When I had my c-section I was worried about how the scar was going to look. I spent quite some time on the internet searching for c-section scar pictures and information regarding the healing process. I found that it is often said that you could put surgical tape on the scar once the steri strips are removed and that you should keep doing this for about six months after the surgery. So that's what I did and I do believe that it was helpful to get a nice looking scar. Looking at my scar a year postpartum (I will post a picture later on) I am rather pleased with how it looks and I don't even think about it anymore. It was also nice to protect the scar with tape. Even though the wound was healed and dry it felt uncomfortable when the waistline of my pants came in direct contact with the scar. It didn't feel nice at all and it was even a bit painful sometimes. Do I need to say that I stayed away from jeans for a long time after the c-section.
Surgical tape isn't expensive at all and has no "miracle ingredient" that will make your scar dissapear. I guess that it is more the actual protection of the scar that helps the healing process. However, there are other products on the market, scar treatment products, claimed to have an actual ability to diminish scars and prevent scar tissue from forming. I used silicon sheets on my scar for a couple of weeks but they were really expensive and I started to question if I really needed them since I read somewhere that most scars do heal nicely. So in my case I think it was sufficient to use the surgical tape. I ended up saving money instead of spending : )
Please note that there are different methods of taking care of the wound and the scar after surgery, and there are different methods of operation. I think you should always listen to what your own doctor has to say about it.
//Nicole Hellgren
