The pressure both men and women place on themselves and on each other to have the ‘perfect’ (whatever that may be) body is staggering. Problem is, with the pressure of continued bombardment of svelte bikini clad and muscle-bound images thrown upon us via social media or magazines, many tend to feel insecure let alone the own self consciousness that tell us daily of our own insecurities!
I am constantly being asked advice for the improvement of scaring for those who have stretch marks or scars from mastectomy, cesarean, hysterectomy or any post op, that wish to improve the appearance of such. Stretch marks and scars vary from pigment and type – ice pick scaring, keloid scaring, hypertrophic scaring etc and they can be improved with treatment. Scaring, especially abdominal scaring can cause an emotional response, remember the skin is not a separate organ it is a living breathing community of cells that interact with environment, emotion and lifestyle. It is also part of an integral network of nerves, blood supply and fascia – superficial and deep, connected yet separate, it is therefore SO important to treat other areas of the body that may be affected from scaring – it is most common that women and men whom have had abdominal scaring may suffer from low back pain. Fascia, alone is THE most integral part of health and well-being in the body and skin, itmoves, slides, divides and is essential to be hydrated to allow proper tensegrity.
When the body has endured a physical scar, not only will there will be the normal pigmentation and sometimes thickening of the skin, there will also be a risk of nerve function immobilising, sensitivity and pain that appears elsewhere in the body with no logical connection. However fascia also connects in specific ribbons that run up, down, across and around the body which are called ‘anatomy trains’ and adhesions or fibrosis can impact these anatomy trains causing referred pain or immobility elsewhere.
Inflammation is another factor to consider as adhesions and fibrosis may appear not only from scars from trauma or wounds but from internal factors like irritable bowel syndrome or endometriosis that can then trigger other symptoms.
The early treatment of scars, depending on the type and severity is key to the out come. This can range from compression, silicone strips, oils (Anoint and FACE are amazing due to the ingredients for wound healing) gels (Reson8 - cica and arnica are just two of the beautiful healing ingredients) as soon as stitches are removed Restore can also be applied the hemp protein and phytonutrients are another powerhouse product for healing. Finally the soothing and emollient properties of Butter Balm will also be a great addition to aid scar healing.
Hydration is key so make sure water intake is increased and add in Rehydration, to aid intracellular hydration and reduce the risk of fibrosis, supplements like Calmeric, Ocean EFA and Repair+ are another great team to support the healing cascade.
Scars are the marks of stories to be told, they are something to show you have lived, experienced, overcome health battles and even housed a human being, one of the greatest blessings bestowed on us as women. The fact is, a scar or a stretch mark can not be got rid of, it can however, be maintained and skin texture, pain and numbness improved. This can be achieved with professional treatments ranging from laser, skin peels, dermabrasion, deep oscillation, cupping, dermal rolling etc. However, if you have not already guessed. I personally am a huge fan of the ‘less is more’ approach and seem to have been extremely successful with it.
My Masterlift treatment is used not only for facial skin rejuvenation but also for the improvement of scar tissue and stretch marks. Below is a picture taken of a hysterectomy scar, used with a very gentle and superficial technique of dermal rolling and application of active ingredients, including stem cells as well as some botanical and holistic remedies of mine. The picture on the right shows before and after treatments over six months, you can see an improvement in overall skin texture, thickening of the scar is decreased and stretch marks have significantly improved.
Another modalities I use are Deep Oscillation, Cupping and Micro-needle feathering and fascia release techniques to treat symptoms from scar tissue including
Numbness or desensitisation in or around the area of the scar
Pain & radiating pain (eg lower back pain from abdominal scaring)
Feeling of disconnection between lower and upper body (especially C-section scars)
Hypersensitivity
Physical appearance of scar may be pale/white, red and ‘angry’, raised.
This my technique that I use for scar tissue treatment, in this video you can see that just after three weeks there is a significant improvement.
Many rave about certain oils sold in supermarkets or drug stores but I am not a lover of one in particular that is abundant in mineral oil, lanolin and petroleums and targeted for scar tissue, look out for the ingredients!
Below are further examples of scar rejuvenation with my techniques and products.
For further advice on scar tissue rejuvenation, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Above all be confident in who you are and how you look, it is THE most attractive quality one can have!
“If we want our children to honour their bodies, they need to hear us honour ours, no matter what size or shape we are, no matter what scars or sags we see in that mirror.”
As with all health & wellness information, always consult your professional healthcare providers before beginning any new treatment or program. For more information, see here
