I need to know how to prevent cuts from scarring. Some stuff has happened and I had a relapse of my cutting behaviors and I have enough scars and need to know if I can prevent these from scarring. Thanks :/
Honestly, other than not cutting and plastic surgery, there's no effective way to prevent scarring from cutting. If you are actively cutting, YOU NEED HELP NOW. Saying you're relapsed and are looking for ways to minimize scarring is not a healthy solution. Please get in touch with one of the advisors if you need help.
Keeping cuts clean and bandaged properly usually prevents some scarring. I've found using neosporin/generics of is helpful too, probably the petrolium keepng the skin softer so when it heals it heals more normal.
Again, get help. Look up scarification aftercare and avoid everything they suggest. I doubt you'll find much of use on preventing it but there's plenty on how to make it worse, so that might be a good starting point (but only if the associated pictures aren't a trigger for you).
From that kind of cut, there's little you can do to prevent scarring. If I had to suggest anything, it would be to clean and cover for the first few days, then expose it. Don't ever scratch or remove scabbing. Use a Bio-oil product regularly. But most importantly, and this is not directed at you personally; whether it's a cold, a disease, mental health, infection or injuries, preventative medicine is much more effective and efficient than curative. In other words, the best way to lessen the scaring will be to lessen the cutting. Seek help, seek support, don't ever believe that either are unavailable to you.
Take a Vitamin E capsule (the liquid kind) break it open and rub the liquid on to the area. it helps very dramatically. but in my opinion, i had trouble with cutting...seek help! it'll make you so much more happier in the long run then a cut.
I know you probably don't want to hear this but you really need to get help for that. I got lucky and was able to stop on my own but that was after 5 years and I'm left with 100's of scars on my arms. Your best bet is to not do it at all and get help for it. Cutting doesn't solve anything. It may be a temporary solution but it's not a way to fix things. My best advice is to see a therapist or psychiatrist. If you don't feel that you can do that then try and find other things to do instead of cutting that won't harm you or anyone else, like a distraction. Another thing that helps is just looking around you and describing everything around you. It's called mindfulness and it's a skill that helps you get out of the emotion that you're having that's making you want to cut. Part of the reason I quit cutting was because of the scarring it has already caused. You don't have to hurt yourself.
Hi there, I am sorry that you're having such a hard time that you're having a relapse of your cutting behavior. Self-harming is a very addictive behavior and when you've once been using this as a coping mechanism, it is very easy to fall bad into bad habits when things gets rought. I am an ex-cutter myself. I haven't been self-harming for 7 years now, and still, when things get wrong this is the first thing that crosses my mind. If you need to talk about this, feel free to message me anytime. I don't know if I'd be able to help much, but I have been there too and I may have a few ideas. About scarring itself, the best thing is... not to cut. That being said, there are a few things that can help : -clean and dinsinfect the wounds with an appropriate antiseptic -if the wounds are superficial put some healing cream on (those for burns are especially effective as they help the skin to regenerate more quickly) -put a gauze bandage on it for a few days until it starts healing -do NOT scratch the scabs (that was the thing I had a hard time with, most of the scars I still have are from repetitively scratched scabs) and do not expose them to the sun I hope this could help a little. Please, try to stop cutting and seek for help if you need some. There is no shame in needing a hand. Take care, Cécile
I have some vitamin E lotion I'm going to put on them. I see a therapist every Monday and I will bring this up with her. I will also talk with her about some things I can do instead. Last time i stopped I didn't really look for a different coping method. Thanks for the support It means a lot.
the coping that i came up with was writing or reading a book. or simply loosing myself in music. Stay strong! i know you can overcome this!
Keeping them clean and putting neosporin or bacitracin on them helps. Theyll probably still scar, but wont be nearly as noticeable as they would be if you kept them open and picked at them.
when you want to cut, get a tattoo instead. If you need medical assistance, get it. Otherwise, first disinfect the area using a non caustic antimicrobial skin wash such as hibiclens, and use butterfly stickers to bring the edges of the wound together. wash regularly, and change the bandage at least every 12 hours. For deep cuts you probably want to pack the would with gauze soaked in saline prior to bandaging, so the wound heals from the inside out. Or you could just get a tattoo from a licensed professional.They have been very therapeutic for me. If you are not going to stop though, please take a class at the red cross in blood borne pathogens.. a scar could be the least of your worries these days.
