Quick question

[fenchurch]

Writing from the truckstop in La Grande, Oregon...

I've already chatted with tomte about this and gotten some good suggestions, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask my flist in general. Not long after I got to my grandmother's place a week or so ago, I burned my arm on the door of her wood stove (and let me tell you, I ALWAYS made sure those doors were wiiiiiide open every time I put wood in after that). I've been using Lanacaine on the burn while it healed, but it's now gotten to the almost-healed-scabby-itchy-oops-looks-like-it-might-scar stage.

So, the question is... does anyone have any suggestions for something I could use on it now? I was thinking of sticking with Lanacaine, and Tomte's brother suggested getting some vitamin E, but I wondered if there might be a product out there that would work better on this sort of thing. And I'm also beginning to wonder if perhaps I should have been bandaging it, or maybe should start... just to help keep it from catching on things, and maybe reduce potential scarring. Any ideas?

Completely unrelated, but I'm kinda bummed I didn't find out about Rabbit Hole Day until quite late... one of the hazards of traveling and having very sporadic net connect. And, of course, now I'm too tired to come with anything fun. Ah well... there's always next year.

Comments

[elsaf]

When I had hand surgery, the surgeon recommended Vitamin E cream to minimize the scar. I'm not sure how much it helps, but I've heard that from several sources.

I think the main thing is just to keep it clean and lubricated (which will be more comfortable for you, and may help the scar be less stiff in the long run).

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

Aloe vera gel? It's the only thing I can think of other than Vitamin E, which would have been my first suggestion.

[http://users.livejournal.com/__tiana__/]

I've always heard that breaking open a vitamin E capsule and rubbing the goo on a burn will help prevent scarring. And a loose bandage is not a bad idea. Hope that helps !

By the way, my parents live in Wyoming. I keep thinking of the country out there as you tool around Idaho, etc.! It's beautiful in the mountains.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

That's what I wound up doing, though it looks like someone else has come up with a good catchall suggestion (which is what I was hoping for... a product that would combine everything I needed into one).

And it is beautiful through here... especially right now when there's no snow on the roads!

[archerrat.livejournal.com]

When I got my Thanksgiving 2003 Steam Burn (tm), I treated it while it was healing with Neosporin. After the skin itself was more or less intact again, I treated the scar with "Nature's Finest Vitamin E with Aloe Vera Skin Oil," which is sold by Walgreen's. A two-ounce bottle lasted forever and was insanely cheap.



The scar is still visible (the burn was over two square inches in size), but is much reduced in lividity.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Aha! Thanks! That's exactly the sort of thing I was hoping someone would know about... something that combines all the goop I want to put on into one product.

And I need to go in and correct my LJ entry... I've been putting Neosporin on it, not Lanacaine. D'oh!

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It doesn't matter too much which cream you use - the main thing is actually the act of massage, which breaks down the developing scar fibres, according to a recent article in one of my nursing journals, so E45 or Aloe Vera should both work about equally.

If it looks as if it is going to be a particularly noticeable scar, the Elastoplast Scar Reduction Patches do seem to work well, I guess they are probably available in the US, if not under that name then something similar. Hope this is of some help.

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I've actually been rubbing in Neosporin all along (not Lanacaine and I'm not sure where my brain was when I typed that), but it's nice to know that it's the right thing to do.

unrelated to anything, but...

[krrayn.livejournal.com]

I had to stare really closely at that icon before I realized it was Dru... talk about a flash back :)

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

Massage with vitamin E straight from a gel cap is probably the best thing. My BIL had severe burns from rescuing their car from a burning barn. They're completely gone now. (And for initial treatment of a burn, scrape or puncture, try honey to cleanse the wound and reduce scarring.)