I've read your blog so many times! I had a skin graft procedure on my cheek 2 months ago and it's healing slowly. It has ridges and bumps that are very hard and I wondered if I should be worried? I would love if it smoothed out like yours did xx
Hello, mine also had ridges that felt somewhat hard, but if you massage the ridges with oil on your fingers, or lotion, and apply a good bit of pressure with fingertips on the ridges, it may help. Think of it as pressing down on clay or trying to flatten pie dough. Scar tissue is going to feel quite a bit harder than clay or dough, but it's a similar idea. Try to spend at least 30 minutes or more per day working on the scar tissue fibers so they won't get too rigid. :)
Hi ! I m a 55 female from Croatia. Had an operation of lentigo maligna on my cheek. They cut out only half of it, so I have to continue with excisions or something else. I see You have a lot of experience an it was very useful reading Your blog. Can You perhaps give me some advice considering which direction to take. I have a cca 4,5 cm long a bit depressed scare and it doesn t look nice (3 month old). My surgeon thinks it would be best if he cuts it again in the same line. The scar would be loner. I don t know would it be better to take a graft or a local flap, maybe to try with cryoteraphy. Here I can t easily find people who went through similar experience and if You can write me a few words, i would be very thankful.
Is MOHS surgery available there? "MOHS is microscopically controlled surgery used to treat common types of skin cancer. During the surgery, after each removal of tissue and while the patient waits, the tissue is examined for cancer cells. That examination determines the decision for additional tissue removal." Or, your surgeon could remove the other half of the lentigo maligna as your surgeon suggested BUT my surgeon would not re-cut my scar tissue until it became softer after two YEARS of healing. This was done to "revise" the scar slightly in 2011 (see my blog entries from 2011). He said re-cutting the scar tissue too soon would cause more problems with healing because of the nature of scar tissue. If you scar heals a bit depressed, there are cosmetic fillers, such as Juvederm, that can plump the scar area. I don't have experience with fillers though.
You may want to read this about MOHS surgery. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/mohs-surgery/about/pac-20385222
Thank You ! I heard about mohs, but my doctors didn t mention it. My surgeon recommended two flap operation, but he changed his mind and cut out the darker half of the lession. This doubt is making me feel very bad. Three, four doctors, everybody has a little bit different opinion. I am aware that only I can make a decision, but I thought perhaps it won t hurt to share some thoughts here. Maybe somebody had similar expirience or can explain me advantages or disadvantages of skin grafts, flaps or direct closure. In my case direct closure will cause a deformation, but my dr thinks that it shouldn t be so bad. I am sorry to waste Your time and thank You again.
You look GREAT! It really is amazing how scars turn out if you just take care of them. I have written to you once before and have followed your blog. In 2009 I was diagnosed with BCC on the side of my nose. In 2010 I had two Moh's procedures to get the dang thing OUT! I was heartbroken with my scar. That's why I search out blogs of people who went through similar circumstances. Today at 54, Feb. 2018, I hardly notice my scar but I worked hard to get it that way. I massaged it all the time for many, many years using oils, scar gels, and lotion. Even today I still use scar gel on it. I also became creative on how to use make up on my scar to minimize it's appearance. I know my scar will never disappear completely but at least all my hard work paid off including how I treat it today. It actual became my baby and I treated it exactly like it was and by doing so my acceptance became easier and easier as the years past. Glad you are doing well and again, amazing from what you went through to what it has become today. Best wishes always and, as I tell everyone, wear sunscreen! I'm proud to say I am no longer afraid of the sun thanks to sunscreen. Peace and light....
I'm not sure why the doctor would need to perform another excision if he got it all in the first one? In my case, the doctor did a small biopsy first to determine what else may need to be done. When suspicious cells were found in the biopsy, an excision was done. Maybe you could call the doctor or nurse for clarification.
Looking awesome!! So encouraging to see you doing so well!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much!
DeleteI've read your blog so many times! I had a skin graft procedure on my cheek 2 months ago and it's healing slowly. It has ridges and bumps that are very hard and I wondered if I should be worried? I would love if it smoothed out like yours did xx
ReplyDeleteHello, mine also had ridges that felt somewhat hard, but if you massage the ridges with oil on your fingers, or lotion, and apply a good bit of pressure with fingertips on the ridges, it may help. Think of it as pressing down on clay or trying to flatten pie dough. Scar tissue is going to feel quite a bit harder than clay or dough, but it's a similar idea. Try to spend at least 30 minutes or more per day working on the scar tissue fibers so they won't get too rigid. :)
DeleteHi !
DeleteI m a 55 female from Croatia.
Had an operation of lentigo maligna on my cheek.
They cut out only half of it, so I have to continue with excisions or something else.
I see You have a lot of experience an it was very useful reading Your blog.
Can You perhaps give me some advice considering which direction to take.
I have a cca 4,5 cm long a bit depressed scare and it doesn t look nice (3 month old).
My surgeon thinks it would be best if he cuts it again in the same line. The scar would be loner.
I don t know would it be better to take a graft or a local flap, maybe to try with cryoteraphy.
Here I can t easily find people who went through similar experience and if You can write me a few
words, i would be very thankful.
Is MOHS surgery available there? "MOHS is microscopically controlled surgery used to treat common types of skin cancer. During the surgery, after each removal of tissue and while the patient waits, the tissue is examined for cancer cells. That examination determines the decision for additional tissue removal." Or, your surgeon could remove the other half of the lentigo maligna as your surgeon suggested BUT my surgeon would not re-cut my scar tissue until it became softer after two YEARS of healing. This was done to "revise" the scar slightly in 2011 (see my blog entries from 2011). He said re-cutting the scar tissue too soon would cause more problems with healing because of the nature of scar tissue. If you scar heals a bit depressed, there are cosmetic fillers, such as Juvederm, that can plump the scar area. I don't have experience with fillers though.
DeleteYou may want to read this about MOHS surgery. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/mohs-surgery/about/pac-20385222
Thank You !
DeleteI heard about mohs, but my doctors didn t mention it.
My surgeon recommended two flap operation, but he changed his mind and cut out the darker half of the lession.
This doubt is making me feel very bad.
Three, four doctors, everybody has a little bit different opinion.
I am aware that only I can make a decision, but I thought perhaps it won t hurt to share some thoughts here. Maybe somebody had similar expirience or can explain me advantages or disadvantages of skin grafts, flaps or direct closure. In my case direct closure will cause a deformation, but my dr thinks that it shouldn t be so bad.
I am sorry to waste Your time and thank You again.
You look GREAT! It really is amazing how scars turn out if you just take care of them. I have written to you once before and have followed your blog. In 2009 I was diagnosed with BCC on the side of my nose. In 2010 I had two Moh's procedures to get the dang thing OUT! I was heartbroken with my scar. That's why I search out blogs of people who went through similar circumstances. Today at 54, Feb. 2018, I hardly notice my scar but I worked hard to get it that way. I massaged it all the time for many, many years using oils, scar gels, and lotion. Even today I still use scar gel on it. I also became creative on how to use make up on my scar to minimize it's appearance. I know my scar will never disappear completely but at least all my hard work paid off including how I treat it today. It actual became my baby and I treated it exactly like it was and by doing so my acceptance became easier and easier as the years past. Glad you are doing well and again, amazing from what you went through to what it has become today. Best wishes always and, as I tell everyone, wear sunscreen! I'm proud to say I am no longer afraid of the sun thanks to sunscreen. Peace and light....
ReplyDeleteThank you! This was so great to read. I always recommend scar massage also, though I didn't know anything about it prior to this experience.
DeleteHi so happy to find you. 1st excision for in situn, Dr said he got it all but needs to perform a text excsion??
ReplyDeleteAnother excision(sorry)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why the doctor would need to perform another excision if he got it all in the first one? In my case, the doctor did a small biopsy first to determine what else may need to be done. When suspicious cells were found in the biopsy, an excision was done. Maybe you could call the doctor or nurse for clarification.
Delete