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Children's health

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Original poster

Help! Scar on my LO's face

98 replies

Sweetmommy · 20/02/2019 14:56

Hi there!

My sweet little 4 years old boy felt on the edge of a cupboard at daycare 3 weeks ago... It was bleeding like crazy so we took him to the ER. They glued it and applied steritstrips. Took them off 5 days after, as instructed. I don't know if it should have been stitches, because now it is wide and open. The wound is healed but the edges of the wound doesn't touch, there is a good 2mm space between them. I think they call it a depressed scar?

It is my first time dealing with a deep cut, so I don't know if it's normal... It is right between his eyes, 1cm long (thanks god its small). But it is so wide, it really worries me. I am so devastated that my LO has now a big red depressed mark in the middle of his perfect little face. It gives me anxiety and I am beating myself up that he didn't had stitches... Should have gone to a plastic surgeon or something...But I didn't know! It breaks my heart looking at him. All I can see is this mark between his eyes.

I am applying a silicone base gel twice a day + sunscreen. I don't know if silicone gel sheets would be better? The instructions says it is for raised scars but he has indented scar.

As this has ever happened to you or your LO? Any positive outcomes? I keep reading it will get better, but it takes around 6 months before seeing improvement... That's a long time... Meanwhile, hopefully I will feel better about it cause I don't want to get depressed... And I don't want my son to be conscious about it.

A mommy looking for reassurance.

OP posts:

Thread gallery

JellycatElfie · 20/02/2019 20:44

Chloraphenicol eye ointment (which is used for conjunctivitis) is amazing for small scars massaged in teice a day. There’s no hard evidence for this but trust me it works!

Original poster

Sweetmommy · 21/02/2019 01:34

Thanks! I will look onto that for sure. Do you know if it's normal for the scar to be a bit opened?

OP posts:

EhlanaOfElenia · 21/02/2019 01:38

You could try continuing to use the steristrips across the scar, and try to bring the two edges in closer together, and use vitamin e oil or bio oil on the scar to help it heal.

OlennasWimple · 21/02/2019 01:49

Palmers cocoa butter cream is great for scars too (and smells lovely)

Original poster

Sweetmommy · 21/02/2019 22:57

Thanks for your advices.

I thought about the steristrips but I read that at this stage it won't do anything, otherwise I would have it reglued.... But at first it looked fine, the edges weren't that far apart. My mom said it's normal to be a big wide at first. My sister had the exact same accident at the same spot, and she did got stitches and it did the same intended scar at first. 14 years later you still see and small dent but it is the same color as skin.

Please tell me it's silly to worry about a small half inch scar and make me sick about it! There is so much other worst thing in life. This is so superficial. Kids fall. I should just be thankful it's not that big and that he is a perfect healthy boy. I just thought it would make a small line not a gash.

Did your LO ever got deep cut? How did you felt?

OP posts:

Isadora2007 · 21/02/2019 22:59

It will not look so bad forever and it will be “him” before you know it and you will barely notice it.

jackstini · 21/02/2019 23:13

I feel your pain, I got a call from nursery on DS's last day, he had fallen on a wooden toy box corner and had a split that sounds very like your DS's

He had same, glue and steristrips with no stitches
It has left a scar but it gets fainter each year (5 1/2 years on now, he is 10)
It doesn't bother him at all now - it's his 'Harry Potter' but I totally get where you are coming from - I was devastated my little boy had a 3cm scar on his perfect forehead

BioOil definitely helps - pic shows scar is now same colour as skin
💐 for you - it's horrible when the strips first come off

Original poster

Sweetmommy · 21/02/2019 23:40

Thanks Isadora... I am looking forward to it. I guess when the red fades at least I will get more used to it.. I know the red will fade but I don't know how long.

Jackstini: thank you very much for your heart felt response. Your little boy is so cute :) I am sorry that he got hurted. I wish all wound would leave no trace lol! It shouldn't...

It's just always was in the back of my head; whenever he falls or gets hurt, all I can think is "I hope there is no blood, I hope there is no blood" Then, when there is no blood, huge sentiment of relieve. I was thinking he always got lucky so far, only a fall when he was 2 year old, no stitches needed but it left a slighty raised white scar under his nose. He is a very active boy with a lot of energy and is not very careful. So I guess at one point this was inevitable.

Im happy it doesn't bother your son. It doesn't bother mine at all neither.

Do you remember at first how the scar was and how long before you saw improvements? Did it got less indented or stayed the same? And the red stayed for how long? And howe long were you devastated about it?:( Sorry for all those questions.... I am too obsessed about it :(

OP posts:

fretnot · 21/02/2019 23:47

We’ve just got back from A&E for a similar gash in my 4yo’s face, next to his eye. It’s such a deep cut and about 6 cm long - they’ve only glued it and I’m sure the first time he rubs at it it will pop open

Sorry I don’t have anything helpful to add but following with interest and for you OP. I’m still sad about the 2 chickenpox scars on my DD(6)’s face...

Haworthia · 21/02/2019 23:54

I know it’s horrible when your baby’s perfect face gets scarred. I remember feeling the same when my two year old got a nasty case of chicken pox. But as they grow the scar seems to stretch and flatten and you really won’t notice unless you search hard for it. It seems bad now but it won’t always look so deep and red, I promise.

Original poster

Sweetmommy · 22/02/2019 01:45

Hi fretnot. I would highly suggest getting some steristrips over the glue. Its very sticky and he won't be able to take it off. This is what my doctor did. He even put a cotton bandage in top of it for the first 2 days. But be careful not ripping off the glue if you take bandage off. You also could leave the bandage and steristrips on top off the glue the longest you can so the wound close nettly. I regretted not leaving it longer, so if I could help another mamma I would be happy. My son never touched it. I explained to him we would have to go back to the hospital and he really didn't,t want to go back so he obeyed. My doctor said to take the steristrips off at day 5 and part oof the glue came off with it. So leave it longer for sure! I would have leave it 2 weeks, knowing!!

Haworthia; Thank you for the reassurance. It helps a lot :)

OP posts:

Suzie81 · 22/02/2019 06:03

My husband has a scar on his face from an accident in his teens. I anyways thought it was quite sexy (makes him look tougher than he is, ha)

At that age I'm sure it will fade significantly as he grows. Just don't make him self conscious about it

yesmelord · 22/02/2019 06:07

My daughter had a similar cut and had it glued back in April last year.
At first the scar was very wide and red looking, but now 10 months on its much, much smaller and closer together. It's still noticeable when up close but not so much on pictures and things.

Original poster

Sweetmommy · 22/02/2019 13:31

Thank you for the replies and the encouragements.

Yesmelord, you saw changes only after 10 months or earlier? Where was the wound placed? I feel may be it got wider because it iSight between his eyes where he frowns, so the constant up and down mouvement made it more opened? Seems like a lot of people had the scar wide at first.

OP posts:

Original poster

Sweetmommy · 22/02/2019 13:41

P.S. My husband thinks I am totally crazy to obsess about it. He says 100% it will be fine and fade to almost nothing. He says on a 2-3 months I will think it was so stupid I got depressed because of that. I really hope its true!

Read all the topics here about face's scar on children, and most of it faded almost completely, even though it was wide and red like mine and whether t they had stitches or glue. I saw a lot worse, poor children, that left almost no trace except the small silvery line, which I don't mind him having at all. So I couldn't see why my child wouldn't do the same?

OP posts:

fretnot · 22/02/2019 13:58

Thanks sweetmommy, I was back at A&E today as it opened up a bit and the swelling doesn’t look great. They were happy to leave it as it is, even though I asked for the steristrips specifically...

I know you’re some weeks along but what helps me is thinking how terrified I was when he was bleeding heavily and getting drowsy with the awful gash open - I’m so thankful that he’s now well and healthy. It could have been a lot worse. I might well feel differently in a couple of weeks but am trying to hold on to the thankfulness!

AlphaJuno · 22/02/2019 14:39

My ds grabbed a tea cup and ran off with it when he was 21 months old . He fell, it smashed on the stone kitchen tiles and he fell on top of it. He had a cut above, to one side of his mouth which was hanging open and about the same size as his mouth. I felt awful and terribly guilty. We called an ambulance and he was taken to hospital, he had to wait nearly all day to see a plastic surgeon and have it stitched under sedation. I was 8 months pregnant at the time with his sister. It's probably about an inch or 2. He's now 12 and in some lights it's really noticeable but in photos and other lights, you can hardly see it. It's definitely faded as he's got older. I know it's worrying but it doesn't sound like what your ds has done is as bad as that, it probably won't seem like much as he gets older.

SummerintoAutumn · 22/02/2019 14:52

My son had a nasty scar when he was two. As he has got older (21 now 😂) it has faded and as his head as grown it sort of stretched and settled (it was quite bumpy).
Don't even notice it any more.

Original poster

Sweetmommy · 22/02/2019 15:48

Fretnot: You are so right! We have to remind us to be thankful it was only a small cut... It was close to his eye, so I must be thankful it was only a small cut on skin and that it didn't touch the eye. Other than that, if they are healthy and happy, that's all that should matter at the end. Will follow your advice.

AlphaJuno: I am so sorry to hear this! It's must have traumatized you. And pregnant, knowing that stress is bad for baby, must be even more stressful :( We always find a way to feel guilty as moms. I wasn't even there when the accident happened and I still find a way to fell guilty. May beI I chose the wrong hospital. I should have gone to a pediatric hospital or see plastic surgeon (don't even know if it's possible in our Canadian hospitals). I should have kept him with me that day! Its so silly!

Thank you all for answering me! It feels good to get it out me and see you little ones all got better with time.

OP posts:

elliejjtiny · 22/02/2019 20:02

This is my little boy's scar. 5 years on you can only see it if you stare at him when you know it's there. It's been like that for 4 years and none of the children from school have even noticed. His isn't from an injury though, his is from an operation he had as a baby which took a very good plastic surgeon 3 hours to do.

Original poster

Sweetmommy · 22/02/2019 22:26

The scar is almost invisible! What a great work! I wish it could turn out like this... How was the scar at first?

OP posts:

Cucumbersalad · 23/02/2019 13:40

My so had to have stitches on a deep cut right in middle of his face about 16 months ago. I was quite upset at the time and used to look wistfully at old photos of his unscathed face. I read at the time that on pale skin it can take two years for redness to fade and then several years for the "white" scar to fade. My son's is definitely getting less noticeable and I'm sure it will continue to fade as he grows older.

for you and your little boy

jackstini · 23/02/2019 18:46

Hi Sweetmommy, it was so much better within about a month. The redness goes right down.
Pic is his first day at school about 3 weeks after

DitzyPrints · 23/02/2019 18:54

Oh op I was was you last August as some mn may remember I posted obsessively about my ds after he cut his head open :(
I could not see how he would ever look the same again.
I researched scar types, best treatments etc. I could not rest mainly because I blame myself (and still do!) but the good news we used the silicon gel treatment it’s fantastic and 6 months after the accident it’s a massive change.
I will try and crop some pics down but trust me massively improved!

DitzyPrints · 23/02/2019 19:00

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