Scars are formed on the skin after the healing of the wounds caused by accident, trauma, burns or surgery. The scars look like fibrous tissue over the skin, and the size of the scar is correlated to the wound size. Skin disorders like acne and infections like chicken pox can also produce scars on the skin. The collagen fibers are formed over the wound and gradually a fibrous tissue is formed over the skin; but these tissues do not possess the qualities of skin.

Scars are categorized into different types as keloid scars, hypertrophic scars, contracture scars, chicken-pox scars, and acne scars. These scars cannot be completely wiped out clean from the skin, but the treatment methods available today can certainly reduce the impact of the scars to a huge extent. One such successful treatment method is the silicone sheeting treatment. The silicone sheeting is used over the affected area to reduce the intensity of the scar, and it is a non-surgical treatment method. The injured area is generally covered with medical dressing for healing, and after healing applying silicone sheet on the injured area is reported to soften and flatten the scars in a very short period.

What are silicone sheets?

The silicone sheet is a mineral based gel membrane produced from medical polymer materials. It is smooth, thin and transparent with adhesive on one side to attach itself with the skin. The silicone sheet applies pressure on the skin, but allows moisture to penetrate through it. It must be noted here that the silicone sheet must only be used after complete healing of the wound. A good scar crème can also applied on the damaged skin to get optimal results in less time.

How is the silicone sheet used to reduce scars?

Research has proved that the usage of silicone sheet helps to control the evolving hypertrophic and keloid scars. These sheets are flexible, and can be attached to any part of the body directly over the wound. They are useful to reduce the impact of the old scars, and minimize the evolution of new scars from the healed wound. The effect of silicone sheet is reported to be high when dealing with new scars, and the good news is that they have no side effects.

Silicone sheets apply pressure on the scar and minimize their appearance gradually. Compared to scar ointments that are greasy and inconvenient the silicon sheet is a non-messy way to treating scars. It is also inexpensive when compared to other traditional scar removal methods.

Tips on usage

silicone sheeting can be used for 8 to 12 weeks in scar reduction treatment. For best results it is recommended to use the sheets more than 12 hours per day. It is also recommended to use a silicone sheet for the maximum 3 week period, replace with a new one if it has accumulated more dirt. The affected area must be washed before using the sheet, as the dust accumulated will reduce the adhesive quality of the sheet. The silicone sheet must not be used on wounds which are yet to heal.

Benefits of using silicone sheet

The silicone sheet can be used by all age groups, and it can be applied at any position. It is helpful to reduce the impact of scars formed due to burns. Silicone sheet can be used to heal all types of scars including keloid Scars, surgical scars, breast Scars, c-section scars (cesarean section scars) and traumatic scars. It is most useful in preventing the contracture of skin, which happens after the skin transplant surgery. The scars around the joint areas make the physical movements painful; using silicon sheets on these areas reduces the impact of the scars, and improves joint movement.

Many medical studies proved that silicone sheets are the best to heal many types of scars caused on the skin. Most plastic surgeons recommend the silicone sheeting to heal the scars caused by surgery. The silicone sheets are cost-effective, and have no side effects when compared with other scar removal treatments.