The healing process following surgery can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be painful, keeping your wound moist, comfortable, and pain-free helps reduce any anxiety you may be feeling and can even help you sleep better.
Applying the right types of ointments, creams, and liquids at the right times will speed up the healing process as well.
Post-op scar care is a bit different than other types of wound care due to the type of material used in your incision the good news is that keeping your incision moisturized, clean, and comfortable can help reduce pain and make sure it heals properly, follow these three steps to help keep your scars healthy:
Assess your Wound and Choose the Right Ointment or Cream
If you’ve had surgery anywhere on the body, it’s important to assess the wound and determine the right product to use, find out where the incision is on your body and give it a gentle pat to check for any swelling or tenderness.
You’ll know if the area is painful if it’s different than the rest of your skin now, take a look at the wound using a mirror.
- How do you feel about the color and size of your wound?
- Is it bothering you?
- Does it itch?
If so, you can try to address that issue with a different product when assessing your wound, you’ll want to look for any signs of infection. Signs of an infection could be pain, redness, swelling, warmth, or drainage from the wound, if any of these occur, address them with your post-op care routine and consult your doctor.
Keep it Clean and Dry to Support Healthy Skin Growth
Like any other part of your body, your scars need to be kept clean. Incisions, wounds, and skin tags are delicate areas, so cleaning them with germs, dirt, or bacteria may cause an infection, you’ll quickly develop a clean environment if you keep it clean, dry, and warm.
Keeping your wounds clean is an important part of scar cream after surgery care, especially if you have an open wound that has a higher chance of getting an infection.
Incisions, wounds, and any other areas where the skin has been removed need to be kept clean and dry, cleaning an area with soap and water helps remove any germs, dirt, and bacteria, which can cause an infection plus you can also use a tissue or a gauze pad if you’d rather not use soap.
Wounds need to be kept clean and dry to support healthy skin growth. Incisions, wounds, and any other areas where the skin has been removed need to be kept clean and dry to support healthy skin growth.
Don’t Hesitate To Change your Routine When Needed
Just like with any other wound care, you’ll want to change your routine every couple of days if your wound isn’t feeling clean or comfortable, you may want to try a different product or clean your wound and apply some moisturizing lotion.
You may also want to change your pillowcase or add a fresh one if the old one has germs or stains on it. If your incision is bothering you, you can try to clean or gently massage it to try to ease the pain as well as you can also try wearing a cotton shirt to cover it if you feel more comfortable that way.
