Cat scratched my son, will it scar?

[Aredhel]

A cat scratched my sons face. He just walked by. I am so afraid it will leave a scar. Will it?

Ouch! I'm sorry I misunderstood.

That sound really extreme! Your poor boy.

I had a much bigger facial injury when I was about 10 - I had stitches - and it's really hard to see it now.

I hope he and you (and the cat!) are all ok

@bobbytorq

Excuse me. This is the treatment plan that I have always used when I've had scars and I have been left with minimal scarring thanks to this treatment. On one incident, I have a horrible wound and (per doctors advice) I used hydrocollid dressing and used that religiously for three months and guess what? I had no scar.

I told the OP that she can use hydrocollid dressing if she wants to. But she should Definitely wash the area with mild soap and water, Vaseline and once the scar has healed used silicone dressing.

Sunscreen is essential! I am mixed race but the sole reason why scars lasts a long time is because the new skin (left after the scar) is left exposed to the sun and hence the new skin can darken which makes the scar very noticeable. To minimise the look of the scar, whenever the OP is out with her sun, I would apply spf50. The scar is on the face of the sons OP- sunscreen is essential!

@bobbytorq

It is you who is ridiculous. Vaseline does not prevent wound healing. It actually promotes it! Using Vaseline helps the wound not develop a scab (which is the sole culprit of scarring). You want the wound to be most to aid healing as well as reduce scarring. If the wound scabs, then you will most likely develop a scar. Please read the plastic surgeons advice below (who absolutely reiterates what I have put on here) and oh... go on Google. Google is your friend

@olympicsrock thank you very much for your professional opinion on this. So the fact that it is red an raised now after 11 days, does mean that it will leave a scar of some kind? Or is it still possible that it will fade completely?

I've always heard that you shouldn't massage too hard, but soft. So that's not right? And how do I massage if there are silicone patches on it? Is silicone gel also good or are strips preferable? Does it still make sense to put Vaseline on it in the near future? Thanks again!

Was it good that I kept the wound wet? No scab has formed because of that.

Thanks again!

Who are these absolutely lunatics saying confidently, it won't scar?

I've got a visible three inch long scar that is now 30 years old from a cat scratch that didn't look much deeper than that.

I am also a cat owner, and love them more than anything. But they bloody well can scar.

OP I think Bio Oil morning and night would be a good shout.

Bio oil does not help and has been scientifically proven to not be effective.

@Aredhel massaging the wound help to increase blood flow to the wound area (good for healing) and promotes the flattening of the scar.

Vaseline is essential. You need to keep the wound moist to prevent the scar from forming a scab as it's the scab that delays healing and largely results in most wounds having a scar. If you feel like the vaseline is too much, just use a hydrocollid dressing and leave it like that. A hydrocollid dressing creates an occlusive moist environment which is essential for wound healing.

@Aredhel

Here is a video about taking care of scars from my one of my favourite dermatologists:

m.youtube.com/watch?v=MH-ZEcJrkig

Another dermatologist who I follow recommended the use of the Avene Cilcafate + restorative cream. It was ok- it speeded up wound cleaning but nothing like vaseline.

@secular39 thanks again! This video is very helpful 😀
How do you know when to switch from Vaseline to silicone gel?

No problem OP. You apply silicone gel when the wound is fully healed and there's no evidence of a scab forming (when you see the new shiny pink skin). I will keep on applying vaseline for at least three weeks.

Hi op, I’ve had years of experience with cats and years of scratches. Looking at that picture the scratch isn’t that deep, you can see it hasn’t even broken the skin in some parts. Cat scratches tend to raise the skin, that’s normal. Also whilst you can get some nasty things from cat scratches, it’s very very unlikely. Its cat bites you really need worry about because of the way they puncture and inject bacteria into the skin, but as long as a scratch is cleaned it should be ok and I doubt he’ll get an infection 10 days later. I would just let it heal on its own now, wouldn’t recommend Vaseline to be honest, it’s a good barrier to keep germs out but can slow down the healing process. If you really want to put anything on it I would suggest nappy cream. I doubt it will scar from that, and even if it does it would be an incredibly thin scar that wouldn’t be noticeable unless you looked for it.

...I would just let it heal on its own now, wouldn’t recommend Vaseline to be honest, it’s a good barrier to keep germs out but can slow down the healing process....

This is a myth. Wounds need moisture to aid healing.

I have 2 scars from cat scratches. One on my hand from about 20 years ago, and one on my nose from about 45 years ago.

I am not sure how soon but find out when to start applying sunscreen cream with highest spf you can find, I guess 75 (is there higher one?) , on the scab to prevent discolouring caused by exposure to sun rays.

It depends on how sensitive his skin is to scarring

I'm 31 and scar easily. My cat made a clumsy attempt to come and sit on me a few weeks ago , he fell off my knee and accidently scratched me on the way down,

It doesn't need butterflies

It just needs to be kept clean and watched for any sign of infection

This thread is a little bonkers. I do think it's a deep scratch. We sometimes get scratched by our cats, but the scratches usually completely heal within a few days. I think a scratch that is still showing after 10 days is pretty deep, but I get it's subjective. It definitely doesn't need stitches though. I hope it heals ok. It's always upsetting when you kid gets hurt.

@secular39 @olympicsrock

Day 16, I have been massaging the scar for the past few days and applying silicone gel. Vaseline and silicone at the same time does not work, so I went for the silicone. It seems to be getting worse now. It is redder than on day 10 and wider in places. Should I change my approach? The gel does not stay on for long as my son wipes it off. I have now ordered silicone sheets. I did the massaging with a small cub. I now doubt whether I did not disturb the healing by doing so.

Hi OP , it is normal for scars to become redder over the first 6 weeks of the healing process. Don’t worry . A silicon strip sounds a good idea.

The redness can take a while to fade, my DS had a red scar from his cat scratch for a while then gradually started getting pinker. I read silicone tape has 85% success rate at reducing scars so can certainty help.

It'll be fine. When I was about 5 I thought it would be a great idea to put my cat down the bannister, he of course grabbed my bare arm with his claws trying to cling on for dear life! I had about 5 deep scratches, they all healed up fine. Just make sure it's kept clean and he doesn't disturb the scan.

I wouldn't trouble it too much OP with massage and lots or products, when it's healed over properly and less raw use some rosehip oil. I had a very similar scar back in the day, by my eye and all the way down my cheek....caused by a human being I might add. I was 19. It took about 6mths to fade and I didn't do too much, other than keep my face moisturised. Being young helps, and your ds will be fine. I know it's scary though to see your child that that. I remember my parents were really upset when it happened to me. I had badically helped a friend who was being attacked out one night, stepped in to try to stop it and got hurt myself.

My Son had a pretty nasty scratch from falling over . We did the same used Vaseline and then Bio Oil twice a day if you could get some of that , you cannot see the mark at all now .

@Aredhel

I would not touch it too often as that can disturb the process. If the wound is still red then it sounds like it hasn't fully healed yet. Only apply silicone once the wound has fully healed. Keep washing the wound with a mild soap and water and vaseline. You could also use a hydrocollid (sp) plaster instead of the vaseline if it's too much of an ask to keep applying the vaseline. Also, always apply sunscreen.

This. I knew someone that was scratched by a cat and they developed cat scratch disease. Had to go to the doc to get meds for it. It was pretty nasty. I can't remember if she was scarred from it or not.

@Agosleeflorrick that is good to hear! Is the scar still there? Or did it fade completely?