i'm supposed to "massage" my new scars, the nurse told me. i am so getting into this buisness of scar reducing. with my family history and my own history of skin issues, i might have dozens more moles removed. i mean, i'm 20 years old and i've had 15 biopsies, 6 of which turned out to be suspicious and required them to go back and take more of me out and give me stupidstupid stiches.

i hate my scars. they make me feel... i dont know. scared that there is some spot on me that is bad, that will become cancer... So here i am, wearing a bandage on my arm every day to reduce the puffiness of two of my scars from freshman year, and hoping that these three new ones dont go the same way. please dont, guys. i'll be so sad. i'm going to massage you darn things! and keep wearing band aids on you when i go in the sun.


How to improve the scar from cinccinati childrens hospital (educational message from me, the skin cancer fairy)

Scar massage
The body heals wounds by laying down new proteins. The healing area is a ridge that can be felt along the site of the cut. Massage can help this smooth out to a flat surface. Using a thick moisturizer (cocoa butter, vitamin E, shortening), rub the wound for 5-10 minutes twice daily. You must use enough pressure to change the color of the cut from pink to pale. Benefits from massage last until all the pink is gone from the wound. Wait for 3 weeks after the cut is repaired before massaging.

Sun protection
Any fresh scar (one that is still pink) can get sun burned, even in dark skinned people. Once a scar gets burned or tanned, it will not fade back to its normal color and a dark spot will always be present. It is best to avoid sun on a fresh wound. Clothing with long sleeves, full length pants and hats provide good sun protection. If the wound is not covered by clothing, it should be covered with sun block. The zinc and titanium oxide based sun blocks (which are waterproof) work the best, but any sun block with SPF of 15 or greater will work if applied often.