C-section scar looks awful 4 weeks PP [content warning added by MNHQ - graphic photo]

[Copenhagener]

First up, sorry for the hideous photo.

I had a planned section 4 weeks ago. The scar looks awful.

Had a bacteria swab done at the hospital on Thursday and it’s not infected. No bleeding, smell, pus, pain, or heat. It just looks red and ugly and un-healed. Other women seem to have a small red line at this point.

Any tips for helping this mess to heal better? My baby is 4.6kg, so she’s very heavy to carry; but I have no other options. Otherwise, I’m feeling physically healed and active. Walking around fine, and no painkillers since day 4.

Is this how an incision typically looks at 4 weeks postpartum? The medical professionals who’ve seen it say it doesn’t look great; but they’re not concerned about infection, without offering tips for healing it better.

I shower daily and use warm-hot water at the site, don’t use any perfumed products, and air it out several times daily by holding it open (I have a bit of a shelf thanks to a HUGE pregnancy belly due to severe polyhydramnios that caused a 20kg weight gain on my belly area.) I also use a hairdryer on cool to blast it after showering. I wear loose, cotton clothes and high waisted underwear. Yet; it looks almost as ugly as it did on week 2!

Mine looked similar at 4wks PP iirc. It got better though, just keep airing it as much as you can to help it heal.

BTW using a hairdryer is not recommended by the NHS as it can lead to infections.

Mine looked a bit like that at 4 weeks. I'm 10 weeks now and have the small red line you mentioned (2nd section so this surprises me!)

Have you been moisturizing? I use a vitamin e cream on the scar. You could just be drying it out too much.

I haveno experience of this only my own but mine was like that and took ages to heal. It did eventually to where its only a slight white line. I'd be surprised that anyone would have a small red line at 4 weeks considering what mine looked like for months.

mine looked the same. have had 3 sections and all were very red for weeks if not months. give it time x

Both of mine also looked like this (5 and 4 years ago) at a similar time. Like others have said, let the air get to it when you can, keep waist bands well away from it, and it'll heal nicely over the next few weeks.

I am not a medic so don't take this as medical advice but when mine looked like this I used medicated talc to keep it dry. Also washed with that hibiscrub.

I think mine looked similar at 4wks. It took a while to improve. I'm now 1 year post c section and it's now the small line you me mention

Mine was like that too after a big pregnancy belly. Think it's where the two bits of skin rub together. It will get better!

Thanks for the reassurance everyone - I feel much less stressed about how it looks now😊

I’ll keep on keeping it dry and aired out!

Looks fine to me and I have had 5!

Hi op, I’m not a c section expert at all but I do deal with scar management elsewhere on the body as part of my job.

its normal for it to take up to 18 months to 2 years for scar tissue to fully mature and go white. It is very early days for you, and will get better, don’t worry.

ask your midwife if doing scar massage with a non-perfumed aqueous cream to avoid tethering of the scar is appropriate also, as this can help get it more supple. Definitely check before you do this though, as I don’t work with scars on the torso, so don’t want to give you incorrect advice!

Mime looked like this! Don't worry! My youngest is now 3 and the scar is hardly visible at all. It took ages to look calmer (I can't remember how long but definitely longer than 4w) and then kind of looked purple for a while before slowly fading.

Both Mine looked like that. I'm not recommending it because I have no medical knowledge, but soon after that stage, mine was dry and itchy, I started using bio oil and that helped a lot, for itchiness, dryness, tightness, and not sure it helps scaring but they say it does.