Hysterectomy scar

[3boyshere]

Eighteen months ago I had a hysterectomy. I was left with a horizontal scar running from my navel to my pubic bone. The scar is affecting my mental health. I cannot stop looking at it and obsessing over it. The scar rubs on the waistband of my jeans. It looks like there is fat either side of the scar.
Has anyone has any suggestions please?

I thought this type of surgery was done via key hole now… sounds painful.

Belly band? Mama mio scar oil helped me after a C section, lots of massage. If it rubs, your skin will be irritated and that’ll make it appear worse.
Do you carry any weight around your middle? That can cause the bumps, at least my scar gets worse when I put weight on.
The silicone gel scar patches you can buy from boots, might be worth a try.
Scar revision surgery ? Pricey though.

Do you mean a vertical scar?

You could try something like Keto kote which is a silicone gel. Or gently massaging with bio oil. Massage will help to break down scar tissue and keep it flexible.

Otherwise, losing weight and toning up your abdominal muscles will help.

If it is getting irritated and rubbed can you cover it with a dressing or padding or plaster?

@Suzi888 thank you for your reply I do carry some weight in my middle and am trying hard to loose it. I'm not sure how much difference the weight loss will make. I did massage oil in for a while afterwards but it seemed to make no difference. I suffer with health anxiety and this seems to be dragging me down x

@Kittii sorry 🙈 I do mean a vertical scar

There are two issues, the physical and the mental. The physical could be addressed by talking to your GP/practice nurse or consulting a private cosmetic surgeon (if that's feasible) as the scar unlikely to change, other than to fade, 18 months post surgery.

What's causing the mental anguish? The scar is about six inches of your body. It's not your face, it's not generally visible - and even if it is, so what? Lots of people have scars. I'm not dismissing it, because it's important to you but it would be helpful for you to focus in on why it's upsetting you so much.

It’s still quite fresh isn’t it. My scar is five years old now, you really have to persevere with massage and it does get a bit crap when you don’t see a result.
What bothers you most, the colour? because it’s raised? It should flatten and fade over time. But you have to be realistic that it will probably always be there to a degree.

I wore and still do some very large (but fancy lol) pants, to go well over my scar. I found some underwear sort of sat in the scar, which was uncomfortable, irritated it and I noticed it more as a result.
Maybe see your GP and discuss how it’s making you feel.

I have the same. I had large fibroids so they couldn't do keyhole. I k ow what you mean, it does knock my confidence too. I have a bit of a belly but have that scar down the middle that makes it look odd. I guess I just live with it now although the bottom half is less noticable. Like PP have said Vitamin E and core exercises help.

I'm fully aware that a lot of this is anxiety and I'm not even sure why it effects my life so much I would like to have cosmetic surgery but I am unsure of this would just make another scar. I am not in a very good place at the moment mentally. I think I need to go and see my GP to discuss further x

Can I ask why you had the hysterectomy? I had one 11 years ago because of fibroids - whilst I wasn't happy about the scar (which faded to almost nothing within a few years) I was delighted not to have 15 day heavy periods. Can you see the upside to your own operation?

The hysterectomy was done for the same reason as you. There was large fibroids and heavy bleeding x

OK. So can you look at your scar with (something approaching!) gratitude that you are no longer suffering every month?

Silicone gel or silicone sheets can help with scars that are less than 3 years old. There is info on NHS website if you want to read more / from a trusted source.

You can get silicone scar gel from superdrug.

On the mental side - we have a protective relationship with our bodies. Our body is what keeps us safe and enables us to live. We need to protect our body to stay safe.

So when something major happens to change our body like this it can feel really fracturing and distressing emotionally. It sort of disrupts our sense of safety and security in our body, because the body we knew so well has been altered in an instant and shown to be vulnerable. It makes you feel it's not yours anymore so the close relationship is strained in the same way as if a close friend suddenly changed their behaviour.

Understanding that it's a natural reaction and why it's so intense might help you cope with the feelings and go a bit easier on yourself.

Thats how I came to terms with it to. Its not pretty but better than constant periods and all that goes with it.

Did you go through menopause OP? That had a huge impact on my confidence and sense of self but I didn't see that it was linked at first.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/scars/treatment/

Silicone sheets are after the camouflage makeup section when you scroll down.

@ftw163532 I was still having periods at 56. This was part of the reason the hysterectomy was advised. It was also fine at the start if lockdown which I think effected my mental health as I was made redundant from my job as the company closed down x

@ftw163532 that is a really interesting way of looking at the situation I have thought about it that way before x