How to take care of your scar after a C-Section

C Section blog the pod collection 1

While a C-section is a relatively secure procedure, it is also a big operation, and it is important to adequately care for the incision to avoid damage and infection.
Clean the incision daily: While you will be sore for a bit, you must keep the area clean. Allow water and soap to stream down the incision when showering, or gently wash it with a cloth without scrubbing it. Using a towel, gently pat off.
Wear loose-fitting clothing: Tight clothing will irritate the incision, so go for pyjamas, baggy tops, jogging trousers, or other loose-fitting clothing instead of skinny jeans. Loose clothing also allows air to reach the incision, which will speed up the healing process.
Don’t exercise: And if you're able to lose the baby weight, wait until the doctor decides it's ok to workout. If you do too much too quickly, the incision will reopen. When bent over or moving items, be particularly cautious. Lifting something bigger than your infant is a good rule of thumb.
Attend all doctor’s appointments: In the weeks after a C-section, you'll have follow-up appointments so the doctor can check on your recovery. It's important that you honour your appointments. Your healthcare provider will be able to diagnose complications early this way.
Apply heat to your abdomen: After a C-section, heat treatment can help with discomfort and soreness. At 15-minute cycles, apply a heating pad to your belly.
Take pain relievers: After a C-section, over-the-counter pain relievers may also help. Ibuprofen, paracetamol or a prescription pain medication may be recommended by your doctor.

How to minimise scarring after a C-section

 C Section blog the pod collection 2

 

 If you're lucky, the C-section wound will fade away, leaving behind a faint line as a reminder of the procedure.
Of course, it's impossible to predict how a wound can heal before it does. Scars, alas, do not always disappear. The way they heal varies from person to person, as does the extent of the scar. Here are few suggestions for improving the look of a C-section scar if you have one.

Silicone sheets or gel: Silicone can restore skin and strengthen connective tissue. It will also help to smooth and flatten wounds while also reducing discomfort. To minimize the scar, place silicone sheets directly on the incision or add silicone gel to the wound.

Scar massage: After your scar has healed, massaging it on a regular basis may help to minimize its appearance. Massaging the skin increases blood flow, which promotes tissue development and fades scars over time. 5 to 10 minutes a day, massage the scar in a circular motion with your index and middle fingers. Until massaging, apply a cream to your skin, such as vitamin E or silicone gel, if desired. 

Laser therapy: Light rays are used in this form of therapy to strengthen damaged skin. Scars can be softened and improved with laser treatment, as well as elevated scar tissue removed. It's possible that you'll need several laser treatments to get the results you want. 

Steroid injections: Steroid treatments can flatten and enhance the appearance of bigger scars as well as relieve discomfort and pain in the body. To produce the desired effects, you will require several monthly injections.

Scar revision: Scar revision will open and close a visible scar, replacing broken skin and making it less prominent so that it blends in with the surrounding skin.

 

Sources

- The Efficacy of Silicone Gel for the Treatment of Hypertrophic Scars and Keloids

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2918339/

- Cesarean recovery. (2019).

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/caesarean-section/recovery/

- Cesarean section. (2017).

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/c-sections.html

- How to care for wound treated with skin glue. (2018).

https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/accidents-first-aid-and-treatments/how-do-i-care-for-a-wound-treated-with-skin-glue/

- Mayo Clinic staff. C-section. (2018).

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/c-section/about/pac-20393655

- Taking care of my scars with massage. (n.d.).https://www.chumontreal.qc.ca/sites/default/files/2019-10/chum-health-sheets-531-1-Taking-care-of-my%20scars-with-massage.pdf

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