Bit Scarred?
Scar management is an important part of post cancer recovery. Most cancer treatments, including surgeries, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, leave scarring. Whilst its most definitely both mental and physical, both are connected and each has an effect on the other.
Before we dive into scar management, its important to understand the process of scar healing. When our skin is injured, our bodies initiate a natural healing response, forming scars as part of the repair process. With cancer treatments, these ‘injuries’ can be repeated and long term. With cancer therapies, the patient is immunocompromised, meaning healing can take awhile. These scars can leave patients with intense and long term itching, pain and general discomfort.
As a cancer survivor, scarring can have a significant effect on self image -you see them every single time you take your clothes off. People can even experience guilt for worrying about their scarring - feeling that they “should” feel grateful they have survived the ordeal. Lets debunk that immediately! Cancer breaks you down on many levels and there’s no shame in wanting your scars managed, improved (or even gone!) when you are finding your ‘new normal’ post cancer.
OneUp Rehab provides the most powerful and effective scar management products that exist for treating scarring. They spend alot of time educating health professionals on integrating their products into the healing process. With several products in their range, I want to talk about their hero product - Alhydran.
Alhydran is a cutting edge scar treatment cream that is specifically formulated to alleviate the common issues associated with scars, actively reducing new and existing ones. It is enriched with highly concentrated Aloe Vera (more than 45% fresh Aloe Vera Gel), natural oils, jojoba oil and Vitamins C and E.
Alhydran works by deeply penetrating the scar tissue, delivering intense hydration and stimulating skin regeneration. Regular use can significantly improve the overall texture and aid in the fading of scars. I personally used Alhydran on my five year old portacath scar and quickly started noticing a significant improvement. Its a scar where, gravity can make it ‘wider’ than the actual incision and Alhydran has softened it considerably. I wish I had taken before and after shots!
OneUp Rehab also provide a scar management product called Scarban - you can even wear this one under makeup. For before and after shots and more information on these cutting edge products, including where to purchase, visit www.oneuprehab.co.nz.
This is the first of a few scar management posts Ill be doing. There are several other highly effective scar management methods (for example, scar massage) that can have a significant impact on your post-cancer rehabilitation plan.