Help with chicken pox scars

[fabian's ma]

Hi there,

My two year old son had chicken pox recently (first spots appeared about four weeks ago) and although most spots have now faded he has been left with several angry looking red pock marks on his tummy (I'm guessing he must have scratched these in his sleep).

Can anyone recommend a good cream or salve which may aid healing and minimise scarring? I realise they're likely to scar to some degree but would like to minimise this if at all possible.

Many thanks.

[Saffron]

Silicone/hydrocolloid scar therapy sheets, ask a pharmacist. These are commonly used for keloid, hypertrophic or post-surgical scars. They should also help with general scarring like CP. xx

[Knomester]

I can't add anything to what Saffron says because we didn't do anything about our toddler's chicken pox marks, but I just wanted to say that he had some very angry red marks which were on his back (where he couldn't have scratched them but where the biggest scabs were) and they are just now starting to disappear of their own accord. I think it has taken around 6 months.

[jollymummy]

My 4 year old had the pox recently and genuinely didn't scratch and he's been left with lots of scar type marks. Hoping they will fade, am applying Doublebase cream after every bath.

Will follow this with interest.

[srisky]

Our daughter had chicken pox at 11months and was not bothered by it so she did not scratch at all. However, when the scabs fell off she was left with marks over her torso. These have gradually faded over the past year and are no longer visible so didn't scar.

[Mrs TP]

They do eventually fade with time. I would say possibly up to 12mths for the worst ones to fade. I was upset at the time but definitely several years on the scars are all gone from my then toddler who had it really bad.

[Nikkikf]

They can take up to a year, especially if their skin is scar prone (like my son) - I have been using cocoa butter, BiO-oil and sun block to prevent hyper/o pigmentation.

My son was a bit shy undressing for a while afterwards but we've made them into another super power :)

[Ole]

My son had chicken pox in January and he had it pretty badly and was left with loads of red marks which I could not see how they could possibly ever clear but they have, over time they have faded and now apart from a couple where he scratched all the red/purple spots have disappeared. It has taken a good 3 months to do and his legs are still quite covered in them but I can see that they are slowly fading away. I do make sure I moisturise his body once a day but I don't know if this has helped in any way.

[treehugger]

Sorry to say that my daughter had chicekn pox when she was 2 and is now 20. She had large pox (rather than small ones whcih my son had and which didn't scar, or at least the scars faded) and some of the scars came off. They still show to this day - on her shoulders which is a shame. If I had known about available creams at the time, I would have used them religiously.

[Saffron]

I'm an adult with CP scars too. :( I don't think it ever occurred to my mother that the scabs might scar. There just weren't so many scar treatments availble years ago either. Also, some skin types are more prone to hyperpigmentation and scarring. Definitely if you do nothing else, keeping scabs and new scars well-moisturised can help them heal and fade. xx