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Children's health

Chicken Pox Scars - What else can I do?

157 replies

Disorganisedmum · 22/05/2011 23:10

Mt DS recently had chicken pox - 5 weeks ago - had what I would consider to be a very bad case - so many on his neck he couldn't even move his head :( and has been left with many scars to his face, particularly near his nose and on his cheeks - remarkably his neck although looking scarred the scars are flat - unlike those on his face which are the text book crater type scars.

I have been putting bio oil on them twice a day for three weeks and am wondering if there are any other suggestions out there to reduce the scars. He is very very fair in colouring (white blonde hair and blue eyes and attracts many stares whilst we are out and about because of his continued spotty appearance as the scars are still very red). Apologies if this may sound trivial only I am desperate to do something - could cry each time I look at them!

All suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks

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elmofan · 22/05/2011 23:36

My dc's both had cp also 5 weeks ago. I mentioned
the red scars that are left to my gp recently and he said
it can take up to six months for these to fade.

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DeWe · 23/05/2011 10:00

DD had chickenpox badly at 6 months. Her scars took ages to fade and she still had lots of indents round particularly her face. I don't expect they'll ever go now, (she's 7) but no one notices them except me.

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WowOoo · 23/05/2011 10:09

Ds1 is 5 and had it last summer.
His are a bit smaller now, but still just visible to me. I think they'll fade with time.
I haven't bothered putting anything on his lovely young skin.

how old is he?

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rockinhippy · 23/05/2011 13:36

They will heal in time, but rubbing something such as Bio Oil or vit E oil onto the scars should help :)

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Disorganisedmum · 23/05/2011 19:43

He's 5, totally oblivious to them but I am getting many comments at school - all trying to be nice and polite I think by saying what alot of spots he has had as a talking point but that is just making me more aware. At the moment he probably has about 15 deep spots/potential scars just on his face. Thanks for messages, just want to try and minimize scarring as there are so many of them.

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NellyTheElephant · 24/05/2011 13:28

Please try not to worry too much - they will improve dramatically within a year. My DD1 had terrible chicken pox last year when she was 5 (she got a staff infection into her spots and ended up in hospital on IV antibiotics for over a week), I cannot even begin to tell you what the scars were like - the infection had caused holes in her body that you could stick a finger into up to the first knuckle joint (not that I did!!) and the worst ones took months to even close over fully. We were distraught and thought that she would probably need plastic surgery or something. Now, just over a year on I promise that most of them are barely visible (well not the really bad ones that I described above, but the 'normal' bad ones which still seemed totally terrible for months). It is astonishing how well they heal when they are young. Keep on with the bio oil - 3 weeks really is a very short time. You can also buy vit E capsules and break them open and use the oil from inside them directly on the skin. After my DS and DD2 had bad, but normal non infected chicken pox the scars remained red for about 6 -8 weeks afterwards.

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Disorganisedmum · 24/05/2011 20:43

Thank you so much for your reply NellyTheElephant, has made me feel much more optimistic about the outlook for his poor blotchy face! Chickenpox is such a dreaful illness, can't believe what your little girl must have gone through.
The vit E capsules that you mentioned, are they the supplement ones that you break open? May give them a try too - even if the scars remain he will at least have beautifully soft skin Wink!
Thanks again for the shot of optimism, think I need to be a little more patient

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vanessasmum · 27/05/2011 17:40

nelly the elephant.. you inspire us. it sounds like a terrible experience, and you are so reassuring about it. my kid had a lot of spots too. she has dark skin, and a year later you can see the pigmentation is different. Homeopathy helped the scar tissue, but i'm not sure if the pigmentation will ever be even again.

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Jellyfish1 · 29/05/2011 13:07

I'm so glad I found this thread. My daughter had what I would call bad chicken pox three weeks ago and although she did not scratch AT ALL, the scabs were very wet and fell off far too early. She has 7 craters on her upper chest and one on her face as well as lots of marks and smaller scars I am less worried about. ... she is still my beautiful girl, but as with Disorganisedmum above I cry when I look at her as her skin was once so beautiful and I am worried about her confidence and bullies. She is of course oblivious as she is only 18 months! I realise the important thing is not to make an issue of them and give her a complex as it's definately more of a problem for me than her.... I am using Vit E 4 times a day with Manuka Honey at night and they are SLOWLY fading, is there anything else I can do / will they ever fill in???

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SmallBlue · 29/05/2011 16:48

My DS had chickenpox when he was 14 months old. He had it quite bad and mostly on his face, neck and torso. He never scratched but still left him with marks. They were very red for a while, but 4 months on the redness has gone and now left with a few indents. There are a couple on his face but I'm used to seeing them now and they can only improve with more time. On the upside its better for children to have it now and the young skin has chance to try and repair itself.

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ShowOfHands · 29/05/2011 18:16

I'm so relieved to read this. DD had terrible chicken pox at easter and has the big crater type indents on her nose, cheeks and forehead. She was so good and didn't pick at all. She is beautiful but I do look at them and wish I could magic them away. She is 4 so a bit aware of them. I'm glad they fade with time.

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NamyMcChanger · 29/05/2011 18:26

It's funny I was just looking at ds and dd in the bath and thinking omg where did all all their chicken pox scars go?

They both had it two summers ago and ds was bad, but dd was awful, she was only 18mo and I remember looking at her all covered in scars a few weeks after and crying. Her face and back were particually bad.

Ds has no scars left at all, dd just has 4 little white bumps in a perfect line accross her back where the top of her nappy muct have rubbed them.

They just heal so well it is amazing.

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Disorganisedmum · 30/05/2011 22:20

Jelyfish1 - That was exactly how I had been feeling and to be honest I could still shed a tear about them if I tried, but over the last week they really seem to be fading a little - although I am not sure whether this may have more to do with my perception of it! I have really found the reassurances offered so helpful. I am of course aware that he will not be escaping this unscathed and he does still look like he has chicken pox when he gets hot - fairly frequently as he is a boisterous five year old.

I am now going to show total ignorance though so please don't laugh - do you give your DD the honey to eat or on the spots. If on the spots is it not a bit sticky?!!! Confused.

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mumofpe · 05/06/2011 22:20

Hi All,

My beautiful 15 month old girl has has a very bad case of chicken pox recently too. Her face, scalp, back and bits...were particularly bad. She also needed antibiotics as she developed an infection around her eye. The lesions on her eyelid have taken the hair off and I can see clearly the scars that she is going to have. I does hurt me no end too to think how cruel is to have a perfect little face and to get this horrible disease. I know that most cases are not like that, but the chicken pox jab should be available to anyone wanting it on the NHS. My daughter should have never had to go to such a severe case and neither should yours.

As per the best treatment for the scars, is silicone base creams. You can check this recommendation on the GOSH parental advise page for your peace of mind. Its the best treatment for scars

Since I started treating my daughter with them the scars are certainly healing quicker and although, I cannot do anything about the one of the edge of her lower eyelid, I can do something for her face.

Me, another mum.

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Daydreaming · 05/06/2011 23:01

Hello - I know this is not very helpful, but are you aware that there is a vaccine against chicken pox? I just wonder because chicken pox can be a dreadful disease (I can still remember having it as a child - I had a bad case and still have a couple of small scars on my forehead). In the UK the vaccine is not available on the NHS (I have no idea why) but in countries like Australia it is now standard.

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Hartey40 · 04/07/2011 19:39

Hi, I've been following this thread for while. My little girl had chicken pox 11 weeks ago very severe case, swollen eyes, inflamed spots, her face was horrendous. She has been left with permanent scarring on her face. We saw a dermatologist who sadly told us there nothing we can do. I am still grieving for her pretty perfect face. I am just wondering how everyone else who posted on this thread are getting along? Any improvements?

Many thanks xx

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Hartey40 · 17/07/2011 12:27

can we bump this thread would appreciate some reassurance many thanks xx

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bottleofwineandastrawplease · 17/07/2011 13:04

Nelly - So glad that you little one is OK. Must have been a horrible experiance but you are amazing.

I've just seen this thread and am very releaved to have found it. My dd has just got chicken pox. The spots appeared on Friday and she is at her most contagious at present. She has already got some really bad scabs that have formed on the initial spots that appeared and I have been scouring the internet to see of there is anything that I can do while they are fresh. I am presuming that I can't really do anything at present because I run the risk of spreading the infection but any ideas are helpful.

I will certainly be taking whats been said into consideration and shall hope that it doesn't get too bad.

Just to change the subject, is there any advise that anyone can give to help her be more comfortable.

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ShowOfHands · 17/07/2011 13:13

bottleofwine, the two best things we found were aqueous calamine cream (NOT lotion) and porridge baths. The porridge bath in particular was brilliant.

DD's haven't changed too much tbh. And people keep commenting. Especially people who haven't seen her since she had the pox. SIL asked yesterday if she will 'always look like THAT'. I cried. Blush

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bottleofwineandastrawplease · 17/07/2011 13:52

That's horrible ShowOf. Hope you told her that she won't!

I have seen reference to porridge/oatmeal baths. Not sure what I'm supposed to do with the porridge though.

Do I put it in the bath with her (seems it might go all gloppy and that doesn't seem very pleasant)!

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bottleofwineandastrawplease · 17/07/2011 14:29

Found the other thread that answered my question.

Thanks though. The above will come in handy if DD has any scars.

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Hartey40 · 17/07/2011 15:23

Showofhands, I feel the same about my dd, I've cried a lot too, people can be insensitive, dd's friends have commented on hers and she is losing her confidence. We have taken her to see a private derm twice she has told us once the red goes they will be less noticeable but the dent marks will not go.

Are your dd's still red?

Xxx

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EustaciaVye · 17/07/2011 16:22

DD2 had most of her spots on her face and neck. They were hideous. She has been left with the typical craters but they really have faded over time and as she grows they are much less noticible. The redness will disappear too.
She doesnt notice them at all. I am the only one who does.

Please dont make an issue out of it as your children wont think twice about them unless you point them out...

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Hartey40 · 17/07/2011 16:57

Hi eustaciavye,

Thanks for your reassuring words. Tbh we have never made an issue however her friends are doing, they say to her your chicken pox hasn't gone yet etc, amongst other things, my dd is v sensitive and she keeps asking me if her face will be like it was before, I just reassure her that she is beautiful, but this doesnt help when at school. We took her to the dermatologist for advice because she had prob approx 200 spots on her face alone, she should of been given antivirals but in the end they decided against.

She is very very pale skin, once the redness fades hopefully like you say they will not be as noticeable.

What a horrendous illness, for some children anyway.

Xx

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ShowOfHands · 17/07/2011 17:53

DD's v pale too, typical blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin combo which she got from me. She had hundreds of spots in her hair and eyes/ears/neck/nose/mouth. Everywhere. They aren't as red if I'm honest, they've faded in that respect. But the craters are obvious and people do give me dirty looks. I know they think she's actually got the pox when in fact she had them at Easter.

I say NOTHING to dd about it at all. I can only hope it will improve.

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