Avoid scars after implantation

I really like implants (I have got an RFID tag) and I am planning on getting more but I am a little worried about getting big scars if I use the scalpel to cut the skin to put the implant in. Is there any aftercare method to avoid this type of scars? Or cutting technique to avoid future scars. I remember reading a paper about the use of some gel to avoid formation of scars.
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  • @Rocco8620, a nicely stitched wound would be the best way to minimize scaring in the short term. Not sure about fancy gels but I am up for anything



    I am also very interested in this. I am the dummy that installed the FlexNT without stitching it up so I have a great scar to test on if there is anything experimental.



  • To deal with operational scars that ended up being keloid scars a nurse told me rose hip oil works and moisturisers containing vitamin E, never tried them cause I ended up liking the scars.
  • @ChrisBot the gel was quite thick and you had to put on the cut before the scar formation, this way the scar will develop "in" the gel and you can remove the gel with the scar "in" it and give more time to the skin to heal.
    Now that I am writing it sounds quite impossible, also i have read this quite some time ago so I may be remembering wrong. I will try to find this paper.
  • I think it depends on the type of scar, but @Benbeezy had a fat granuloma where he had a magnet removed, and we've been injecting it with Kenalog and I think it's been helping
  •  so obviously it depends on the type of scar and how far into the healing process it is. 

    I know that @chrionex was working on an extracellular matrix for coating implants. Maybe something along those lines. It could provide a scaffolding for new skin cells to grow into, instead of healing in from the edges.
  • edited April 2017
    You might be thinking of silicone scar gel? Here's what the skincare addiction subreddit has to say about stretchmarks (same advice can also be applied to scars from injuries/surgical procedures) that community is big on having actual scientific studies to back up their claims, its a great resource and you can use the search function to look up discussions on scarring to see more advice. Keeping the area moisturized while healing so it doesn't scab over and keeping it out of the sun (keeping it bandaged while healing and using sunscreen afterwards) are the two big things. I had a bad fall last year where I ripped open the skin on the bridge of my nose, the plastic surgeon that stitched me back up told me to use neosporin to keep the wound moist and bacteria free, but if you're not big on overusing anti-biotics vaseline will probably work just as well. Aquaphor is mostly petroleum jelly like vaseline but supposedly better for minimizing scar formation because of the the bibasol in it (anti-inflammatory). I'm pretty sure I read that you shouldn't start using silicone gel until the wound has healed enough to close but I couldn't really find any info on that in my quick search, but i did see this regarding the silicone sheets.

    I didn't end up doing a whole lot for the cut on my nose because after all the research I did on it I felt that it'd be a lot of effort and likely wouldn't make that big of difference. I used neosporin for the first few days then vaseline while healing and tried to remember to apply a generic 'scar cream' I bought at walgreens that contained sunscreen for the next month or so after it had healed shut. It turned out pretty good for how bad the initial injury was but like @ChrisBot said, it has a LOT to do with the stitching. If you don't stitch it up nicely you're still going to end up with a bigger scar no matter how well you take care of it afterward. They wouldn't stitch me up in urgent care for that reason, those are people that probably do stitches all the time but they wanted to make sure my scar was as small as possible so they sent me to the ER's on duty plastic surgeon instead. I would have someone else stitch you up, don't do it yourself, and make sure the person doing it has practiced a lot and is good at it; small, close together stitches will give you the smallest scars. 
  • Thanks for you advices @vanadium. I was probably thinking about the silicone sheets.
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