SOS loking for Support: chicken pox scars on face-nose

[WishUpon2Stars]

My dd had chicken pox 1 year and 3 months ago (she was 2, 5 years old then) and she was left with several chicken pox scars on her gorgeous face, including one on the middle of her nose (pitted). Since then, I?m still grieving for my little one perfect face and it has been very hard for me to accept those scars when I look at her every morning. I cry almost every day and I feel so guilty because I feel that somehow I could have done something to prevent this from happening, only if I knew this dreadful illness cause these horrible scars. Every day I wish they could magically go away. This hurt?s me even more because she is really, really gorgeous?

When she had it, I was 38 months pregnant and never had had chicken pox (not sure by then, I had to do some tests to see if I was immune, wish I wasn?t?), so I was worried about the consequences for my baby ? I ended up with chicken pox 2 days after labour and was separated from my baby during his first week of life, not knowing what could happen to him?

I've read several posts? here on the subject trying to find some hope, but it is been very difficult for me to do so. It?s true that the bigger one crater type on her forehead improved a lot (is less deep and white) and even that one on her nose improved a little bit, much less however, considering it is much smaller (there was a time I had the hope that with time it will fill in?). But the one that she got?s on the nose, despite of being smaller is the one I hate more, because is in the middle of her face and is there constantly remind me of this?

It?s also true that they faded a bit, and in some light are almost unseen, but in other type of light they are very noticeable and they look ugly.

During 9 months I?ve applied kelo-cote; recently I started to use Vitamin E oil and rosehip oil, but sometimes I feel it wont make any difference at all at this point?I will continue to do so because for me the hardest thing is to wait without doing nothing?thinking of using phytaoil?

I know that there are laser options available, but the idea of having to wait that she get?s old to considerate them, makes me anxious, because I would like to get rid of those scars now!! Sometimes I try to convince myself that with more time and as her skin grows maybe the scars will go, but I?m not sure of that and some of the messages that I?ve read here make me doubt?

I would like to ask for your help, anyone with a similar experience to shed me some light and bring me some hope, including phonix, hartey 40, among others:

• What have been helping you to cope with this?
• One year has gone since dd have the chicken pox. Will the scars continue to improve with time (fill in, get smaller) or this improvement I get after a year is the best I can expect?
• What exactly do you mean by fade???
• Does phytaoil make any difference in scars this old? Do you think it worth the chance?
• For those whose dd?s had scars on the nose: do you notice any improvement as time goes by?

Please, tell me something because i'm really depressed about all this...

Hi, hoping this thread is still fairly active a little off topic but just wanted to ask for those most affected by CP does swimming irritate the scars? We haven't taken dd since the pox but we go away tomorrow for a short break and we plan to take her swimming needless to say she is very excited!!

My rational mind tells me it will be fine, she suffers with exceama as well and she is always a little itchy after been in chlorine so a little concerned she will scratch her pox scars.

Anyway hope someone can answer this

Thanks again

Wish - DD has her own bottle of bio oil, which she applies liberally (when she remembers) and spills everywhere so I replace regularly. Who knows whether it helps, she likes it though and takes it very seriously! What I really think helps is literally just growing - she had a huge growth spurt recently and it has stretched and softened her scars making them less noticeable.

Hartley - hope all is well, and hope you have a fabulous holiday (although you've probably left by now and won't see this!). I have no idea medically whether the chlorine in a pool could irritate the scars, but I don't think so, they are so much deeper than that. DD has swimming lessons at school every week and we are lucky enough to have free access to a swimming pool locally so go very regularly, all I can say anecdotally is that I haven't noticed any problems. Excema is another matter of course - DS has that and chlorine causes havoc with it, but he loves swimming - so much application of Diprobase cream.

Dewe Not true re Shingles fears in children.

From BBC: And so far, the jury is still out on whether a chickenpox vaccine would indeed increase the incidence of shingles, a reactivation of the dormant virus which can cause severe and persistent pain in adults. Shingles can cause long-term excruciating pain in the elderly. The theory is that once a person has had chickenpox, every time they come into contact with an infected youngster their body's defence system receives the equivalent of a booster jab, building up resistance against the disease. If children no longer harboured the disease, a rise in shingles could in principle follow - although the data from countries where the chickenpox vaccine is established has yet to produce compelling evidence of this

My son has been vaccinated. He also has a facial scar from an accident. You are lucky to have a healthy child and need to stop all this. It could well be causing your child to have a complex about the scars and in turn could knock their confidence. Sorry to be harsh, I hope you get the help you need.

Thanks nellytheelephant for your reply. We had a fab holiday and dd swam every day and had no problems with her scars of exceama, it's so lovely to see her happy in the water again, we moisturised her well with cetraben after swims which we use as a soap for her too and she wasnt itchy at all.

Whilst away we experienced a few children trying to peer at her nose (getting close up and staring) but didn't bother dd and kids had better be careful because she's pretty fiery our little one and they may end up getting a shove!!

Overall had a lovely time and generally feeling more relaxed and happy about things :))

Hi Wishupon2stars. I have been reading threads on CP for nearly a year now after my 18 month old son suffered terribly from CP and had over 300 spots on his face (I counted them when he was sleeping). It upsets me to read of all the other children who have also suffered and have been left with scarring. I am a realsitic person and I am able to live my experiences in relative terms. I am a social worker for people with disablities and I appreciate how lucky I am and I count my blessings every day that my children are not affected by disability or long term illness. However, my sons experience of CP has traumatised me and I know that when I mention it to others, they are unbale to grasp how we were all affected. My son had spots everywhere, and they were huge. I have never seen anything like this before in my life, and I hope to never again. They came in clusters all over his face, and just kept on coming till you could not see any of his face. They were up his nose, in his mouth, in his ears all over his sclap and on his eyelids. He had a black eye due to this. He did not look like my child. His torso, back, nappy area legs and arms, all covered in clusters of spots. He did not pick any of his spots, but he had so many that it did not matter. They all came off prematurely on his face as he kept rubbing his face on his pillow. When they started to scab over he looked lkie a burns victim. People did stare, however he never got any nasty looks, all comments were how sorry people felt for him as they recognised how bad he got it. The scars took months to fall off. The ones on his scalp were awful they were like stones and his hair was growing through them. The largest is on his side and it was the size of an almond. I told myself the scarring would go in 6 months (trying to stay postive), a year later they are so noticable so I can only hope that they will have faded, even a wee bit, before he starts school. He has 3 pitted holes on his face, which dont bother me much to be honest, it's all the white scars. The weather has been nice here so he has a bit of colour, the scars make him look like a dalmatation, it is really that bad, I would not lie. After the scabs fell of he then suffered from months of post viral infections and his skin was not without a rash for months. He then developed Ketatosis Polaris (a skin condition) and always has a rash somewhere on his body. It is important that my son only hears positive comments about his looks. I tell him how gorgeous he is every day and he has great self-esteem. Beauty does come from within and he is a very happy and positive wee boy. He points to his spots, and often points mine out when I'm due! One of his first words was 'rash'. Following the CP I applyed bio-oil twice daily but I found this to be far too greasy. I now just use rosehip oil every night, he likes to help me to apply his nice lotion. I keep his hair long. He has a lot of scars down the side of his ears, his forehead and his eybrows. He is very fair, and I know that when his hair darkens (my DS and I both have black hair) and when he starts to grow eyebrows and sideburns, this will not be an issue for him. I am not worried about bullying, bullies will always find a reason, my son is very confident. He goes swimming every week, this does not affect his scars.

At the time of the CP, I had a 4 month old, he got it too, but only a few spots (he also has scars on his shoulders). After I gave birth I developed a spinal headache from the Epidural and was re-admitted to have a blood patch. When I got home I developed Mastitis and then my baby caught Viral Meningitis and we spent 2 weeks in hospital awiting results of his lumbar puncture. I was probably feeling very vulnerable at the time of the CP, but I am not vulnerable now and it still upsets me so I do not think that you are obsessing. You're just sensitive, and are likely to always be.

I hope that sharing my story helps a bit. You are not along, and as far as I'm concerned, your feeling are completely 'normal'.

so many typo's!! everything i do these days is rushed and far from perfect

My ds1 had chicken pox on his 3rd birthday, he had quite a deep scar on his nose which is almost invisible now - 3 years later.
Ds2 had chicken pox very badly and was in hospital for a week with pneumonia. The majority of his scarring has gone too, although he looks a bit speckled if the light falls a certain way on his back!
Dd1 was immunised 2 weeks ago.

Thankyou for sharing your stories, have only just noticed this thread had been added too. Polly2minutes my dd has lots of whites scars on her forehead too, although she is very fairskinned and doesnt tan.

I think it's fair to say I am in a much better and stronger place than I was a year ago. Dd's scars are not v noticeable at all now. She wears glasses now and has coped very very well they al
so cover a few of her scars! The only noticeable one is the one on her nose, which I would love to magic away!! But her nose will get bigger and change quite a bit so hey ho.

I want to thank everyone on here and other threads who have offered support, reassurance and hope.

I hope everyone is doing ok xxx

I'm not sure if this thread is still active, but wanted some advice. it sounds like you've all been through really tough times with chicken pox, but I hope the healing and recovery has continued.

My daughter has just recovered from a pretty bad bout of chicken pox (two weeks ago), she was hospitalised with it.

She's been left with a few scars to the face and body where some of the scabs fell off too soon - though I don't think they were infected.

I just wondered if in your experience the shallow pitted scars fill in over time and if there is anything you'd recommend putting on them to help with the healing? They're still a bit red too, buy I imagine that will fade with time. Or is it better to let her skin heal naturally?

Hope you don't mind me asking. Just want to make sure I do everything I can now, before it's too late.

Thanks.

Hey :) I dont feel qualified to psychoanalyse you! I will just share my own experience of chicken pox scars. I had chicken pox very badly as a child - I was delerious and couldnt feed or move my arms or legs with the pain. When I recovered I had LOTS of scars - face, elbows etc etc. I am now 34 and I can make a couple of them out if I try really hard, but most disappeared before my teenage years. I was never bullied about them and they didnt affect my self image. I sort of missed them in an odd way when they left.... I dont blame anyone for them as no-one could have predicted or prevented me from getting it so badly.

I was googling other people experiences with CP in small children and came across this thread. Not sure if anyone would pick it up now, 5 years later, but I am in similar situation. Not just the scars, but the guilt over them....When people are discussing here plastic surgeon, could anyone tell me what it can be done, what a plastic surgeon can do, did advise....All I can see from Google is that laser and chemical peel does not help, just fillers. But, surely that's bad, like botox no?