The Role of Silicone Treatment in Scar Management
(German) Board-certified Plastic Surgeon
Certified Bariplastic Surgeon
(German) Board-certified Hand Surgeon
Certified Microsurgeon
Professor Dr. Robert Hierner
- ….. is a pioneer in the field of scar management and scar removal. Based on many years of research and clinical experience in the field of scar therapy, we has developed a so-called “integrative scar therapy concept” and successfully implemented it in his daily practice
- Hierner R., van den Kerckhove E.: Organization and results of the “multidisciplinary scar clinic” European Surgery Suppl. 234 (2010) 29 – 30
- ….. Is the editor of the standard textbook of Plastic Surgery in 5 volumes in German language
Content
- The Author : Prof. Dr. Robert Hierner
- Silicone Therapy in Burns
- How does Silicone therapy work?
- Silicone Therapy in normal Scars
- When to start Silicone Treatment
- Should I use a silicone patch or silicone gel?
- How to apply the Silicone Sheet on the Scar?
- What do you have to consider when starting therapy?
- How many hours a day should you wear silicone scar sheets?
- How long can you use one (the same) Silicone Patch ?
- How do you wash Silicone Scar Sheets?
- How long does the whole Silicone Therapy last?
- How often do I have to go to Scar Check-ups?
- Does silicone therapy rid of scars?
- What are the Benefits of the Silicone Therapy?
- What are the Risks of the Silicone Therapy?
- What are the Costs of the Silicone Therapy?
“The scar is our buisness card”
Silicone Therapy in Burns
Based on the positive experience in burn patients, Silicone therapy became a well-accepted standard treatment in burns
Silicone | + | Compression | |
How does Silicone therapy work?
- Silicone treatment acts on Scar maturation
Silicone Therapy in normal Scars
Extensive expertise in the treatment of burn scars
0,01 %
Increasing importance of the treatment of (postoperative, accident, …) scars and swelling
99,99 %
→ Know how-Transfer
→ « integrative scar treatment concept
- Improvement of the functional and aesthetic result after wound healing
- Improvement of Quality of Life (QoL)
- When transferring this treatment method to other scar types such as surgical scars and keloids, some key points need to be known
When to start Silicone Treatment
Silicone Therapy can only be started after complete wound healing (3 – 4 weeks after surgery/Trauma)
- no more sutures
- no more open wound parts
- no more crusts (→ start “Basic Skin Care”)
Should I use a silicone patch or silicone gel?
- Whenever possible, the silicone sheet should be used, as it has a significantly higher scar-suppressing effect than the silicone gel.
- Silicone gel is only indicated when a silicone patch cannot be used (e.g. face)
How to apply the Silicone Sheet on the Scar?
For adequate scar therapy it is necessary that all edges of the silicone patch are at least 1 – 1.5 cm away from the scar
■ After planning the size of the silicone patch, this can be cut off the large piece of silicone with regular scissors
Before the silicone plaster can be applied, it must be checked that there are no residues of creams on the skin
- Basic Skin Care and Scar Massage with Fat cremes must always be carried out after the silicone plaster has been removed
What do you have to consider when starting Therapy?
Progressive build-up of application time: At the start of therapy, care must be taken to gradually adapt the skin to the new conditions in order to avoid possible side effects
■ Each silicone therapy starts with a duration of 2 hours. During the first week, the duration of therapy is increased by 2 hours per day
■ If 8 hours have been reached and no skin reaction has occurred, the wearing time can be extended without further steps up to a maximum of 20 hours per day.A minimum of 4 hours should be left for skin care and scar massage
- If redness with itching occurs in the area of the silicone plaster, the treatment must be interrupted for 24 hours and then continued with the same therapy duration
How many hours a day should you wear Silicone Scar Sheets?
We recommend wearing the sheets for 12 to 20 hours, making sure you remove them daily to allow the area to be
- washed
- cleaned
- refatted
Silicone patches can be worn depending on the patients`activities and the preferences during:
- night-time
- day-time
- Do not wear the silicone patch during sport activities or shouwer
How long can you use one (the same) Silicone Patch ?
- Silicone sheets are re-usable
- The same silicone patch can be used for 4 – 6 weeks, provided good maintenance
- The silicone patch should be changed when it loses its self-adhesive function
How do you wash Silicone Scar Sheets?
Silicone sheets should be cleaned daily to maintain adhesive strength:
- Rub the sheet with a few drops of cleaning soap or neutral soap and lukewarm water
- Rinse the Silicone sheet well under lukewarm, running water so that all dirt and soap residue is removed
- The washed silicone plaster should be placed on the edge of the sink or on a smooth surface with the non-stick side down
- Do not use wet silicone sheet
How long does the whole Silicone Therapy last?
Scar maturation shows individual differences.
- For most patients a period of 3 – 6 months is necessary
10 Days After Surgery
1 month After Surgery
2 months after surgery
3 Months After Surgery
6 Months After Surgery
12 Months After Surgery
- In the course of scar maturation, the scar changes color. → As long as a scar is red, it can be improved by silicone treatment
How often do I have to go to Scar Check-ups?
Follow-up examinations at the following points in time have proven effective in scar therapy
■ 3 weeks post-op (start scar treatment)
■ 6 weeks post-op (control swelling, control scar treatment)
■ 12 weeks post-op (control swelling, control scar treatment)
■ 1 year post-op (long term result)
Does silicone therapy rid of scars?
- Silicone therapy does not lead to scar removal, but to an improvement in the appearance of scars in most patients
What are the Benefits of the Silicone Therapy?
■ The application of a thick silicone patch has an occlusive effect and leads to a local increase of temperature and hydration. This helps soften, flatten, and fade scars, by:
■ Hydration of the newly formed skin
■ Reduction of Scarring
→ Reduction of scar volume
→ improvement of scar souplesse
■ Acceleration of maturation process
→ earlier reduction of scar redness (= visibility)
What are the Costs of the Silicone Therapy?
- Silicone patches can be purchased at the pharmacy or online
- Depending on the quality of the silicon patch, the price varies from 40 to 260 AED
- Cheap and easy treatment with high success rate
“The scar is our buisness card”
