That vague and uncomfortable feeling....

[e_juliana]

I think I've been bilked.

I have a hypertrophic scar (a kinder, gentler keloid) on the back of my thigh, a remnant from my escapades on the Castro during Hallowe'en. Apart from being annoying and unsightly, it's also a giant pain because it will need to be covered with makeup every night I perform. So, I decided to try the "scar-reducing" 3-day patches produced by Johnson & Johnson, at 15 bucks per 21-day supply. The bloody patch can't even make it 8 hours without getting all gummed up on itself. Also, they say that it takes 8 weeks to work, so they can get you for $45 for the entire treatment.

I asked the pharmacist, and she was less than enthusiastic about the various scar-reducing products, but said that it wouldn't hurt to try them, they just might not help.

Meh. I guess I'll use the patches for as long as possible, and reevaluate when they're gone. If it seems like the scar is improving, I'll buy the one-day patches. I'd hate to throw money away, but I also need to do something about this scar.

I'm also going to need to invest in some serious sunscreen for this summer. Any rec's for sport sunscreen that won't screw up oily skin?

Comments

[stephl.livejournal.com]

a remnant from my escapades on the Castro during Hallowe'en.

I vaguely remember your injury, but can't remember how you got it. Do you?

Also, a good product to reduce the appearance of scars is Mederma. It's a gel-type product, colorless and more or less odorless, non-greasy. A 20-g tube is $15-ish, and a 50-g tube is $25-ish. So it's not cheap, but it's also pretty effective. I used it on the scar from my surgery, and it didn't make it disappear, but it really toned down the appearance.

[e-juliana.livejournal.com]

It *seems* to be working, but I could be wishing a bit hard right now. :)

I got it after the tequila shots with Drew. I decided to jump up and sliced myself on a bus sign or summat. It's kind of hazy....