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.

What should I eat to promote healing and reduce scarring? That’s what I asked the medical personnel when I was in the hospital a few years ago.

Because I had various cuts and surgical wounds on my face and body I was anxious to know but they couldn’t tell me anything useful.

Later on I learned that there are certain foods that can help promote wound healing and even reduce scar tissue creation. Also certain vitamin and mineral supplements are known to be beneficial. Different studies confirm such claims.

So, What To Eat and Which Vitamins and Minerals To Take?

Most obviously, and probably needless to point out but for the sake of completeness mentioned anyway, is the importance of a healthy, well balanced diet. Make sure to eat a varied diet. Also, smoking should be avoided at all costs.

One particular nutrient to keep in mind is protein because studies indicate that protein deficiency delays wound (and possibly scar) healing. Proteins provide the body with the building blocks that are required to repair and rebuild. They also help fighting infections.

Other proven effective nutrients are those containing zinc. Animal studies show that zinc deficiency resulted in less quick healing wounds and when dietary zinc was supplemented wound healing times decreased. According to one study report:

“Oral zinc supplementation may be beneficial in treating zinc-deficient leg ulcer patients, but its therapeutic place in surgical patients needs further clarification.” Note: topical zinc application seems to be more efficient.

Studies show that most prominent results are achieved in patients or individuals who have deficiencies of certain nutrients. When a balanced diet without deficiencies is maintained eating these foods in addition might not lead to substantial benefits. An exception is vitamin C:

Clinical studies provide evidence that wound healing in subjects judged not deficient in vitamin C can be significantly accelerated with supplements of this nutrient above the recommended daily allowance (RDA).

This was the conclusion from a study titled Vitamin C and Human Wound Healing conducted on the Department of Oral Diagnosis, University of Alabama School of Dentistry, Birmingham, Ala., USA. Read the abstract here.

There are also indications that certain oral supplements can help heal wounds and reduce scarring. Bromelain, grapefruit seed extract, glutamine, and vitamin A are a few of them. Read this page; Do Vitamin and Mineral Supplements Promote Wound & Scar Tissue Healing? for more info.

Question: How to regrow a severed finger in 4 weeks? (as seen on the Oprah Winfrey show.)
Answer: by using Matristem Wound Powder and a Band-Aid.

What is Matristem Wound Powder?
Matristem wound powder is an innovative regenerative medicine. It is made from the extracellular matrix (ECM) material that naturally occurs in pig bladders (pigs tissue has a collagen structure that is nearly identical to that of human tissue). Which is why this new product is sometimes popularly called pig powder.

What is this Extracellular Matrix?
Extracellular matrix is a network of biomolecules (mostly proteins) which hold the cells together. It is sometimes compared with a scaffold because it supports construction and repair on a cellular level.

Instead of the normal healing process which involves scabbing and scarring it stimulates cellular regeneration (promotes rapid donor site remodeling). This means that thanks to this medical innovation we can now grow back fingers (and possibly other body parts). There’s also no, or far less, scarring involved.

How Does Matristem Wound Powder Work?
The powder keeps the wound from healing and as a result the body focuses on creating new cells. Its main mechanism has to do with the fact that the body doesn’t have to regenerate so much extracellular matrix on its own.

Because the wound is covered in extracellular matrix there’s an increase of regenerative cells which are able to regrow the tissue. I’d like to compare it with a collapsed brick house of which the presence of the steel framework determines whether or not it can be rebuild the way it was.

The patient’s own cells and blood vessels grow into the material; it is completely absorbed, leaving behind new tissue instead of scar tissue. Source: Acell.

MatriStem Wound Powder vs. MatriStem Wound Care Matrix
Matristem is currently available in sheet and micronized particle form (powder). Ask your surgeon, dermatologist, or other health care professional about. This product is exclusively available commercially by keepers of a pharmacy license.

Is MatriStem™ Powder Safe?
For these and answers to other questions, on for example side effects and how to use instructions, visit this Finger Amputation Patient pdf file.

More news such as;

ACell’s MatriStem® Wound Powder heals toddler’s severed thumb
ACell’s MatriStem Wound Powder featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show
ACell’s MatriStem MicroMatrix® regenerates woman’s severed fingertip

on the Acell website.