Yes. I had MOHS surgery on my nose either 2 or 3 years ago. My dr. prescribed some kind of cream (came in a tube) that I started applying maybe 10 days after the surgery? I can't remember. I have a very, very thin white line that you can see only if you look for. I don't remember if I used the cream for once or twice a day.

I had MOHs surgery in my nose in August. I used the Scar Away sheets (cut down) in the evenings, and Mederma (scar gel) for a while as well. I did find that the Scar Away sheets did not stay on well for the full two weeks of expected usability--after a few days of washing them and reusing them as per the instructions, they'd loosen and lift up off my nose after a few hours or even sooner. I attribute this to the fact that my nose contains a lot of oil glands, as many do. The Scar Sheets probably stick better/longer on other body parts that are less likely to become oily. I did continue to use them though, until recently.

I have been using a product that I really think has been helping. You might want to try it yourself, but I have to warn you--it's expensive. I was given a sample tube of La Mer The Concentrate a few months ago. The person who gave it to me swore by it for helping with surgical scars, skin injuries.....(she related to me her own post-surgery results after using it). I used it until the little sample tube ran out and then bit the bullet and purchased a small size bottle (from Sephora during their sale event in November, so at least I saved a few $!). Although expensive, as I mentioned, I felt the results (and continued results while I continue to heal) were and are well worth the cost. A little goes a long way, and only a drop is needed, so a bottle should last a while.

I still have a little redness and a little bumpiness (my eyeglasses sitting on the bridge of my nose surely aren't helping)), but the incision line itself is thin, and barely noticeable. I think massaging The Concentrate on my scar helped resolve redness along the scar line itself. You might achieve good results massaging other products on your scar as well, but I can only speak to my own experience using what I used.

On Friday I had a small cyst removed next to the corner of my mouth. It looks like I have four stitches, very small. I have to wear a bandaid for 10 days till the stitches come out and it's a challenge cutting bandaids down to size and placing them. In this location, with eating and talking, it's hard to keep it in place.

Anyway, there will be a small scar, a line, and if I can minimize it with any of the products mentioned above, it's worth a try. A sheet is something I'd wear at home or in bed, but I'd rather find a gel or cream that gets rubbed in/absorbed during the day.

I'll check out Scar Away at CVS or Rite Aid, but can anyone recommend something to rub in that's a little less than La Mer Concentrate ($360?!!!).

I heard from people other than GW contributors that the Mederma gel is good. Don’t know the cost.

I also had mohs surgery on my nose beginning of Sept. The surgeon recommended that I keep the incision(which went down the entire length of my nose) covered with vaseline for at least a week. He didn't want a scab to form which causes a bigger scar. He also recommended using vitamin E oil after that. It's a slightly sticky oil so I would only use it when I was in the house and at night. By the beginning of November, the scar was so slight that even my family members didn't notice it. I still put the vitamin E oil on it at night a few times a week. I have no redness, no bumps and only the thinnest light line which is easily covered by minimal makeup.

This is my third surgery (all at Kaiser) that I've been told to cover with vaseline during healing.

Delilah, thanks for the Mederma mention. It gets good reviews on Amazon and seems to be in the $25-30 range.

Wow! Many of us have had MOHs. Mine was August 2014 and I also used vaseline. My scar is on my right nostril, but mine was more of a hole, so the surgeon took a plug of flesh from my ear to fill it. There's a tiny indentation left.

Do Mederma or Scar Away have to be used immediately, or can you use it on old scars?

dyh, most of the literature says new and existing scars.

I take it nothing here would help my old 1978 MCL repair "railroad-track" scar??? For my new L knee in 9/2014, they just re-used the same scar when I asked.

Faron

Faron, while it might help the appearance of the skin, I believe it does not regenerate underlying tissue. I think your long "divot" is there to stay. :(

I too used Vaseline for about 3 weeks and was also told to use a drop or 2 of hydrogen peroxide no more than once a week to halt scabbing and get rid of "crustiness".

Thanks Delilah!!

Yeah, it's been that way since Nov 1978! I wear shorts a lot, so it's always been "out there" lol! It's my only easily visible scar anyway....

Like some of us, it's a "badge of honor"?!??! :-)

Faron

Last night, someone had posted pics here of her very recent mohs surgery incision. I can't post on my phone, so I came back here this morning to comment. I don't see the post anymore.

I just wanted to give some encouragement. I looked like I had been beat up in the days after the surgery. Two black eyes, half of my face was swollen and the incision was angry red. I thought your current pic looked good. It's healing and it does take time. It took about 6 weeks for the redness to go away and the scar to start fading. Don't be discouraged!

I picked up a tube of Mederma at Rite Aid for about $24. I'll start using it when the stitches come out next week. Normally I'm not overly concerned about small scars, but this one is right next to the corner of my mouth, so it's somewhat prominent.

czarinalex..I was the one that deleted my comment..some time passed without a response and I thought maybe nobody wants to see this and I took it off..I appreciate the encouragement..the truth is it DOES take time to recover..I'm glad that you healed well..I used Vaseline at first too..I used my Rx Recedo today for the first time..it comes in a small bottle with a pump top..the first 2 pumps (after opening) nothing came out..then the third pump slightly too much came out..looks shiny in the pic..little too much gel?..was $17.70..the pharmacy used a discount card..retail price $313.00..

I hope it works for you, nicholsworth. Please provide updates.

I've lived with a 2-inch red scar on my cheek since I was 17. At that time, MOHs wasn't around and my GP made the incision to remove the mole -- in the wrong direction, according to the dermatologists and surgeon I saw for subsequent removals and biopsies.

My MOHs in 2014 was for a basal cell carcinoma. Although I'm not bothered by it much, I'd still like to try the cream on my little crater!

dyhgarden..thank you..mine was a basal cell too..so small that it's been ignored by several dermatologists..my biopsy report said "epidermis appears normal"..I was SHOCKED by this incision..the Dr said "you have nice fair healthy skin..we'll get a good result"..hope that's true..I would try the gel..nothing to lose..

Had I not been given a sample of The Concentrate, and had it not been so highly recommended by someone I know and trust, I doubt it would have even been on my radar. The bottle I purchased after finishing up the sample tube, I got at Sephora during their November sale event, so at least it was cheaper than it would have been otherwise. I've heard that it's not so much the product, but the actual massaging of the scar that yields better results. Again, I can only speak to my own experience with the products I've used. I do like that my nose doesn't look or feel greasy after using it, and it appears to reduce redness around my nose, which is an added benefit to me.

After my MOHs surgery, I had stitches running down the length of my nose. The doctor explained that making a longer incision (rather than just cutting enough to remove the lesion) would heal better; tighter, smoother, and result in a less noticeable scar.

My basal cell skin cancer didn't look like "anything" and I had to convince the doctor to do a skin biopsy. I'm very glad he did.

Yikes, Cat, good for you. Why did you suspect something?

ScarAway makes a gel as well as the sheets. After my mastectomy, I researched it, and what I read was the silicone gels work better that the Mederma. I used it for awhile but got tired of putting it on, so I cna't say if it works well or not.

My daughter had a mole removed from her face, right between her eyes. Her surgeon recommended using Kelocote, an over the counter scar cream that we got from Amazon for fairly cheap. I assume it helped or else the surgeon was a miracle worker - you can't see any evidence of a scar at all, and it was a sizeable incision with several stitches. The nurse at the surgeon's office said she swears by Kelocote (I originally asked about Mederma and she said Kelocote is way better but didn't explain why). She did say it helped with old scars as well. I believe it is silicone based.

FYI - the nurse also had us massage the scar (once it had healed fully) a few times a day and stay out of the sun or be super diligent with sunscreen -- she said both things were important to keep the scar from thickening or darkening as it healed.

Mt--I had what looked like a little pimple up on the bridge of my nose. While it was somewhat less visible at times, it seemed to never completely go away, yet never came to head or anything. It looked like a teeny-tiny whitehead or blocked pore for the most part, except for occasionally when it looked like it was the beginnings of a pimple (a slightly raised pinkish bump). It would sting sometimes while or after washing my face (I use salicyclic, glycolic, alpha-hydroxy face wash and pads, and they can sting when they come in contact with any cuts or irritated areas of the skin), and I had mentioned this during previous visits while pointing it out to the doctor. He did mention that it might be an actinic keratosis, and that we should keep an eye on it, but never did he think it was a skin cancer, even as he was taking the biopsy. When I told people I'd had a skin cancer on my nose, they were shocked. Not only because I am quite fair skinned (they either forgot, or didn't realize that I did tan years ago) but because they never saw anything on my nose--it was that tiny, and pretty much unnoticeable unless looking for it very closely.

Luckily for me, it had bled a little after washing my face the very morning of my skin check (I don't recall if it had bled prior to that). So answering "yes" when the doctor asked if it ever bled, and the fact that another family member had had skin cancer, convinced him that a biopsy was warranted. A week after the biopsy, I got the phone call that it was in fact basal cell carcinoma, and needed to schedule a MOHs procedure. They ended up having to remove two layers before the samples were clear of any cancer cells.

I find it interesting that while most pamphlets, newspaper and magazine articles, and even doctors, describe the warning signs or ABC's of skin cancer, my skin cancer, and that of other people I've spoken with or just read about, often did not "check all the boxes" (warning signs). Or, if they did, they didn't initially. I strongly urge people that if something just doesn't look "right" trust your instincts and have it checked out.

In the summer of 2015 I had a small melanoma removed from my inner calf. I was in for a routine skin check and my primary doctor (Kaiser) sent me to Dermatology for a biopsy. Honestly, it didn't look like anything different than numerous other sun/age related spots. When they removed it, I told the doc that I didn't care what it looked like afterwards. And that's still true. There's a very faint scar. I'm rubbing some Mederma on it, not really because I want it to disappear, but to see if it does.

I have other stuff on my skin that's totally harmless but looks far worse than the melanoma.

I would google MOHS surgery if I didn't find so many images. It sounds like tissue is removed and tested--while you wait--until they get cancer-free tissue. Is that right? Is this procedure done only on the face where they want to be minimally invasive?

With the MOHs procedure, they remove thin slices of tissue at a time. Then they cut it into sections, and freeze them (or vice versa). Then they look at it under a microscope. They repeat this until no more cancer cells are found. You wait there at the doctor's office with the area covered with a bandage. Once you're finished, they close it up with stitches, cauterizing it or both, put a pressure bandage on it, and send you home with care instructions.

They do it on other areas as well. A friend of ours had it done on her chest to remove a melanoma on her chest. She had to have nine layers removed before they got it all.

cat_mom, thanks for explaining it. Given the cutting/freezing/examining, sounds like it could take awhile. Nine layers! Jeez, I hope she was well numbed and had some good relaxing meds. Whenever I have a procedure where I'm awake and there's cutting and stitching, etc., I talk to anyone in the room who will converse with me to distract myself. During the procedure I had last week, we talked about the doctor's daughter's college choices and proposed major. Next thing I knew, I was done.

I had 2 "slices" to remove the basal cell on my face..just 1 to remove a basal cell on my shin..I went to my appt that morning thinking I was having 1 Mohs surgery and 1 routine removal..but the Dr decided to perform Mohs on the leg too..as cat mom said my Dr also told me the incision is long to close the wound because you get a better result..FYI took 7 hours..each patient had their own room..Dr and nurses come and go..day went quicker than you would think..

7 hours?!!! Wow. How do they keep you numb? Is there a tv? Something to distract you from extended slicing?

lkplatow - Kelocote on Amazon is now $26.99 for 0.353 oz. Yikes!

cat_mom - My basal cell started just like yours! I wasn’t due for an annual exam for several months, but when the spot would clear up and come back over a month’s time, I made an immediate appt. Since I started this thread I’ve been back to the derm for another suspicious spot that wouldn’t go away. Yep! Another one!

Yes, Linelle, it can be an all-day affair. I had no problem with staying numb the 6 hours I was there and hours afterward! The surgery center had a very comfy patient waiting room with a TV and drinks/snacks. Patients are warned to eat breakfast and bring lunch, as the snacks are just that. I was also warned that the bandage could be big enough to limit my field of vision so have a driver. Based on a friend’s experience and the location of my spot very low on the nose though I was prepared to drive myself. Then 9 days before surgery I broke my right ankle and foot. Back to needing a driver!

Linelle..I used my phone when alone in the room (left only 2 times to use the restroom)..you reclined in a chair like a dentist's chair..was comfortable..gave me multiple shots several times..offered drinks but I took my own..my husband dropped me off then picked me up..I told him to go home and relax..my life wasn't in danger and I knew he would have a long wait..there was a TV in the waiting room..back tomorrow to have the stitches removed from my leg..anxious to see what they say about my face..

I will say that the tube of kelocote that we have has lasted forever -- we only ever bought the one tube, used it diligently for like 6 months, and there's still a bunch left. I burned myself rather nastily over the holidays and I plan to use it as soon as the burn has healed over -- that's a larger area so it will probably use it up faster. But you really only need a tiny bit. (And hey, it's cheaper than $360 right???)

nicholsworth55 — Hoping for the best today. Let us know.

nicholsworth... so glad you came back! My spot on my nose was very tiny. Same as others here.. it looked like a pimple but would go away and then come back. When it came back and was bleeding, I knew to go to the derm. My DH has had several spots on his face and had mohs surgery as well.

I was very lucky... my spot was small and he got it all on the first cut. The incision still went down the entire length of my nose!

Best of luck to you today.

My basal cell cancer wasn't noticed by the dermatologist -- skin-colored. After they'd removed several moles to biopsy, he asked, "Anything else?" I pointed to my nose and said this bump itches all the time. Well, that was the cancer, while the dark, irregular moles weren't.

Thanks everyone for your encouraging words..I see a tiny improvement each day..with enough time maybe a miracle!!..will post a pic when the change is worthwhile..

When I scheduled the surgery appt, I mentioned that I'd just need to double check with my husband that the day/time was good for him as well, as I'd have him drive me to/from my appt. The nurse kept insisting that it wasn't necessary--I could drive myself, as they were "only" using a local anesthetic. Besides wanting the moral support, I wasn't sure if the bandaging would interfere with my glasses and make it difficult for me to see well enough to drive home. The pressure bandage did cause my glasses to sit a little off-kilter which made things a little blurry, so I was very glad my husband drove me. He brought his work laptop, and worked while sitting with me in the waiting room.

Like nicholsworth55, I received another injection or more each time they brought me back to the procedure room. Didn't love that!

a good evaluation..took stitches out of my leg..took pics of the leg and the face..Dr says both look great.."you did a good job with wound care..from now on be tougher when cleaning and massage several times daily with Vaseline or scar gel"..wants to see me in 2 1/2 mos..appt April 4..