Chicken pox scars

[Hartey40]

I really need to find someone in the same position as me and my family. Some of you may already know or have read threads about my dd's scars from chicken pox. And there have been a couple of mums in particular who have been very supportive.

Its now 6 months since my gorgeous daughter had this horrible disease and each day I am struggling to cope with the effects it has had

@Scot1 its reassuring to read your post. Do you mind me asking how old your ds was when he had it? My dd is 2 and had CP a month ago and has the most awful pitting scars/craters and red (cigarette burn type) marks that I’ve ever seen on any child. The pitting is all over her back and also clusters of them on her chest, shoulders and huge ones on her tummy. I want to cry everyday looking at them and I really can think of nothing other than her skin for the last month, I think I too need to speak to someone. I’m glad your ds’s improved and just hope ours go the same way. @Whiterabbit88 how long ago did yours have CP?

Hello @Nonstop24 it was just over a month ago for us. Similar to you they look like cigarette burns. I am applying cream everyday but I really hope they fill in

@Nonstop24 I too have been thinking non stop and have been googling and reading all the mumsnet threads. I have been using Moogoo udder cream with a few drops of tamanu oil in it. Tamanu oil is supposed to regenerate the skin but if your DD is allergic to nuts don’t use it as it’s a nut oil. i think it’s helping make some improvement x

Thank you very much for this @Whiterabbit88. I will have a look into it. We are just using bio oil at the moment. I too have read every single article thread on Cp scars! @NellyTheElephant i read on a thread (maybe from a long time ago) a very positive outcome with your dd which has sort of kept me going at the moment. I generally read all negative things about pitting scars not ever clearing up, but you said that yours filled in a little. If you still read these would you mind telling me if they were deep crater type lesions or more ice pick scars? I need to know whether to live in hope or just accept that my daughter will have to live with these scars until she is old enough to have some treatment done to improve them :(

@Nonstop24 when I had chicken pox as a child, I had one that I accidentally hit and it burst. I still have mark for that one but it’s flat just slightly lighter. My brother had severe chicken pox and he says he doesn’t have any marks at all. I find myself looking at other children to see if they have any marks and even adults! One thing which is keeping me going is in reality how many adults do you see with masses of chicken pox scars?

Yes @Whiterabbit88 i have also thought that we don’t see many adults with scars so fingers crossed. My 10 month old also just had it too. - absolutely covered and all over her face, however they didn’t get infected and she doesn’t have eczema and they have cleared up really well..just normal faint pink marks left that will fade with time. I honestly now believe that it was my 2 year olds eczema that caused hers to be so infected and subsequently pitted. I don’t understand why we weren’t advised to get the vaccine when it’s known that eczema can cause severe CP. it’s very frustrating as I’m sure you find too

I can't believe I received a notification in relation to this @Nonstop24 - so long ago! I promise you there is no way you would ever be able to notice a scar on my daughter's face now. There are a couple there if you look very very closely (and even then you would have to know what to look for). Her scars were off the scale bad and on her face were large, angry and red for a very long time. As I said in my original post all those years ago, her chicken pox was infected with staphylococcus aureus (effectively a flesh eating bacteria) necessitating over a week's stay in hospital. She looked terrifyingly awful - I mean really quite scary. On her face she had a number of large craters due to the infection, plus a heavy covering of the usual smaller red angry chicken pox marks and some in-between. Now she is the most beautiful 17 yr old imaginable! She has very delicate fair skin which shows every mark - but you can't see any marks. Be patient, it might take a couple of years before you cease to see the scars but it will happen. My daughter does have a couple of remaining pits on her stomach, back and legs, but at the time the infection had caused those to become open holes of nothingness over a cm across, which took weeks to form a layer of skin back over them, so I think maybe not quite the same thing. Even those are nothing to write home about now and she's not bothered or self conscious about them at all. It does seem that young children's skin is really very good at regenerating so please try not to worry too much.

Thank you so much for replying @NellyTheElephant. I know it was a long time ago and I’m sorry for bringing it up again after all these years! Your posts just popped up a few times when I searched CP scars and it sounded the most similar to my daughters skin. However I actually hadn’t read your post in relation to it being infected with Staph Aureus. How terrible. Yes the ones on my daughters tummy will probably also be the ones that will remain too. Thank you for giving us hope and I’m so glad yours cleared up so well

Hi, I know this is an old thread but do you have an update on your little ones pitted scars? My daughter had CP 3 weeks ago and her face was covered in really big nasty deep pox, she scratched a few off as toddlers do but even the ones she didn't have left light pink crater type holes which are so upsetting. I tried absolutely everything to ensure it was the perfect healing enviroment. Her perfect face is full of crater type sunken marks 😥 I'm beyond devastated 💔 I wondered if you could post an update please? 💔

Hi, I know this is an old thread but do you have an update on your little ones pitted scars? My daughter had CP 3 weeks ago and her face was covered in really big nasty deep pox, she scratched a few off as toddlers do but even the ones she didn't have left light pink crater type holes which are so upsetting. I tried absolutely everything to ensure it was the perfect healing enviroment. Her perfect face is full of crater type sunken marks 😥 I'm beyond devastated 💔 I wondered if you could post an update please? 💔

@Hannahamym bless you, i know how you feel…. It’s been 9 months for us now and I can say they have improved dramatically, the crater type ones on the face are no longer pitted but there are some very small white scars instead. Same with the ones on the body. Manuka honey was good for the pitted ones. I also used Tamanu oil mixed with moo goo udder cream for the ones on the body. I also believe a good diet of fruit and veg helped the skin repair from within. I know it doesn’t really help now but with time they will improve xx

@Whiterabbit88 thank you so much for taking the time to reply. You've given me hope. Can I ask if your daughter had deep pitted ones on her face? The ones on my daughters face are scattered all over and are quite deep it's very very obvious 😥 Can I also ask what brand manuka honey you used please? I'm so sorry for all the questions 🩷

I can recommend H scars formula! It’s all natural oils and was probably the one thing that worked the quickest. My lo is coming up on 3 soon and you’d have to be close up knowing what to look for with tiny pitted scars. All red marks left. I used the oil for months. All I can say is don’t stress or panic because it will resolve as their skin is so resilient. I really wished I’d beloved that at the time but we do overthink and get devastated. Hope everything works out

I hope your lo is all healed now. My lo was around 6 months maybe and he is coming up on 3 soon. You’d need a magnifying glass to see them. Tiny little pin pricks is all I can say they are. H scars formula was our wonder oil

I used steens Manuka honey but they key thing is to ensure you get one with a high UMF. Put it on for 20 mins then wipe off. I found it easiest to use when DS wAs asleep ! He had a few deep ones on his face - on the chin, under nose and forehead. You can’t seen them at all now. Also ones on back were like cigarette burns - again now all redness has gone and they have filled in but the scar tissue is white - unfortunately I don’t think there is a cure for this…. I tried all sorts - coconut oil, solution for scars, but for us the Manuka honey and Tamanu oil (dont use if your DD is allergic to nuts) worked best xx

But honestly, give it time…. I was devastated too and spent hours inspecting his skin at night using my phone torch looking at the marks at different angles - They will improve x

@Whiterabbit88 Thank you so much. I've been and brought the tamanu and manuka honey. I am literally praying that it'll make a difference. Thank you for your help xxx

@Scot1 thank you. It is devastating, their beautiful skin is so ruined after this horrific virus. I just wish I'd known about the vaccine it would of been money well spent xx

@Hannahamym i did look at the vaccine and was kicking myself for not getting it however I did read that it only lasted 20 years or so and then if you catch it as an adult it could be worse… not sure if that’s true or not… I recommend the udder cream from moo goo - I used this to mix with the Tamanu oil. Just note Tamanu oil is a nut oil. I hope it works for you xxx

@Whiterabbit88 Oh crickey I massaged the oil directly onto her scars 😖 was I not supposed to do this?!?! Oh dear 😳 I have since looked at the vaccine and I'm so annoyed it's not known about nor are the risks of serious scaring. Alot don't just get it 'mildly' but there's no real info on it. The tamanu oil smells very earthy doesnt it and is green in colour? xxx

@Hannahamym I don’t think it will do any harm so dont worry but I read it was better to be diluted with another cream to avoid any reactions - so a blob of cream and then a couple of drops in that cream. Yes it has a very distinct smell and is green! I think it definitely helped fill in the pitted holes. for the honey apply it and leave for 20 mins then wipe off. I found this was better done was DS was asleep! Time also helps too. The healing is a long journey and honestly I felt the same as you do. The white scar tissue can’t be improved but my main concern was the indents / pitted scars xxx

@Whiterabbit88 That's the same as me the dents are horrific and I feel so bad for her. I am thinking of cutting her in a fringe to hide her forehead which sounds so bad I know, but it upsets me so much looking at them. How long did you find you saw an improvement? Xx

@Hannahamym I would say a couple of months at least. one of the face scars became raised so the indent over filled in (i believe this was because of the Manuka honey!) so then I had to get some silicon scar cream to flatten it. I tried not to say anything though in front of DS about the marks as didn’t want him to feel self conscious. How old is your DD? Ah one other thing I would do is put some suncream on the areas - exposure to sun on new tissue could cause hyper pigmentation. xxx

@Whiterabbit88 She's 3. I didn't think of sun cream thanks I'll start using that. What routine did you use with your little boy. Did you do oil and honey at same time or one in morning and other during the evening and every day/ every other day? Honestly this is a nightmare. My son is now covered but hardly any on his face and all spots are so tiny not like me daughters they were huge deep angry spots xxx

@Hannahamym I did the honey when he was asleep - usually after nursery when he was having a quick nap. Then I would do the Tamanu oil at night time, usually again when he was asleep so I could have a good look at the marks as well! I have found that the larger pox marks have left more of a white mark when they have healed. Some of the smaller marks have completely healed and now not visible at all. I guess this is because when they ruptured they caused more damage to the layers of skin. I have another little one now and debating the vaccine again. I’m the US all children get the vaccine. I’m glad your som doesn’t have as many x I found there were lots of sites online to help deal with chicken pox itself but not the aftermath and healing the scars xxx