The Timeline
Most wounds should be kept dry for the first two to three days, after which showering is usually permitted — always follow your specific instructions. Where non-dissolving sutures are used, these are removed at a timing specific to the site (commonly 5–7 days on the face, 10–14 days elsewhere); dissolving sutures do not need removal. After suture removal, a period of consolidation is normal, where light scabbing on the surface gives way to a pink, immature scar underneath. This is the point at which active scar care begins.
Massage
Once the wound is fully closed (usually from around two to three weeks, once cleared at follow-up), gentle massage with a simple, hypoallergenic moisturiser helps soften and flatten the scar, and can be combined with silicone application below. A few minutes, a few times a day, is more effective than infrequent longer sessions.
Silicone Gel & Silicone Tape
Silicone preparations are the best-evidenced topical treatment for scar quality, helping to reduce thickness, redness and discomfort. Silicone tape is applied directly over the healed scar and typically worn for much of the day; silicone gel is painted on and dries to a thin, flexible layer. Both are usually started two to four weeks after surgery, once the wound is fully closed with no scabbing, and continued for a minimum of eight to twelve weeks — longer for scars that are slower to settle.
Sun Protection
New scars pigment easily and unevenly if exposed to sun. Cover the scar or apply a high-factor sunscreen (SPF50+) for at least six months after surgery, even in overcast weather.
Steroid Injections for Raised Scars
Where a scar becomes raised, thickened, itchy or tender — a hypertrophic or keloid scar — a small injection of steroid (triamcinolone) directly into the scar can flatten and soften it. This is usually considered from around six to eight weeks if a scar is not responding to conservative measures, and may be repeated at intervals of four to six weeks if needed. It is a quick, well-tolerated outpatient procedure.
Other Adjuncts
- Micropore tape — applied along the scar in the early weeks to reduce tension on the wound edges
- Scar camouflage make-up — a practical option once wounds are fully healed, for scars in visible areas
- Laser and further revision — considered for scars that remain problematic after a full course of conservative treatment, discussed individually if needed
What Is Normal
Scars typically look their most obvious — pink, sometimes slightly raised — between four and twelve weeks, and continue to fade and soften for twelve to eighteen months. Final scar appearance cannot be fully judged before this maturation process has completed.