out! the cream is a healing ceam. watch for redness around the lazer spot. if it hurts or burns call the doctor!! it was larger and it takes time to heal. it is healing from the inside out. it takes time. have patience!! sending you hungs every thing will be okay!

Thanks.

Anyway the bottom one is healing up fine.

But the top one hurts a bit when I touch it. It's like it doesn't have skin over it. It's very pink and kind of wet.

There was a small part of the bottom one that was like that. But in like 3-4 days, skin covered that part and now it's fine.

I would assume this is a healing process and in a few days, one week. The top one will be covered in skin all over.

Now I apply the cream twice a day and I put a band-aid over it. It doesn't hurt or burn. I just feel a slight pain when i touch it, so I don't.

I saw that there is Kelo-Cote gel for sale in my country and I think I'm gonna buy that and start applying it after skin starts covering the top one. I assume the top one was burned a bit by the laser or it was more sensetive to it.

Since there is an improvement on the bottom one of the laser. I think I might start applying the Kelo-Cote gel for 3-4 weeks see if that works as well as massaging the scars. If there is no change after a month. I would go for another laser treatment.

The doctor told me we can do one more, before summer hits. But in May she won't do it. So April is the only month she would laser the scars again.

vencasand
03-24-2012, 02:00 PM
i think the kelo cote is a great idea. i personally think because this mole was deeper than the other one. give it some time to heal.

DM89
03-24-2012, 04:16 PM
i think the kelo cote is a great idea. i personally think because this mole was deeper than the other one. give it some time to heal.

You might be right. It is taking longer to heal and It scabbed in a different way the the bottom one.

Whats interesting to note is that one was the less lumpy and less red one.

Anyway I have a cortisone cream, should I apply that on it to make it heal faster or should I just stick to the healing cream I have now.

Dr.Deepak
03-25-2012, 01:54 PM
you can apply topical cortisone cream, it will reduce the inflammation and heals faster, but just apply sparingly once or not more than twice a day.

DM89
04-06-2012, 10:43 PM
you can apply topical cortisone cream, it will reduce the inflammation and heals faster, but just apply sparingly once or not more than twice a day.

I did apply the cortisone cream and within one day, the pain i felt while touching the scar went away.

It's been now a month since I got the laser done and I can say that it didn't really do much. When the scabs fell out, especially on the bottom scar, the color of the scar was very flesh like and it was flat and the surface felt different, good different. But within like 10 days, the color went to pink again and the skin when back to the way it was.

This was very disappointing, because it was like white and I had high hopes, that it would stay like that and get even better. It didn't. It turned pink again.

They are both not as pink as before but are still pink and vastly different from the surrounding skin.

Now I bought the kelo-cote gel. I've been applying it for 10 days now. I can say that the scars are flat now. Before this the bottom one was lumpy but after like one day of application it went flat. Now it's flat most of the time. The upper one is also almost flat.

But they are still pink. It's been like 70 days since the moles were removed. I know it takes 6 months to a year for scars to mature. But I'm worried they will stay pink. They have gotten a bit lighter since like a month ago.

Now I had a wart removed from my head about a year and a half. It too formed a hypertrophic scar, I didn't know it at the time that that was that type of scar, because it was covered by my hair and I didn't really check. But that scar did turn white. I don't know if it wasn't white and any point, all i know is that now, it's white.

I have a few small burns on my shoulder, which have left small scars, that also are white. But I have a vaccine scar from when I was 14, that is still kind of pink 10 years later and slightly raised.

Now what do you guys think I should do? Get another laser or just keep using the Kelo-cote and hope the scars turn white in the coming months? It says you should use it for 60-90 days on the box.

vencasand
04-07-2012, 12:03 PM
i think you worry too much. you can keep using the kello-cote but also before you go out make sure these spots plus other uncovered parts of your body have sunscreen on them. remember the skin is healing from the inside out. it takes a while. i am glad they are fading but please don't forget the sunscreen. and also thanks for getting back to us!

DM89
04-07-2012, 05:14 PM
i think you worry too much. you can keep using the kello-cote but also before you go out make sure these spots plus other uncovered parts of your body have sunscreen on them. remember the skin is healing from the inside out. it takes a while. i am glad they are fading but please don't forget the sunscreen. and also thanks for getting back to us!

They are on my chest so they are gonna be covered, no sun will reach them. Don't worry about that.

I worry because this whole thing made me mad, the money spent on having the moles removed, then the 3 tubes of contractubex gel, then the laser, then the kelo-cote and the other gels/ creams. It all cost me a lot of money and for what? I'm worse of now, then before.

I just want them to go white and be done with it.

That's why I'm asking should I go for the laser again or just keep using the kelo-cote.

Dr.Deepak
04-07-2012, 06:17 PM
The way you have described i seems that you may have tendency to develop keloid and hypertrophic scar... i guess corticosteroid shot might be the better option in this case.. cheap and better than any other options...What ever you apply just stick to the one for few months.. trying various methods may make your scar even worse..yup it takes 6+ months to at-least regain the original state but if u keep injuring it will take longer... The color changes that you mention is normal which will fade with time. There is no any fast remedy for that. just be patient and stick to one method..

DM89
04-07-2012, 07:34 PM
The way you have described i seems that you may have tendency to develop keloid and hypertrophic scar... i guess corticosteroid shot might be the better option in this case.. cheap and better than any other options...What ever you apply just stick to the one for few months.. trying various methods may make your scar even worse..yup it takes 6+ months to at-least regain the original state but if u keep injuring it will take longer... The color changes that you mention is normal which will fade with time. There is no any fast remedy for that. just be patient and stick to one method..

I have come to the conclusion that I do have a tendency to develop hypertrophic scars, after this incident. I wouldn't say keloids because, none of the have grown beyond the injury site and none of them itch or hurt are red or anything. Don't look like keloids from photos I've seen.

I did show my vaccine scar to the doctor before he removed the moles. He said we can try a cortisone shot for that. In retrospect that should have been a warning for him that I might scar. But he said, not to worry only the center area of the chest has a risk for that. Not the area near the neck. He messed up on that one.

I have superficial cuts, from a knife, lots of stuff, on my legs and hands. I've been cut, but I have never had any really bad scaring. I guess I have just been lucky those, cuts weren't too deep, I guess. The small burn marks aren't raised but are thick. I mean when I touch them you can feel that they are different from the surrounding skin. But they are the same color as the skin.

These two new scars are now basically flat. I read corticosteroid shots are used to flatten scars, does it do anything for the color? I read it can actually form blood vessels and make them turn red.

I just want them to turn white. I know it takes time, I understand that. I just want to make sure they do turn white. That's why I'm asking should I stick with the silicone gel or should I go for a laser again?

There is an improvement considering last month they were raised and they aren't anymore. If they'd only turn white.

Thank you for all your advice so far.

withavision
04-18-2012, 03:20 PM
Vitamin c and vitamin E lotions and serums work well on scars. Use a few times a day.

DM89
04-19-2012, 11:00 AM
Vitamin c and vitamin E lotions and serums work well on scars. Use a few times a day.

I've actually read that Vitamin E is bad for scars because it slows down healing. There have been clinical studies that show this.

Any way it's been 3 weeks since I've been using Kelo-Cote, it has really flatten the scars down to skin level in 3 weeks. Sometimes they're a little bumpy but most times they are super flat.

Still no change in color, next week is going to be 3 months since the moles were removed. Hope to see some fading soon, I plan on using the Kelo-Cote for 3 full months. I want to give it the best chance to see results.

DM89
04-24-2012, 03:06 PM
http://i40.tinypic.com/fmqtch.jpg

Thats what they look like now. They look like they've melted. Most of the time they are skin level. During the past month of using Kelo-Cote, they have went flat. They actually went flat basically after 10 days of use. The bottom one is egg shaped, but I think thats because the doctor didn't cut that mole out in a line but more of a curve.

I'm starting to fear that they might be keloids but I don't think so. They haven't really grown, they may have a little as they went flat. They don't hurt or itch. Two doctors told me they're hypertrophic.

Anyway I'm thinking of going for another laser, next week. Tell me what you all think.

amina
07-10-2012, 08:00 AM
don't go for these cortisones and stuff. I don't believe that they're all the time effective. I've seen people with getting adverse effects of using them. Try the most safest way as I did for my scars. I tried tonnes of products and out of all of them , invicible worked amazingly on my scars. I'd be glad if you could learn from my experience and do not try something which does not do any good to you