https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/conditions-and-treatments/conditions-we-treat/scar-desensitisation/
Scar desensitisation
This webpage explains how to help decrease a hypersensitive, painful scar.
What is a scar?
A scar is a mark on the skin after a wound has healed following an injury or surgery. You can’t get rid of a scar completely, but most scars settle and fade over time. This can take two years or more, but there are some things you can do to help it heal and improve how it looks and feels.
What is scar desensitisation?
Following surgery, or injury, some scars can become oversensitive, tender or painful to touch. This is known as hypersensitivity and unfortunately does not go away by itself.
Scar desensitisation is a treatment which can change how sensitive a scar is to touch. It decreases or normalises the body’s response to sensations. The techniques are designed to ‘remind’ the brain of the normal response to what would normally be a non-painful touch.
- Not all scars are hypersensitive.
- Hypersensitivity is caused by damage to the nerve endings in the skin during injury or surgery. The injured nerve endings can become overactive and send pain signals to the brain.
- Hypersensitivity can be painful and feel like tingling, shooting or burning pain, or ‘pins and needles’.
- The nerve endings in the scar continue to send pain signals to the brain after the wound has healed when there is no longer a need to protect the area.
- If you avoid touching sensitive areas of your scar it may remain very sensitive.
Desensitisation in everyday activities
If you have a hypersensitive scar, it is important to continue normal activities and not be too overprotective. For example:
- Use a flannel or towel to rub the scar while having a bath or shower.
- When dressing, touch the affected area with different textures of your clothes.
Specific desensitisation techniques
Find somewhere quiet without distractions and carry out these techniques for 3-5 minutes, 3-5 times a day.
Desensitisation may be uncomfortable at first. To manage this, it may help to use pain management strategies such as deep, slow breathing, imagining yourself in a calm place and listening to relaxing music.
It is also helpful to challenge negative thoughts such as ‘this is too painful’ and remind yourself that you are re-training your brain to have a normal response to non-painful touch.
To help re-train your brain it may help to look at the affected area whilst doing desensitisation techniques.
This is described in the webpage: ‘How do I take care of my scars after surgery?’
Rub the scar with various textures. Start with soft materials and work up to coarser textures. For example, cotton wool, felt, towelling, rough cloth and Velcro.
If the scar is on your hand, you can put it into a bowl of different texture materials to help reduce the hypersensitivity. Get three or four medium sized bowls and fill each one with different texture material such as cotton wool, dried pasta, rice, dried beans or lentils.
Starting with the softest texture, move your hand through it slowly for up to two minutes. If you can tolerate this texture for two minutes, then move onto the next roughest texture. Continue through the textures in the same way.
Using your hand or a light object such as a pencil, lightly tap the affected area quickly for two minutes or until you notice the area starting to feel different.
Use the back of an electric toothbrush to lightly apply vibration to the scar. Start on an area that is not sensitive and gradually work towards the affected area.
How long should I continue desensitisation?
Desensitisation exercises should continue until you are able to experience different sensations without discomfort. This may feel uncomfortable at first. If they are too painful, try using less pressure or take a break and try again later, but it is important to continue with them. Your brain must get used to the scar being touched for hypersensitivity to reduce.
Contact us
If you have any concerns about your scar or would like more information about anything in this leaflet, please speak to the Plastic Surgery team.
Telephone: 0207 405 9200