When a basal cell skin carcinoma (BCC) is removed the wound will leave a scar. Optimal treatment of both the wound and scar will reduce the risk on leaving a prominent scar.

This post is about the different types of basal cell carcinoma scar removal options that are available over the counter.

BCC generally occurs on body parts that are exposed to the sun. Since the scars left from the operation are in such prominent places, e.g.: arms, neck, and face it is important to many people to be able to reduce scar tissue creation.

This can be done by properly treating the wound. A fairly new and revolutionary wound care treatment are Medihoney dressings and wound paste.

These contain a medical grade, sterilized type of honey with unique and very potent properties. Of course other products can help you ensure the wound stays clean, heals as quickly as possible as well. Just wanted to mention these because they are all natural and have shown to heal wounds that seemed untreatable.

Regarding the scar, most commonly there are two types of scars after basal cell carcinoma removal. Indented (depressed) scars and raised (hypertrophic) scars. Each type requires it’s own treatment.

Raised Scars
Raised, and often red, pink, or purple scars can be treated with silicone sheets or gels. These are the only proven products that can be purchased over the counter. Used for years in burn centers and hospitals silicones are known to soften, flatten, tone down this type of scar tissue.

They also diminish pain and itch as well as reduce the risk on keloid scar development. Silicone Scar Treatment Sheets are available on Amazon. (Check out the reviews to see for yourself how these actually help fading people’s scars>.

Indented Scars
Depressed scars are harder to treat. Massaging the tissue as well as keeping it hydrated is always useful. When a depression maintains a variety of fillers are available. They are considered safe for use in filling depressions left from skin surgery due to a pre-cancer or cancer.

Downside of fillers is that the filling will have to be repeated once in a while. Fillers consist of Restylane, bovine collagen, and people’s own body fat. Ask a board-certified cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist about this procedure for details.

Basal cell skin carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer. It’s prevalent in light skinned people. BCC in general, is effectively treated and regrowth doesn’t occur often.

Cica Care Silicone Pads Help Improve Indented Scars?

Atrophic scars (sunken, indented, depressed scars) are probably the hardest scars to treat with over-the-counter products.

These scars form during the wound healing process when the production of the skin’s collagen and connective tissue is less than the tissue loss caused by the injury.

As far as I know indented scars can’t be raised with silicone pads because these are designed to flatten scar tissue. (if I’m correct they won’t worsen indented scars either) But a review from a user of Cica Care pads made me think there might be some benefit.

Cica care sheets are, especially when compared to other brands, relatively sticky. Commonly this is not a desired trait because if the sheets are overly sticky the freshly formed, delicate scar tissue may be damaged by the tension caused by the adhesiveness.



But as this user describes, it could very well be this stickiness which helps his sunken scar raise. Here’s a part of this user’s review:

“I’ve used several brands of silicone gel scar pads on my healing facial scar in a curvy place that often causes other stiffer pads to peel off in less than a day. Cica Care stays on much better than the Scar Away and Mepiform pads, due to its thick gel layer (almost 1/8″) and very thin plastic outside film.

In addition, I get the sense that this Cica Care pad is doing a better job of flattening by pulling up the sunken middle of my scar than the others. Because the gel conforms so well to the shape of the scar, it makes clingy contact with the sunken parts better than the others, and I think that tends to pull them up over time.

Whereas other pads stick with a sort of gluey feel, the Cica Care pads stick in more of a clingy way. Other pads will stay on better if something like clothes rub against them, but don’t make contact with the sunken ridges of the scar. The Cica Care pads on the other hand have a much more pliable gel, which seems to adhere by contouring and maximizing surface area contact.

So if you use the Cica care pads in a location where gravity will tend to “uncling” them, or where clothing or bedding may rub against it, I would suggest making a cover out of breathable tape from the drugstore. Perhaps the people who found them not sticky enough were using them in places where gravity or rubbing caused them to get “declinged”. “

The notion that extra sticky silicone pads might help raise sunken scars is not clinically proven. It’s just a user experience I thought was worth mentioning.

Especially since there are no over-the-counter scar products designed to improve indented scars (at least not that I know of ).

Read the whole review on Amazon It’s the second review on the page titled; The best stickiness, good for raising sunken scars.



Other Atrophic Scar Treatments



Factors influencing the creation of indented scars are wound tension, scar contraction, tissue apposition, and individual variations in wound healing. Several indented scar treatments exist with varying results. Needling (dermarolling), collagen injections and the alternative bee sting scar therapy are a few of these atrophic scar treatments. source: Wapedia

Does Microneedling Work?
There are several studies that show skin needling (microneedling) to be effective in improving depressed scars. Almost 20 years ago a French dermatologist developed a similar technique called Electroridopuncture (ERP). He later on published the results of his study in which was demonstrated that there was a 60% improvement in his patients with old scars. The best results were obtained for people with fibrous or depressed scars (MesotherapyWorldwide.com, n.d.).

Because of the relative ease of use and cost effectiveness a growing amount of people are using derma rollers to improve their indented scars. Here are a few of the most popular derma rollers available at this moment.