Scar camouflage tips?

I had heart surgery when I was just six years old. Now that I’m 22, the scar is pretty standard, but I’m looking for the absolute best way to camouflage it. Any recommendations?

You can't really "camouflage" a scar... if it's hypertrophic, there are treatment options, but if it's just a standard scar... it's here to stay.

Can't we just use a laser for this?

Linda Peterson said:Can't you just use a laser?

Laser treatments can help minimize a hypertrophic, unsightly scar, but they won't make it disappear entirely. It’s always going to be there; the goal is simply to make it flatter, thinner, and lighter so it becomes much less noticeable...

I honestly think you could probably mask it for a little while using certain creams. The real question is, which ones actually work?

Is there seriously no way to get rid of it?

Creams like Contractubex, Ureaza, or Kontrakel are designed to help flatten hypertrophic scars, but let’s be real: nothing on this planet is going to make them completely vanish. Just accept that.
I’m sure everyone here has had a run-in with a dog bite, a clumsy fall, or a shaving mishap at some point. You might end up with a thin, pale, subtle old scar that's barely noticeable, but it’s always going to be there.
If you want to hide it, your best bet is just using some concealer...

Scarring is such a pain, and let’s be honest—some marks just won't budge, especially those stubborn ones right on the décolletage area. I actually sat down with a dermatologist last year, and they showed me this specific laser treatment that looks incredibly effective for getting rid of them. Now, I'm just sitting here wondering when they'll finally bring that kind of tech to our local clinics? Fingers crossed it happens soon. As for other types of scars, they can actually fade away entirely. I know from experience because I had one right on my face when I was a kid, and it disappeared COMPLETELY.🙂

granitehawk8 said:Scars really can't be fully removed, especially the tough ones on the décolletage. However, at a dermatology conference last year, they showcased a laser that’s actually effective for that. I just hope it makes its way to our clinics soon. Other scars can fade away entirely—I know from experience, as a scar on my face from when I was a kid disappeared COMPLETELY.🙂

Look, cosmetologists and dermatologists can sometimes sell you a bill of goods.
I'm a surgeon, and believe me, I know a thing or two about scarring since aesthetic and reconstructive surgery is my day job...

The reality is that the face and scalp tend to heal the best and fastest. Scars there are much less noticeable, assuming they heal properly, of course...

So, are we really saying that this scar can be completely wiped out? Honestly, that would be the dream. But I’ve been told repeatedly that scars on the décolletage are some of the hardest ones to deal with. I’ve already wasted my time consulting with several different private and public plastic surgeons about it. After my surgery, I tried using Contractubex

I didn't say scars could be made to completely disappear... you can certainly improve the look of unsightly scars, but there's usually some kind of trace left behind...

Price: $8.95

Description: Based on the original formula developed by John Salic from Beran.
How it works: This ointment features a specialized medicinal blend designed to tackle first-degree burns with impressive speed. Once applied, you'll notice the pain subsiding almost immediately, and the redness starts to fade away much faster than you'd expect.
It has also proven incredibly effective at smoothing out scars and flattening keloids left behind by burns or other types of skin injuries.
Side effects: In our years of practical use, we haven't seen any adverse reactions.

Use: An ointment formulated to reduce scarring, keloids, and the lasting marks from burns.
Ingredients: A concentrated herbal extract emulsified in pure, unrefined oil, harvested at peak potency.
Size: Comes in a plastic bottle containing 145 ml of ointment.

After procedures, I often suggest my patients use St. John's Wort oil on their scars, though specifically for those at risk for hypertrophic scarring—areas like the groin, the armpits, or for patients with a history of keloids. Once the tissue starts to thicken, they should switch to products containing hyaluronidase. If a hard scar develops, we move toward injecting specific softening agents. If those fail, we look into laser treatments or even surgical revision.

I rely quite a bit on herbal remedies. St. John's Wort oil acts as a natural regulator for the healing process, while calendula ointment works wonders for stimulating recovery in irritated, red skin.

I usually tell my patients to go with St. John's Wort oil once they're healing up, but honestly, I only suggest it if they’re actually prone to hypertrophic scarring—you know, things like the groin area, armpits, or folks who have dealt with keloids before. Once things start getting puffy, you really need stuff containing hyaluronidase, and if the scar turns hard, we're looking at steroid injections to soften it up. If none of that works? Then it's laser therapy or even going back under the knife for a re-op.

I lean pretty heavily on herbal remedies myself... St. John's Wort oil is great for regulating how a scar forms, and calendula ointment is absolute magic for soothing skin that's irritated and red.

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nimbleskipper13,
I'm heading in for thyroid surgery this Tuesday to have the left side removed. From what I hear, the incision is pretty significant. Do you think St. John's Wort oil would actually help me, and when can I realistically start applying it? Is there anything else you'd recommend to make sure the scar stays as invisible as possible?
Thanks,
Sarah White66.

Sarah White66 said:I
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nimbleskipper13,
I'm scheduled for thyroid surgery this Tuesday, and they’ll be removing the left side. From what I understand, the incision is fairly large. Would using calendula oil help, and how soon can I start applying it? Also, does anyone have other recommendations to help minimize the scarring?
Thanks,
Sarah White66.

For thyroid procedures, surgeons typically make a transverse incision along the neck crease—essentially tucked into that natural skin fold—which makes it nearly invisible. On top of that, they often use intradermal stitches, meaning you won't see those little dot-like marks on the surface. Depending on the material used, the sutures will either be removed in about 8 to 10 days (where you'd only see the very start and end points) or they'll be dissolvable if they use something like Monocryl instead of nylon....
There isn't much you need to do... the scar will likely be very discreet. Regardless, for the first month, you shouldn't apply anything specific to the surgical site—despite some questionable advice from certain dermatologists. Just stick to your regular face or body lotions, keep the area clean, and avoid scrubbing it too hard with a towel...

There was some mention of that in Marisol... 🤔

So, I’ve had this scar on my neck since I was 17. The worst part was that it turned into a keloid—hard, bumpy, and such an angry color that I felt like everyone could see it from a mile away. Honestly, I tried everything under the sun. In the end, all that worked was consistently applying a natural remedy (back then, you could find that Saljicev ointment in Boston), which finally softened the tissue and faded the color... Over time, I actually grew used to it. It became something uniquely mine, a recognizable part of me... I guess, as placidfox52 says, you can only mitigate them; unfortunately, making them vanish completely just isn't possible.....

I’m actually starting to think this surgical scar on my thyroid is going to fade away completely. I saw a girl recently whose scar looked almost invisible, and judging by the shape of mine, I think I might be on the same track.
I've been using Contractubex, which is what doctors usually suggest for minimizing new scarring. It's a German product, and let's be honest, it isn't exactly cheap. But for me, it's definitely made the mark much smaller.

There’s this specific makeup, some kind of special foundation. I think I read once in *Vogue* that the girl from those AT&T commercials—you know, the one playing the teenager who's always on her phone 🙂—uses it because she has some kind of scar. I totally blanked on the name though 😢